An Integrated Approach to Developing Japanese Students' English Presentation and Discussion Skills

We examined the types of difficulties that Japanese high school students have in English presentation and discussion activities. We conducted factor analysis (principal factor method with promax rotation) on the survey data, which was divided into four stages: (1) the presentation preparation stage; (2) the presentation stage; (3) the listening stage; and (4) the discussion stage. The results showed that students had difficulty with the following skills during each of the four stages: (1) "effective ways of providing information," "revision," and "collaborative work" during the presentation preparation stage; (2) "basic presentation skills," "handling questions," and "audience management" during the presentation stage ; (3) "active interaction" and "active understanding" during the listening stage; and (4) "overcoming communication anxiety," "adaptation to classroom activities," "problem solving approach," and "self-relativization" during the discussion stage

An Integrated Approach to Developing Japanese Students' English Presentation and Discussion Skills

We examined the types of difficulties that Japanese high school students have in English presentation and discussion activities. We conducted factor analysis (principal factor method with promax rotation) on the survey data, which was divided into four stages: (1) the presentation preparation stage; (2) the presentation stage; (3) the listening stage; and (4) the discussion stage. The results showed that students had difficulty with the following skills during each of the four stages: (1) "effective ways of providing information," "revision," and "collaborative work" during the presentation preparation stage; (2) "basic presentation skills," "handling questions," and "audience management" during the presentation stage ; (3) "active interaction" and "active understanding' during the listening stage; and (4) "overcoming communication anxiety," "adaptation to classroom activities," "problem solving approach," and "self-relativization" during the discussion stage

Anisotropic Optical Conductivity Accompanied by a Small Energy Gap in One-Dimensional Thermoelectric Telluride Ta4SiTe4

We investigated the optical properties of single crystals of one-dimensional telluride Ta4SiTe4, which shows high thermoelectric performance below room temperature. Optical conductivity estimated from reflectivity spectra indicates the presence of a small energy gap of 0.1-0.15 eV at the Fermi energy. At the lowest energy, optical conductivity along the Ta4SiTe4 chain is an order of magnitude higher than that perpendicular to this direction, reflecting the anisotropic electron conduction in Ta4SiTe4. These results indicate that coexistence of a very small band gap and anisotropic electron conduction is a promising strategy to develop a high-performance thermoelectric material for low temperature applications.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Speaking Practices Designed to Improve Presentation Skills and Their Effect on High School Students’ Oral Performance

この研究は，口頭発表活動に必要な技術を身につける実践を通じて，発話力の伸びを検証することを目的とした実証的研究である。高校１年生の実験クラスを対象に，物語の紹介を目的とする，パターン化された構成で行うプレゼンテーション形式の活動を一定期間行い，ポストテストにおける発話を統制クラスと比較した結果，流暢さの面で向上が見られた。実験クラスの経験した発表活動では，パターン化された情報構造で発話内容を考えるため，活動時の発話過程において，概念化の段階で受ける認知的負荷が軽減され，言語化に向ける認知資源を増やすことができ，流暢さが高まったと考えられる。The present study takes an empirical approach to assessing the effect of speaking practice designed to improve presentation skills. First-year high-school students repeatedly engaged in book-talk activities for a certain period of time. During the activities, they were given a speaking format to facilitate their performance. At the end of the instruction period, students’ speaking fluency was measured, analyzed, and compared with that of a control group. The comparative analysis demonstrates that the students’ fluency improves substantially when they are provided with a speaking format. The result supports the hypothesis that this format helps to lessen the students’ cognitive load at the initial conceptualization stage and instead helps to save cognitive resources for successive stages of speech production, which consequently enhances the students’ speaking performance

Effects of Small-Group Facilitators on Speaking Performance of Junior High School Students

