English In Japan Research Articles

Rori Murakami, A Comparative Study of the History of Language Education in Japan and in Vietnam : The Prospect of Multi-linguistic Society from Okinawa

Rori Murakami, A Comparative Study of the History of Language Education in Japan and in Vietnam : The Prospect of Multi-linguistic Society from Okinawa

Mastering the English formula: Fluency development of Japanese learners in a study abroad context

A common perception in English language education in Japan is that studying English abroad is the way to improve speech proficiency. An important element of speech proficiency is fluency, commonly measured by temporal variables of speech such as speed, pauses, and length of runs of speech. Evidence exists that the use of formulaic sequences, strings, and frames of words with specialized functions, mentally stored and retrieved as single words, is key to fluency. The present study is an examination of the spontaneous speech of four Japanese learners in a study abroad context in Canada. The participants’ narrative retells were analyzed over six months for increased fluency and use of formulaic sequences. The results show that the participants did increase their level of fluency, and that formulaic sequences played an important part in that development. This has implications for English language programs in Japan and other EFL contexts. 海外で英語を学習することにより英語の会話力は向上する、という考えは日本の英語教育の共通認識であるといってよい。会話力における重要な要素の一つは流暢さ（fluency）である。流暢さは通例、速度、ポーズ、発話の長さ等、発話の時間的変異により測定される。これまで行われた研究により、定型表現（formulaic sequences）ー独立した語彙として記憶され使用する際に想起される特定の機能をもった言い回しや単語のまとまりーを使うことが流暢さを増すための鍵となることが明らかになっている。本研究は、カナダで英語を学ぶ４人の日本人学習者の発話を分析、考察したものである。学習者に物語を聞かせ、それを自分の言葉で語らせることによりデータを収集した。期間は６ヶ月間に亘った。データは流暢さと定型表現使用の量について分析した。その結果、確かに学習者は流暢さが増し、さらに定型表現の使用がその上達に重要な役割を果たしたことを示していることが明らかになった。この結果に基づき外国語としての英語教育にさまざまな示唆を行った。

The Latest Trends in Language Education in Japan in the Age of Globalization

The Latest Trends in Language Education in Japan in the Age of Globalization

A Comparative Study on the Attainment Targets for Foreign Language Education in Japan and England

A Comparative Study on the Attainment Targets for Foreign Language Education in Japan and England

A Factual Investigation of the Assimilation of Experimentalism in Japanese Educational Reform after World War II : Different Perspectives in Language Teaching in Japan and America

A Factual Investigation of the Assimilation of Experimentalism in Japanese Educational Reform after World War II : Different Perspectives in Language Teaching in Japan and America

Using the paradigm of ‘small cultures’ to explain policy failure in the case of foreign language education in Japan

Despite success in many areas of education policy, the Japanese education system has been criticized at home and abroad for poor levels of communicative foreign language teaching. There has been a consensus on the need to improve performance in English teaching in particular among actors in the policy-making process. There has also been a considerable demand for private English language classes throughout Japan for some time. Focusing on government efforts to improve English language teaching since the mid-1980s, this article proposes that obstacles to the improvement of foreign language teaching can best be understood through an analysis of the social norms, values and expectations relating to teaching and learning that permeate school and university classrooms in Japan. The paradigm of ‘small cultures’ (Holliday 1999) is used in order to show how common characteristics of the learning environment in Japan influence the interactions of groups of learners and teachers in ways that inhibit effective communicative foreign language teaching practice.

