How to develop a learner-centered language curriculum

This paper illustrates an outline of a learner-centered language teaching approach and presents some speculations regarding how to develop a learner-centered language curriculum. Some working definitions of such an approach are shown and how basic ideas of learner-centered-ness were realized in a nation-wide ESL curriculum innovation in Australia. This will show how each phase of the curriculum development was attained along with efforts made by relevant personnel. This can be viewed parallel with further developments of rationales and philosophies of a learner centered approach. Some more detailed curriculum development procedures are followed and crucial aspects of each development stage are discussed to explore some intrinsic features of learner-centeredness

CEP 2000 A Quantitive Analysis : An Evaluation of the Efficacy of Innovations to The Communicative English Program (CEP) at Heian Jogakuin (St. Agnes\u27) College

本稿では,英語コミュニケーション学科において2000年度に新しく導入した英語プログラム(CEP: Communicative English Program)が学生の英語力や英語学習に対する態度においてどのような影響を与えたかを報告した。新プログラムでは,従来のプログラムにおける様々な問題点を改善すべく,トピック中心のシラパスの作成や質的な評価方法の導入など,様々な試みによってカリキュラムの充実を目指した。研究の対象となったのは1999年度及び2000年度入学の一年生であり,入学時及び2ヶ月後に実施した英語実力テストの結果と英語学習に関するアンケートのデータを量的に分析したところ,従来の英語プログラムと比べて,より効果的な学習成果が観察された。まず英語実力テストにおける2ヶ月間の伸長率を比べてみると,新プログラムは旧プログラムと比べてリスニング能力を伸ばすのにかなり効果的であることが分かった。また英語学習に関するアンケートの分折からは,旧プログラムに比べて新プログラムの方が,プログラムに対する学生の評価も,学生自身の英語力や学習態度の自己評価も高いことが明らかになった。これらの結果から,新プログラムが旧プログラムに比べて,学生の英語力や英語学習に対する態度の面で,より効果的な学習成果をもたらすものであることを示された

SOME GUIDELINES FOR USING COMPUTERS IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

This paper will look at in-class use of computers for language teaching. While computers are now being used widely in self-access or used on-line for delivery of language courses, teachers have also been offering computer-enhanced activities for in-class language teaching purposes. While anxious to use newly acquired computer skills, teachers often forgo a thoughtful analysis of the pedagogical goals of the activities. This paper will look at some of the pitfalls and offer some guidelines on developing computer-based activities that are pedagogically sound

CEP 2000 : New Directions in Programme Implementation

This paper outlines the concept behind a new, innovative programme recently put into operation at Heian Jogakin, a small junior women\u27s college in the Kansai area. It attempts to cover comprehensively the co-ordination the programme employs and how students have become more the centre of the programme instead of the programme itself, and how

QUANTITIVE ANALYSIS OF COLLABORATIVE TEACHING IN A CONTENT BASED JAPANESE WOMEN\u27S COLLEGE

This paper will discuss the results of qualitative research of a newly instituted English teaching program at a Japanese women\u27s college. It will examine the appropriacy of using collaborative teaching and topic based classes. Qualitative analysis has been a practice in the ELT environment and the impetus of this research is to assess the program\u27s effectiveness to enable continued improvement of the English department and the college

Research on Inferential Process in L2 Reading : limitations and possibilities

A major purpose of this article is to examine past research devoted to the \u27inferential process\u27 in first language (LI) reading and second language (L2) reading and, in so doing, to uncover significant research voids related to L2 reading research and suggest further research possibilities. The article first demonstrates current development on inference study in both LI and L2 reading research. It then discusses five fundamental dimensions to L2 inference research from the perspectives of cognitive process required in reading and unique problems encountered by L2 reading research. The five fundamental dimensions discussed here are: 1) types of inference 2) automatization of the process and assessment methodologies 3) the effect of background knowledge 4) the effect of L2 proficiency 5) the transferability of LI reading skill. This article also proposes how these five dimensions should be incorporated in the L2 inference research, in order to establish adequate theoretical ground for L2 reading research