The study, conducted in the academic year 2008, explores the potential differences in the use of a dictionary in support of a standard writing task by two student groups at two different proficiency levels. Fifty seve...The study, conducted in the academic year 2008, explores the potential differences in the use of a dictionary in support of a standard writing task by two student groups at two different proficiency levels. Fifty seven students working on a real classroom assignment were observed; in order to make sure that the subjects behaved as they normally would, they had not been informed that their dictionary behavior was to be observed. The study which shows that the need for a dictionary is smaller in the case of more advanced students may be of interest to those foreign language teachers who fear that giving a student an unlimited access to a dictionary may hamper the development of his expressive abilities. In turn, a marked preference on the part of more advanced students for an L I-L2, paralleled by a sustained interest in information categories typically placed in foreign learner＇s dictionaries suggests that advanced language learners writing in English would probably opt for a lexicographic product combining the best of both dictionary types： an LI-L2 and an MLD.展开更多
The ability to communicate effectively in English is increasingly being viewed as an expectation of individuals who wish to engage with the global community. Mindful of these needs, the goals of the Global Citizenship...The ability to communicate effectively in English is increasingly being viewed as an expectation of individuals who wish to engage with the global community. Mindful of these needs, the goals of the Global Citizenship Program （GCP） at Soka University, Tokyo, Japan, focus not only on increasing English proficiency, but also on developing independent study skills, raising awareness of global issues, and enhancing the abilities of students to integrate information from multiple sources in meaningful ways. In the GCP, students enroll in English for Academic Purposes （EAP） courses which focus on developing critical thinking and research skills as well as English fluency. Through activities that require students to critically evaluate and synthesize information, opportunities are provided to engage in independent research focusing on the development process and global initiatives. This paper describes how the GCP curriculum develops academic skills and English proficiency, incorporates critical thinking activities, emphasizes global awareness, and integrates content-knowledge in order to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to interact successfully in the global community.展开更多
The ability to employ the language as a communicational tool often serves as a measure of one＇s speaking success in the language learning class. This research sought to investigate the effect of learners＇ autonomous...The ability to employ the language as a communicational tool often serves as a measure of one＇s speaking success in the language learning class. This research sought to investigate the effect of learners＇ autonomous textbook selection on the speaking ability of Iranian English as foreign language （EFL） learners. Moreover, finding and analyzing factors considered by the learners in selecting the textbooks were another aim of this research. Sixty Iranian intermediate EFL learners from the Simin Language Institute in Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran, were selected as the participants of the study based on their scores on Oxford Placement Test. This test determines the level of the students＇ English proficiency. These participants were randomly assigned into the control and experimental groups. An interview procedure was run as their pretest. The experimental group studied from their selected books, besides the researcher＇s teaching in the class. After 16 sessions, a posttest, the same as the pretest, was run as well. The quantitative results indicated the superior performance of the experimental group over the control group. Furthermore, an analysis of the Litz＇s （2000） questionnaire shows that learners considered criteria such as practical considerations, layout and design, activities, skills, language type, subject and content of the selected books.展开更多
文摘The study, conducted in the academic year 2008, explores the potential differences in the use of a dictionary in support of a standard writing task by two student groups at two different proficiency levels. Fifty seven students working on a real classroom assignment were observed; in order to make sure that the subjects behaved as they normally would, they had not been informed that their dictionary behavior was to be observed. The study which shows that the need for a dictionary is smaller in the case of more advanced students may be of interest to those foreign language teachers who fear that giving a student an unlimited access to a dictionary may hamper the development of his expressive abilities. In turn, a marked preference on the part of more advanced students for an L I-L2, paralleled by a sustained interest in information categories typically placed in foreign learner＇s dictionaries suggests that advanced language learners writing in English would probably opt for a lexicographic product combining the best of both dictionary types： an LI-L2 and an MLD.
文摘The ability to communicate effectively in English is increasingly being viewed as an expectation of individuals who wish to engage with the global community. Mindful of these needs, the goals of the Global Citizenship Program （GCP） at Soka University, Tokyo, Japan, focus not only on increasing English proficiency, but also on developing independent study skills, raising awareness of global issues, and enhancing the abilities of students to integrate information from multiple sources in meaningful ways. In the GCP, students enroll in English for Academic Purposes （EAP） courses which focus on developing critical thinking and research skills as well as English fluency. Through activities that require students to critically evaluate and synthesize information, opportunities are provided to engage in independent research focusing on the development process and global initiatives. This paper describes how the GCP curriculum develops academic skills and English proficiency, incorporates critical thinking activities, emphasizes global awareness, and integrates content-knowledge in order to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to interact successfully in the global community.
文摘The ability to employ the language as a communicational tool often serves as a measure of one＇s speaking success in the language learning class. This research sought to investigate the effect of learners＇ autonomous textbook selection on the speaking ability of Iranian English as foreign language （EFL） learners. Moreover, finding and analyzing factors considered by the learners in selecting the textbooks were another aim of this research. Sixty Iranian intermediate EFL learners from the Simin Language Institute in Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran, were selected as the participants of the study based on their scores on Oxford Placement Test. This test determines the level of the students＇ English proficiency. These participants were randomly assigned into the control and experimental groups. An interview procedure was run as their pretest. The experimental group studied from their selected books, besides the researcher＇s teaching in the class. After 16 sessions, a posttest, the same as the pretest, was run as well. The quantitative results indicated the superior performance of the experimental group over the control group. Furthermore, an analysis of the Litz＇s （2000） questionnaire shows that learners considered criteria such as practical considerations, layout and design, activities, skills, language type, subject and content of the selected books.
