Research Papers in TaskBased Language Teaching

Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development
Research Papers in Task-Based Language Teaching Issues in Curriculum Design and Development
Basic English Proficiency Project
Contributo rs: Brad Curabba, Ro xann e E llio tt, Benj amin Laskar, San dy Lee, Juli an Murp hy, He ath R ose, C hris Sti llwe ll an d C hris Wyle Edite d by: He ath Ro se
Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development. Copyright 2008 by Basic English Proficiency Project, Kanda University of International Studies. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission. First published 2008 by Basic English Proficiency Project. Kanda University of International Studies, Japan.
Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6
Conducting a Summative Curriculum Evaluation: Aligning Objectives, Tasks, and Assessments. Brad Curabba
Page 5
Rethinking the ELI Lounge through Action Research and Complementing the BEPP Curriculum through SALC Activities Roxanne Elliott
Page 15
Instituting Exit Competencies at the University Level: Procedures, Problems and Future Developments Benjamin Laskar and Heath Rose
Page 45
Is Freshman English Meeting the Needs of its Students? Student Perceptions of Kanda Universitys Freshman English Program. Sandy Lee and Christopher Wyle
Page 67
Survey of IC and ILC department materials that could be adapted for use in BEPP Freshman English Julian Murphy
Page 93
Developing classroom personas and language identities in tandem: Making effective choices in the formation of academic and language identity. Chris Stillwell
Page 101
Conducting a Summative Curriculum Evaluation: Aligning Objectives, Tasks, and Assessments Brad Curabba Introduction A summative evaluation of a course is essential in understanding the role of the course within a larger institutional context, and to provide information on ways for course redesign or change. The results of a summative evaluation are used to improve the course for the future. The following is a description of a summative evaluation within the context of the Freshman English curriculum at Kanda University of International Studies. (K.U.I.S.) The Freshman English Curriculum at Kanda University The current Freshman English (F.E.) curriculum was established during the years 1995 2000. The F.E. curriculum is meant to span the course of one full academic year and is a required course for all English majors at the University. English majors at K.U.I.S.
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At present there are 1,652
The curriculum is comprised of eight content-based units; The Orientation Unit, The Advertising Unit, The Environment Unit, The Film Unit, The Japan Unit, The Music Unit, The Relationships Unit, and the Travel unit. Within each unit there are a series of lessons, the vast majority of the lessons were designed to last approximately one ninety-minute class. however there are some constants. Each unit is
unique in terms of materials developed and lessons, Each unit contains Each unit is the following; a video lesson, a listening lesson, a reading discussion lesson, and a final project. lessons. designed to last approximately sixteen, ninety-minute At four, ninety-minute classes per week this is approximately four weeks of teaching time per unit. The primary objective of the F.E. curriculum is language proficiency development. proficiency. founded especially Content is considered to be mainly a vehicle for developing students language Furthermore, special focus is placed on the The curriculum was individualization, development of These principles are the on three principles: for development of learner autonomy. interdependence, and interaction. important
communicative competence in freshman who have been

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used
to
teacher-centered, (Johnson, 2002)
non-interactive
classroom
instruction in the junior and senior high school English classes.
Initial Unit Evaluation: From Assessments to Individual Lessons This research project initially began with a desire to look into the assessments for each unit within the F.E. curriculum in order to determine: (1) whether or not the skills necessary to successfully complete the final projects were being taught within the lessons of the unit and (2) if not, what lessons could be added in order to make sure that the students were being given the proper basic skills necessary to be successful in the final project and also to be successful overall as language learners. I began an evaluation of one unit within the curriculum with the goals stated above. After reviewing the Advertising Unit within the F.E. curriculum, and creating a chart highlighting each lesson, (table 1) including lesson objectives, the task that each lesson asks the students to work on, and the specific skills necessary to complete that task, I began to notice that there were some lessons within the unit that were not being properly scaffolded.
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That is,
there was something missing between the objectives, tasks, and product that the students were asked to produce. This product could be something as simple as leading a discussion or researching a topic on the internet or something more complex such as presenting findings of a survey to a small group. As a result, I began looking more closely at how the tasks in each lesson properly scaffolded the lesson itself. Keeping in mind that this is a taskbased curriculum, many of the individual lessons within each unit require the students to work cooperatively on a task and report back to a small group or to the class as a whole. Therefore, each lesson provides the opportunity to see how well objectives, tasks and assessments (performance) have been aligned. For example, within the Advertising Unit, there are three lessons (Product Failures Lesson, Catchy Slogans Activity, and Internet Advertising Lesson) which require students to summarize information and present their summaries to either small groups or to the whole class, however within the Advertising Unit or the Orientation Unit for that matter, there are no lessons, teaching students how to summarize effectively. Additionally, there is another lesson within this unit (Brand Name Survey Lesson) that requires students to survey their classmates about their knowledge
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of a particular brand name and report their survey findings (in the form of a pie chart or graph) to the class. This is a good lesson; however there is no previous mention of presenting information to the class in the form of a pie chart or graph. These skills and the language that is imbedded within those very specific skills should have been introduced prior to the presentation in order to ensure both more effective presentations and additional opportunities for learning and success. example of how the objectives of the lesson This is a good (1. to interact
with different classmates, 2. to gather data and put it together in a report, 3. to get an idea of the effectiveness of company advertising in Japan, 4. To practice giving a mini-report to a large group) and the tasks (survey classmates, prepare a chart and present) do not align with the assessment (judging a students effectiveness in giving a short presentation based on a classroom survey and using graphs to summarize findings.) After noticing this lack of scaffolding within the lessons of the Advertising Unit, I began to make similar investigations among the lessons within each unit of the entire F.E. curriculum. Similar discoveries were found The major skills and a number of skills were added to the skills not taught column on each of the tables.
