The Growth Mindset in the Bangladeshi EFL Context

In this paper, we report on the results of a questionnaire conducted with 160 teenage students in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the students’ beliefs in regards to the innateness of intelligence（i.e., their mindsets）, especially whether students believed becoming proficient in English depended on having an innate skill and luck or could be nurtured through hard work and discipline. The results of the study suggested students in Bangladesh tend to have growth mindsets in their English studies. When the sample was divided into two groups according to their courses of study, it was discovered that students studying science had significantly stronger growth mindsets for English than students studying humanities

Thoughts on Foreign Language Activity Classes in Japanese Elementary Schools

This paper analyzes the current Foreign Language Activity subject in Japanese elementary schools while giving suggestions to create a smooth link with Foreign Languages education at the junior high school level.The author proposes that elementary school teachers should focus on increasing the intrinsic motivation of their students to learn a foreign language. The paper starts by giving a brief summary of the goals for foreign language related subjects as decided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - Japan and their implementation in EFL(English as a Foreign Language) classroom teaching. This is followed with a short introduction of two theories of motivation that elementary school teachers may find appropriate to consider in their Foreign Language Activity lessons. After a short discussion regarding the current situation surrounding assistant language teachers, this paper finishes by suggesting several practical ideas for teachers to use in their lessons to inspire their students further to want to become fluent in a foreign language in the future. The implication in this article is that by building a strong affection for English, or other foreign languages, students will be motivated to continue their studies even during difficult times they may have in the years beyond elementary school

The Effects of a Study Abroad Experience on the L2 Motivational Self and Metacognitive Skills : A study of a junior highschool trip abroad

The present study investigates 74 Japanese junior high school students participating in a short-term study abroad program, and whether this experience affected the students\u27 motivation, according to Dörnyei\u27s Second Language Motivational Self System, and their use of metacognitive skills in their English studies. Using a questionnaire obtaining both quantitative and qualitative data, subjects were observed before, immediately after returning to Japan, and again eight weeks after returning home from their trip. The results indicated that despite immediately after returning to Japan, students\u27 motivation and the correlation between students\u27 motivation and metacognitive skills showed a slight increase, approximately two months after returning to Japan, those figures had returned to the level it had been prior to the study abroad program. However, based on qualitative data gained from students\u27 responses to open-ended items in the third questionnaire, it was still deemed that a short-term study abroad program is beneficial for participants. Reasons for differences in quantitative and qualitative data are discussed, concluding that a greater importance should be placed on the time following the study abroad program in order to gain the maximum effect of such an experience

Electronic Texts and their Use in the Modern Language Classroom

　In this paper, the author discusses the use of an electronic textbook used with Japanese university students in an English speaking course. In this small-scale study, students were provided with tablet computers and required to give their opinions via a study diary regarding the use of a textbook available on the tablet computer every day of the 15-week course. Results indicated that students were satisfied with the electronic version of the textbook, especially being able to obtain immediate feedback on their answers to practice exercises completed outside of class time, and the convenience of having audiovisual materials embedded within the text

日本の英語教育環境における反転学習のアウトプットへの効果

博士論文アブストラク

A Report on the use of iPads in the University Classroom

This paper gives a report on changes in university students\u27 attitudes toward technology as an English teaching tool due to the experience of using iPads in class. Eight students were provided iPads for one university semester, and required to use them as part of their model lessons and class presentations. Students\u27 feelingstowards using such instruments for educational purposes were measured using a 15-item questionnaire, as well as open-ended questions to gain qualitative data. Results show that after one semester, even though the students could see the benefits of using such an instrument for educational purposes, preparing for classes using the iPad was infact time consuming. Therefore, it was deemed that one semester is not long enough for students to feel confident to use the iPad as a teaching tool, and that they should be provided with such tablet computers earlier in their tertiary education

Computer vs. Paper: Which works best for language learning?