Language teaching

06–01Akira, Mochida & Harrington, Michael (U Queensland, Australia), The Yes/No test as a measure of receptive vocabulary knowledge. Language Testing (Hodder Arnold) 23.1 (2006), 73–98.06–02Biddle, Rodney (Gunma Prefectural Women's U, Japan), What makes a good English class? Perceptions of individuality and the group among Japanese EFL students. The Language Teacher (Japan Association for Language Teaching) 29.8 (2005), 3–8.06–03Burden, Peter (Okayama Shoka U, Japan), The castor oil effect: Learner beliefs about the enjoyment and usefulness of classroom activities and the effects on student motivation. The Language Teacher (Japan Association for Language Teaching) 29.10 (2005), 3–9.06–04Corbeil, Giselle (Acadia U, Canada), Effectiveness of focus on forms instruction: Different outcomes on constrained and free production tasks?Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics) 8.1 (2005), 27–46.06–05Dastjerdi, Hossein Vahid, Talebinezhad & Mohammad Reza (U Isfahan, Iran), Chain-preserving deletion procedure in cloze: A discoursal perspective. Language Testing (Hodder Arnold) 23.1 (2006), 58–72.06–06Guan Eng Ho, Debbie (U Brunei Darussalam, Brunei; debbieho@fass.ubd.edu.bn), Why do teachers ask the questions they ask?RELC Journal (Sage) 36.3 (2005), 297–310.06–07Honna, Nobuyuki (Aoyama Gakuin U, Japan; honna@sipeb.aoyama.ac.jp) & Yuko Takeshita, English language teaching in Japan: Policy plans and their implementations. RELC Journal (Sage) 36.3 (2005), 363–383.06–08Jenkins, Jennifer (King's College, U London, UK), Implementing an international approach to English pronunciation: The role of teacher attitudes and identity. TESOL Quarterly (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) 39.3 (2005), 535–543.06–09Kato, Asako (Fudoka Seiwa High School, Japan), The visual text speaks louder than the written text: An examination of the revised Monkasho English I textbooks. The Language Teacher (Japan Association for Language Teaching) 29.5 (2005), 3–13.06–10Lazaraton, Anne (U Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA; lazaratn@umn.edu) & Noriko Ishihara, Understanding second language teacher practice using microanalysis and self-reflection: A collaborative case study. The Modern Language Journal (Blackwell) 89.4 (2005), 529–542.06–11Li, Defeng (Chinese U Hong Kong, China; defeng@cuhk.edu.hk), Teaching of specialized translation courses in Hong Kong: A curricular analysis. Babel (John Benjamins) 51.1 (2005), 62–77.06–12McCaughey, Kevin (California, USA; kevin@kevinmccaughey.com), Thekashasyndrome: English language teaching in Russia. World Englishes (Blackwell) 24.4 (2005), 455–459.06–13McEachron, Gail (College of William and Mary, VA, USA) & Ghazala Bhatti, Language support for immigrant children: A study of state schools in the UK and US. Language, Culture and Curriculum (Multilingual Matters) 18.2 (2005), 164–180.06–14Reza Hashemi, Mohammad & Farah Gowdasiaei (Ferdowsi U Mashhad, Iran; smrh@ferdowsi.um.ac.ir), An attribute-treatment interaction study: Lexical-set versus semantically unrelated vocabulary instruction. RELC Journal (Sage) 36.3 (2005), 341–361.06–15Savickienė, Ineta & Violeta Kalėdaitė (Vytautas Magnus U, Kaunas, Lithuania), Cultural and linguistic diversity of the Baltic states in a new Europe. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Multilingual Matters) 26.5 (2005), 442–452.06–16Sercu, Lies (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium), María del Carmen Méndez García & Paloma Castro Prieto, Culture learning from a constructivist perspective: An investigation of Spanish foreign language teachers' views. Language and Education (Multilingual Matters) 19.6 (2005), 483–495.06–17Stempleski, Susan (City U New York, USA), Developing fluency: Some suggestions for the classroom. The Language Teacher (Japan Association for Language Teaching) 29.6 (2005), 31–33.06–18Swan, Michael (Freelance), Legislation by hypothesis: The case of task-based instruction. Applied Linguistics (Oxford University Press) 26.3 (2005), 376–401.06–19Ter-Minasova, Svetlana G. (Moscow State U, Russia; dean@ffl.msu.ru), Traditions and innovations: English language teaching in Russia. World Englishes (Blackwell) 24.4 (2005), 445–454.

English Language Teaching in Japan

This paper describes Japan's most recent attempts to improve English teaching and learning at all levels of the education system both for students and teachers as well as for the public in general. Based on policy recommendations by several advisory committees, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has developed a five-year strategic plan to cultivate ‘Japanese with English Abilities’. One important issue is whether or not English should be introduced in public elementary classrooms as a subject. Various districts, nationwide, have implemented this primary English program with the government’s approval. This paper deals with the issues involved in implementing the new awareness of the importance of English as a Japanese language for international communication within the country as well as abroad.