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that I found to be overlooked within the F.E. curriculum were: (1) Talking about charts/graphs, (2) Memorizing Information, (3) Summarizing (4) Giving Opinions in a Presentation, (5) Conversation Skills Starting and Continuing a Conversation, and (6) Research Skills. Adding a Unit Checklist In addition to creating a list of skills that have not been taught, thus revealing the lessons that I felt were not properly scaffolded, an attempt was made at creating a unit checklist. The unit checklist was the product of Some units contained such analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the units within the F.E. curriculum. each unit. Table 2. important elements that they should, I felt, be included in A tentative checklist is included below in By including this in each unit, I feel there will be
a better chance to ensure that teachers are properly equipped with the initial resources and also with a conceptual framework for each unit.
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Table 2: Unit Checklist
Freshman English Curriculum Unit Checklist o o o o o o Table of Contents Unit Rationale Unit Objectives Unit Vocabulary List Individual Lesson Objectives Suggested Teaching Order
Unit Basics
o o o o
Suggestions: More than two performance based lessons A scaffolding lesson for the presentation Pronunciation lesson in each unit Updated readings/videos/listening activities
Assessments: o Develop a standardized assessment for each unit o Different options/type of final projects o Universal rubric for each final project
Using the Results for Future Work Materials Development: Future work will concentrate on creating materials and lessons in order to ensure that each of the skills on the skills not taught column have been addressed Discussions somewhere within the F.E. curriculum.
have centered on creating a group of core skills lessons which can be used to supplement the lessons which may lack the proper scaffolding.
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Teachers will have the
option of using the lessons within the core skills folder if they feel that their students require a review or an introduction to a specific skill. In this way the overall format of the existing lessons do not need to change, this is important since the quality of the lessons are on average high and have gone through various changes and improvements, based on teacher feedback, over the years. Returning to Assessments The most important next step is to return to the goals that guided this research from the beginning. To determine: (1) whether or not the skills necessary to successfully complete the final projects were being taught within the lessons of the unit and (2) if not what lessons could be added in order to make sure that the students were being given the proper basic skills necessary to be successful in the final project and also to be successful overall as language learners. During the work that I described These projects need to be above, a number of the final projects were deemed to be not properly scaffolded. reexamined and the skills that are missing will need to be added among the steps contained in each final project.
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Conclusion Conducting a summative evaluation of a curriculum, I believe, is necessary to discovering aspects that could be added and improved upon for the future. Often these aspects go unnoticed during the course of a semester and must be reflected upon after the material has been taught. In the case of the evaluation that I undertook for the F.E. curriculum at K.U.I.S., there were even unintended benefits which I believe will help to make the curriculum stronger in the future. Most importantly is the idea of As giving the students the opportunity to succeed.
teachers and materials designers we must be aware of the skills that the students need to successfully complete a task, especially if the task is performance based and requires multiple skills to produce. Understanding how to align objectives, tasks, and assessments though properly scaffolded lessons and curricula will ensure not only completion of a task or project, but meaningful interaction and a higher chance of success.
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REFERENCES Bailey, Kathleen. (1998). Heinle & Heinle. Graves, Kathleen. (2000). Guide For Teachers. Heinle Johnson, F.C. (2002). curriculum Designing Language Courses, A & Heinle. Learning About Language and Directions.
Assessment: Dilemmas, Decisions,
Learner Autonomy: From concept to experiment: The conceptual
the Kanda
framework of the Kanda experiment. Paper presented at the AILA Congress, Singapore.
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Rethinking the ELI Lounge through Action Research and Complementing the BEPP Curriculum through SALC Activities Roxanne Elliott Abstract This study consists of two separate reports, Parts I and II. Albeit in different ways, both studies aim to promote student autonomy through activities that supplement the Freshman Curriculum. Part I, Rethinking the ELI Lounge through Action Research, summarizes action research regarding the ELI lounge area and its relation to an inclass warm-up exercise, Free Talk. Feedback on Free Talk and ELI use was obtained through student surveys and interviews. This feedback suggested that with in-class learner training, students feel much more comfortable in the ELI lounge, especially when conversing casually among with each other or international students. At the same time, the students expressed some reticence in speaking with the native-speaking teachers. Thus, the study urges rethinking how the ELI lounge is viewed by both students and teachers.