　In this study, we investigate the benefits of using computer technology to assist language learning in a Japanese university English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. Lessons were conducted introducing the conditional forms of English grammar (i.e., if clauses) to two groups: one taught using the traditional paper and the chalkboard and the other using computer presentation software without the use of any paper. Statistical analyses were conducted in order to discover whether there were any salient advantages to using paper-based materials in the lesson. Although statistically significant differences were observed between the pre-and posttests for both the group being taught in the traditional manner (t(22) = 2.25, p = .04, d = .62) and the group being taught using presentation software (t(15) = 3.15, p < .01, d = 1.07), no significant differences were observed between the two groups at the posttest stage, t(37) = .45, p = .65. The authors conclude that there seem to be no clear advantages to using paper-based materials in language instruction, and the use of computer presentation software allows more interaction between teachers and students, creating a morepersonalized learning atmosphere, which may lead to greater improvements in such environments over a longer period of time

Mindsets for Learning English: A Comparison of Costa Rica and Japan

　In this paper, the authors describe a quantitative study comparing the mindsets of high school students in Costa Rica and Japan. The authors aimed first to find out whether students displayed a tendency towards a growth mindset in their English studies. Then, the authors looked for clear differences between the two nations. The results indicated that students appeared to have growth mindsets in both Costa Rica and Japan for studying English. However, when the two nations were compared, it was discovered that students in Costa Rica have significantly stronger growth mindsets for English (t(123) = 6.76, p <.001, d = 1.21), as well as in sports, and in general. Reasons for the Costa Rican students having stronger growth mindsets and pedagogical implications are also discussed

Flipped learning in an EFL environment: Does the teacher’s experience affect learning outcomes?