Reports on Philippine Industrial Crops in World War II from Japan's English Language Press

Japan's occupation of Southeast Asia placed enormous stocks ofthe region's industrial crops under Japanese control. English language Japanese news? paper reports from the Philippines suggest that the invaders grossly underutilized this vast storehouse of agricultural wealth. Washington's pre-war oil embargo severely crippled military and civilian transport services throughout the war, and Japan's conversion of cane sugar into fuel alcohol and butane for aviation fuel failed to generate successful outcomes. Also, as the Pacific War eliminated cotton imports from the United States, India, and Egypt, placing numerous Japanese textile factories in jeopardy, Tokyo attempted to replace Philippine cane sugar plantings that previously served US markets with raising raw cotton for Japanese textile interests. In the Philippines, how? ever, multifarious bottlenecks crippled all ofTokyo's wartime farm projects. Though the Japanese occupation was short-lived, it demonstrated Tokyo's intention to adjust the Philippine economy into a dependent relationship with Japanese industries.

Wearing two pairs of shoes: language teaching in Japan

Situated evaluation views learning as a phenomenon which occurs in socioculturally speci.c contexts (Bruce and Rubin 1992). Its proponents recognize two forms of curriculum: one is a documented version, which proposes idealized teaching practices across various teaching situations; and the other is a realized version of curriculum implementation in actual classrooms. This paper explores how communicative language teaching (CLT) is understood and implemented by Japanese secondary school English teachers. In order to understand the successes and failures of curriculum implementation, we need to examine it in real contexts. The longitudinally collected data suggest that teachers have difficulty in integrating CLT and form-based instruction, although documented instructional goals imply a smooth integration of the two. Teachers also report that implementation of CLT is not simple because of various situational constraints.

English Language Education in Japan: From Westernization to Globalization

Japan is one of the most influential countries in the world's economy and politics. Although the country is perceived as being well-equipped technologically and having an industrious, highly literate, and energetic population, foreign language education, especially in English, has long been a critical issue. From the time of the Meiji Restoration (1868-1945), the Japanese have considered studying foreign languages to be tool to facilitate the Westernization of the country. It was also a key factor in Japan's recovery and rapid economic growth in the decades following the end of World War II (1945-1952). After the postwar period (1960s- present), however, foreign languages, previously seen as a one-way tool for absorbing Western civilization, became a tool for two-way communication where ideas are shared and exchanged. This has been due to the fact that, with the arrival of the 21st century, Japanese society is facing many more challenges as a result of changing cultural norms, advances in science and, most importantly, the progress of globalization in the economy and in society. Accordingly, in 2004, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) inaugurated a policy for the improvement of communication skills in English, viewing it as essential for the Japanese to acquire communication skills in English as a common international language in order to function in the 21st century. The series of reforms being introduced due to the changing needs of the country, including the efforts made, the outcomes gained and the quick expansion of foreign-language education, is worth keeping an eye on and, thus, constitutes the focal interest of this investigation.

Japan's English Lessons

Japan's English Lessons

Educational Technology and Second Language Education in Japan. (<Special Issue> Educational Technology Research on Second Language Learning and its Assistance)

Educational Technology and Second Language Education in Japan. (<Special Issue> Educational Technology Research on Second Language Learning and its Assistance)

A New Framework of Culture Teaching for Teaching English as a Global Language

The traditional premise of culture teaching that language and culture are not separable is now challenged by the global spread of English as a means of wider communication. Today's English is no longer an inviolable property of English-speaking people. It is becoming a common property of different peoples around the world. This state of affairs is rendering the revision of the traditional framework of culture teaching inevitable. This paper proposes a new framework of culture teaching that is in consonance with the current global state of English. In place of the traditional dichotomy of small c culture and large C culture, the paper proposes a new trichotomy of culture around language, culture in language, and culture through language. After specifying the contents of each type of culture and their interrelationships within a cultural syllabus, the paper describes strategies to realise a new set of goals of culture teaching, drawing illustrations from English language education in Japan, where English is taught not only as a foreign language but also as a global language.