本研究は，中学生のスピーキング活動におけるファシリテーターの働きに注目し，その発話の特徴とそれが学習者の発話にどのように影響するかについて，日本人英語教員，外国人英語話者および学習者がファシリテーター役を担う小集団を設定し，調査結果を量的・質的に分析することにより，今後のスピーキング指導の在り方の方向性を提案することを目的とした。結果として，日本人英語教員，外国人英語話者ともに学習者への発話量の多さはあるものの，ディスカッションで求められる学習者の思考の深まりを促す働きは確認できなかった。しかし，会話分析から，ファシリテーターの発話の量と質のバランスを工夫することにより，学習者から発話を引き出し，思考の深まりを促すきっかけを与えることができる可能性があることは確認できた。今後は，今回の調査において，発話回数が少なかった「学習者に自信を与える発話」や「思考を深める発話」に焦点を当てた調査・分析を課題としたい。The aim of this research is to propose how the instruction on speaking activities can be effective by focusing on the role of a facilitator. In this research, a Japanese teacher, a foreign language speaker and a junior high school student played the role of the facilitator in a group of junior-high students. The facilitators’ utterances produced in the groups were analyzed by both qualitative and quantitative ways. As a result, the majority of the facilitators succeeded in letting the students speak out, but their work wasn’t sufficient enough to deepen the students’ thoughts. However, this research suggests that the facilitators can help students to speak out and deepen their thoughts by using adequate types of facilitation, which encourages the students to speak out and allows them to deepen their thoughts

Development and Function of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Producing TH2- and TH17-Cytokines

Four distinct subsets of invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells are shown to differentiate in the thymus, then migrate to peripheral tissues where they retain their phenotypic and functional characteristics

Expression of salinarum halorhodopsin in Escherichia coli cells : Solubilization in the presence of retinal yields the natural state

Salinarum halorhodopsin (HsHR), a light-driven chloride ion pump of haloarchaeon Halobacterium salinarum, was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coil. The expressed HsHR had no color in the E. coli membrane, but turned purple after solubilization in the presence of all-trans retinal. This colored HsHR was purified by Ni-chelate chromatography in a yield of 3-4 mg per liter culture. The purified HsHR showed a distinct chloride pumping activity by incorporation into the liposomes, and showed even in the detergent-solubilized state, its typical behaviors in both the unphotolyzed and photolyzed states. Upon solubilization, HsHR expressed in the E. coli membrane attains the proper folding and a trimeric assembly comparable to those in the native membranes

A practical approach to the teaching of english based on the new course of study : Toward systematic teaching of speaking (2)

本研究は,新学習指導要領に基づく英語によるスピーチの指導方法を,中学校3年生での単元指導例を基に提案するものである。「与えられたテーマについて自分の考えをまとまりよく話す」力を育成することに目標を絞って授業を展開した。まとまりよいスピーチのモデル提示を含め,それらを可能にする文章構成や表現に留意させ,体験的な学習を通じて習得させる指導を,単元を通じて行った。生徒が習得したことをパフォーマンスに活用することが,単元指導の前後に行った発話の分析によって確認でき,単元の指導効果により,まとまりよく話す力が伸ばすことに一定の成果があると窺えた。また,準備なしで・1分間・与えられたテーマについて話すことに,困難を伴う例も見られたことから,既習の語彙の活性化,アイデアの発展・整理の方法,ダイアログの要素を持つ活動の設定など,アウトプットの更なる活性化のための指導のあり方を考える視点が,明らかになった

A Practical Approach to the Teaching of English Based on the New Course of Study : Toward Systematic Teaching of Speaking (1)

本研究は, 新中学校学習指導要領の平成24年度全面実施を前に, その改訂内容を整理するとともに, 英語の授業におけるスピーチ指導に関する実践を振り返り, 効果的な指導を目指そうとするものである。新学習指導要領の言語活動「イ 話すこと」においては, 5つの指導事項のうち, (オ)「与えられたテーマについて簡単なスピーチをすること」が新たに加わった。正しく伝え合うためには, 情報の発信者と受信者の間で, ある程度まとまりのある英文を基に, 意味を持った伝達をおこなう言語活動が必要であるからである。スピーチの指導を通して, まとまりのある英語を発信する力や, わかりやすく伝える力の育成が期待できる。また, 今回の改訂では, 「4技能の総合的な育成」が大きな特徴であるため, これを目指した指導が必要である。研究初年度は, 新中学校学習指導要領の内容を踏まえ, 中学校3年生でのスピーチの指導の在り方を指導案として提案する。中学校最終学年での目標設定や指導内容を提案することで, 今後, 中学2年生や1年生での指導内容を考えていく上での基準にもなり, 系統的な指導につながると考える