[EN] In this paper, the authors discuss the findings of a quasi-experimental study of the flipped learning approach in an EFL environment. The authors investigated the composition-writing proficiency of two groups of Japanese university students (n = 38). The teacher of one of these groups had had much experience teaching with the flipped learning model, whereas the other teacher had had no experience. The first aim of the study was to discover if improvements in writing proficiency could be observed within each group. The results indicated that statistically significant improvements were seen both for students studying under a teacher with experience conducting flipped classrooms, t(16) = 4.80, p < .001, d = 1.27, and a teacher without flipped classroom experience, t(20) = 7.73, p < .001, d = 1.61. The second aim of the study was to investigate whether any differences in improvement between the two groups occurred. The results suggested that students in both groups improved at similar degrees: F(1, 36) = .087, p = .77. These results suggest that regardless of a teacher’s experience with the flipped learning approach, it appears to be a successful way of teaching in EFL environments. The authors conclude that, regardless of the teacher’s experience with the model, the flipped learning approach is an ideal way to increase the amount of individual coaching possible in the classroom, bringing about more efficient learning.Leis, A.; Brown, K. (2018). Flipped learning in an EFL environment: Does the teacher’s experience affect learning outcomes?. The EuroCALL Review. 26(1):3-13. doi:10.4995/eurocall.2018.8597SWORD313261Anderson, J. (1986). Taking charge: Responsibility for one's own learning. Unpublished MA Thesis. The School for International Training, Brattleboro, VT.Baker, J. W. (2000). The "classroom flip": Using web course management tools to become the guide by the side. 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Pedagogical rationale for flipped learning and digital technology in second language acquisition. In Information Res Management Association (ed.), Flipped instruction: Breakthroughs in research and practice. Information Science Reference, 116-130. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1803-7.ch007Fraser, C. A. (2007). Reading rate in L1 Mandarin Chinese and L2 English across five reading tasks. The Modern Language Journal, 91(3), 372-394. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4781.2007.00587.xHarumi, S. (2011). Classroom silence: Voices from Japanese EFL learners. ETL Journal , 65, 260-269. doi: 10.1093/elt/ccq046Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy in foreign language learning. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe.Hung, H. T. (2015). Flipping the classroom for English language learners to foster active learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 28, 81-96. doi: 10.1080/09588221.2014.967701Keefe, J. W. (2007). What is personalization? Phi Delta Kappan, 89(3), 217-223. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/003172170708900312Lage, M. J., Platt, G. J., & Treglia, M. (2000). Inverting the classroom: A gateway to creating an inclusive learning environment. The Journal of Economic Education, 31(1), 30-43. doi:10.2307/1183338Larson-Hall, J. (2008). Weighing the benefits of studying a foreign language at a younger starting age in a minimal input situation. Second Language Research, 24(1), 35-63. doi:10.1177/0267658307082981Lee, G., & Wallace, A. (2017). Flipped learning in the English as a foreign language classroom: Outcomes and perceptions. TESOL Q , 1-23. doi: 10.1002/tesq.372Lee, P. J. (2017, June). Effects of interactive subtitles on EFL learners' content comprehension and vocabulary learning. Paper presented at JALTCALL2017 Conference, Matsuyama, Japan.Leis, A. (2015). Dynamics of effort in flipped classrooms in an EFL environment. Educational Informatics Research, 14. 15-26. Retrieved fromhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/289530659_Dynamics_of_Effort_in_Flipped_Classrooms_in_an_EFL_EnvironmentLeis, A. (2016). Flipped learning and EFL proficiency: An empirical study. Journal of the Tohoku English Language Education Society, 36. 77-90. Retrieved fromhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303759005_Flipped_Learning_and_EFL_Proficiency_An_Empirical_StudyLeis, A., Cooke, S., & Tohei, A. (2015). The effects of flipped classrooms on English composition writing in an EFL environment. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 5(4), 37-51. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0783-3.ch062Lim, K. M., & Hui Zhong, S. (2006). Integration of computers into an EFL reading classroom. ReCALL, 18(2), 212-229. doi: 10.1017/s0958344006000528Little, D. (1990). Autonomy in language learning. In I. Gathercole (ed.) Autonomy in language learning, London, England: CILT, 7-15.Loewen, S., & Plonsky, L. (2016). An A - Z of applied linguistics research methods. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.Lyster, R. (2004). Differential effects of prompts and recasts in form-focused instruction. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 26(4), 399-432. doi: 10.1017/s0272263104263021Matsukawa, R., & Tachibana, Y. (1996) Junior high school students' motivation towards English learning: A cross-national comparison between Japan and China. ARELE: Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan, 7, 49-58. Retrieved from https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/arele/7/0/7_KJ00007108213/_pdfMazur, E. (1997). Peer instruction: Getting students to think in class. AIP Conference Proceedings, 981-988. doi: 10.1063/1.53199Mehring, J. G. (2015). An exploratory study of the lived experiences of Japanese undergraduate EFL students in the flipped classroom. (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University). Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/12538458/An_Exploratory_Study_of_the_Lived_Experiences_of_Japanese_Undergraduate_EFL_Students_in_the_Flipped_ClassroomPerez, M. M., Norgate, W. V. D., & Desmet, P. (2013) Captioned video for L2 listening and vocabulary learning: A meta-analysis. System, 41(3), 720-739. doi:10.1016/j.system.2013.07.013Sasaki, M. (2011). Effects of various lengths of study-abroad experience on Japanese EFL students' L2 writing ability and motivation: A longitudinal study. TESOL Quarterly, 45(1), 81-105. doi: 10.5054/tq.2011.240861Yang, J. C., & Chang, P. (2014) Captions and reduced forms instruction: The impact on EFL students' listening comprehension. ReCALL, 26(1), 44-61. doi: 10.1017/s095834401300021

A Report on the use of Mobile Phones in EFL Classes

The goal of this paper is to report on English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in which mobile phones were either used for educational purposes, or prohibited. The authors created and conducted a questionnaire to learn the amount of study time, motivation and opinions related to using mobile phones for educational purposes of 181 students who participated in classes in which the teachers either encouraged the use of mobile phones through certain activities, or prohibited their use. The results indicated that although there were no statistically significant differences in motivation, students in classes in which mobile phones\u27 use was allowed tended to study significantly more than students in classes in which the use of mobile phones was prohibited. Feedback from students suggested that using mobile phones during class brings many benefits to the lesson, showing a desire for teachers to make use of these tools more regularly. In this fashion, we emphasize that by using mobile phones during EFL classes, teachers can enable students to have access to lesson content more readily, enabling them to increase their learning potential anytime they have their mobile phone on hand