Internet's Role in German Language Education in Japan

本稿の目的は,初旅外国語としてのドイツ語教育におけるインターネットの役割について示すことである。まず,大学における初修外国語教育が抱える制度的問題点を以下の6つに整理した。制度的問題点 1.不十分な学習時間 2.大人数授業 3.学習言語を実際に利用する機会の欠如 4.言語的文化的な要因に基づく学習対象自体の困難さ 5.不十分で曖昧な学習の動機 6.長期的な学習展望の欠如 次にこれらの問題点の解決のための方策として以下の4つの課題を設定し,そのそれぞれについてインターネットの利用可能性を具体例を挙げて論じた。我々の課題 1.どうやって不十分な条件を補い実質的な学習時間を拡大するか 2.どうやって学習の動機付けを図るか 3.どうやって通常のコミュニケーションでのような本当らしい課題を設定するか 4.自立的な学習の機会をどうやって提供するか 課題1については,オンライン学習プログラムが有効である。主として言語能力の受容的側面に関わるスキル(聴解・読解・文法等)に限られるが,これらを利用することでドイツ語授業のトレーニング機能の一部を授業外に移すことが可能になり,実質的な学習時間の拡大がはかれる。課題2については,一つの事例として電子掲示板の公共的な発表空間としての機能が学習の動機付けに有効である。課題3に関しては,「仮想ドイツ旅行」等のプロジェクトに見られるように,インターネットのTelecommunication機能やドイツ語圏のサイトヘのアクセス可能性を利用することで,言語素材と課題の両側面においてauthenticなコミュニケーション状況を作り出すことが可能である。課題4については,1年半の教養的教育における学習期間を過ぎると継続して学習することが実質的に困難な状況を克服する方策の一つとして, WWW上に教材提示から学習相談までを網羅したドイツ語学習のための統合的なページを開設し運用することが考えられる。CALLというと,今なおコンピュータ上で動く学習プログラムを使って外国語を勉強することだけというイメージが強く,オーディオ・リンガル・メソドに由来する時代遅れの教授法を最新のIT技術で糊塗しようとするものであるかのように誤解されることも多い。しかし,CALLの主たる可能性は,むしろcontent-based learningやtask-based learning, telecommunication等のための認知的な道具としての機能にあり,それらは学習者の自立性を促す有効な手段である。インターネットが生み出した新しい学習状況が外国語教育においても考慮されなければならない。

The Best Computer Software for Learning English in Japan

効果的な英語学習用コンピュータ・ソフトの特徴とは何であろうか。筆者は,第二言語習得の分野での最近の諸文献を検討し,質の高いとされるソフトの特色を明らかにしている。たとえば,語彙や文法に関する日本語の説明がなければならないこと,学生に対して正確なフィードバックを提供できるのが良いソフトであるということなどである。英語学習用ソフトはリスニング,語彙,スピーキング,文法およびライティングの能力を向上させるのにかなり効果的であることが明らかにされ,音声認識ソフトの現時点での性能についても触れられている。筆者は,また日本で高く評価されているソフトの具体例もあげている。

Initial Perceptions of CALL by Japanese University Students

CALL classes often represent new ways of language learning when introduced into highly institutionalized education systems. In Japan, students who learn English using CALL may be faced with new styles of classroom learning. This paper surveys initial student perceptions of a university-level CALL course. Over 100 Japanese first-year students were questioned about the influence of CALL in their language classroom and on language education in Japan in general. Their views are presented and analysed in the context of teaching and learning English in Japan. Although there was overall agreement as to the benefits of CALL in language education and the enjoyment of using computers to learn English, the real advantage of using technology in class was linked to the studentsÕ goals of communicating internationally.

English in foreign langauge education policy in Japan: Toward the twenty‐first century

ABSTRACT: In this paper, we will try to show how foreign language education in Japan toward, and in, the twenty‐first century may be affected by the changing social, economic and political streams of thought, particularly by the educational policies of the Ministry of Education. In order to get a broader perspective, we will present a profile of Japan's natural and socio‐economic conditions, a brief history of foreign language and culture learning by the Japanese, and the Japanese government's foreign language education policies since the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Such background knowledge may contribute to understanding the plausible raison d'être of changing foreign language teaching in Japan.

A Discussion on the Significance and Systems of Collaboration among College-, High School and Junior High School English Language Education in Japan

A Discussion on the Significance and Systems of Collaboration among College-, High School and Junior High School English Language Education in Japan

The Future of English Language Education in Japan : With Special Reference to the Role of English Language Teaching at School for Helping Japanese More Internationalized

The Future of English Language Education in Japan : With Special Reference to the Role of English Language Teaching at School for Helping Japanese More Internationalized