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Whereas Part I is a continuation of previous research, Part II, Complementing the BEPP Curriculum through SALC Activities is part of a joint SALC materials design/BEPP curriculum development project. This project began only this year, and is still in its initial stages. The concept is to develop a series of pamphlets containing supplementary materials to accompany each of the eight Freshman English Units. The SALC materials are selected to expand upon BEPP curriculum covered in class; students can access the materials on a voluntary basis (thus, they are never assigned as homework). Four to six resources are identified in each Unit pamphlet, and cover such areas as grammar, listening, presentation/discussions/debates, speaking, video, and vocabulary. By the end of this year, about four of these pamphlets should be completed.
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Part I: Rethinking the ELI Lounge through Action Research A) Background The present study is the current instalment of ELI area research over the span of the past few years. These studies have looked into student activities, attitudes and use of the ELI writing, speaking and lounge areas. In addition, they have looked into how ELI use can be helped or hindered by in-class activities. Previous studies have suggested that affective factors (attitudes) have more of an effect than linguistic ones (language level). Furthermore, they have suggested that one way of creating a more positive attitude towards the ELI areas is prepare them for the ELI through in-class activities. Rose (2004) carried out action research to assess how often students from his freshman class went to the ELI. He held three interviews throughout the school year to hear students self-report on their use of the ELI lounge. His findings were that students preferred assignments that were positively motivated (such as receiving extra credit) instead of negatively motivated (completing an assignment). Furthermore, he found that students often
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did not go to the lounge as a result of shyness or lack of time. In short, affective factors played a large role in determining the use of the ELI area. A follow-up study by Elliott and Rose (2005) involved all freshman students. The study had three main sources of information: 1) interviews with all teachers and learning advisors in the ELI, 2) a log book for all visitors to the ELI over a two-week period, and 3) a survey on student attitudes that were filled out by all freshmen in the English, IC and ILC departments. Results indicated that frequency of use (including number of assignments) in the free-talk area led to increased comfort and skill in speaking with native speakers. Problems in using the lounge were highlighted, including 1) misunderstandings about what the lounge was for, 2) student confusion regarding how to relate to the teachers, and 3) how to start, continue and end a conversation. Thus, conversation management prominently. There seemed to be two solutions to this problem. One was to assign more tasks to be completed in the ELI lounge, throwing students into a communicative situation and then hoping that they made their way through by
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and
affective
factors
again
figure
way of constant exposure and practice. Drawbacks include forcing the students against their will to go to the ELI area until they feel comfortable there, as well as the limited time and resources of the ELI area itself. However, another solution was to include more time for free conversation in class. In this way, students could learn about conversation management in the classroom, and then use these techniques to feel more comfortable engaging in conversation in the ELI area. B) Theoretical Basis: Autonomy The background of both studies presented in this report, but above all this one on the ELI, concerns the promotion of learner autonomy. Several levels and definitions of autonomy exist. In general terms, Deci (1995) describes an autonomous person as self-governing and free in his or her actions. Educators such as Benson (2001) define autonomy as the capacity to take control of ones own learning (p. 47). Aoki (1999) slightly expands Bensons (2001) concept to define learner autonomy as, a capacity to take control of ones own learning in the service of ones perceived needs and aspirations (p.144). According to van Lier (1996), the true meaning of autonomy is self-regulation (p. 119).
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The concept of learner autonomy is already tricky, and promoting it inside the classroom even more complex. Autonomy is often viewed as an independent endeavor, pursued and achieved outside the classroom. Furthermore, it is seen as not necessarily collaborative, and as the learners responsibility. Dam (2003) claims the reason autonomy is not promoted has to do with the distribution of power in the classroom. The teacher is in a one-up position while the learners are in the one-down position. In order to promote autonomy, it is absolutely essential that a teacher let go of the idea of a traditional, teachercentered classroom. More often than not, it is the teacher not accepting his or her peripheral rolenot the students shirking their responsibilitythat foils attempts for autonomy (Dam, 2003, p. 138). In sum, Dams (2003) point of view is that learner autonomy develops not only in the classroom but also, and perhaps more importantly, in the teachers own development and awareness as regards his or her role in the whole process (p. 135-136). The process of promoting learner autonomy thus requires a redistribution of power in the classroom, along side reflective teaching. Dam (2003) argues that to promote
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learner autonomy it is necessary to follow the Four steps to learner responsibility, which represent a cumulative process. 1. Experience with and insight into useful and relevant activities, suitable partners, appropriate ways of organizing the work undertaken, and various ways of evaluating process as well as progress 2. Awareness of what, why and how to learn; awareness of ones role in the learning process 3. Influence on and participation in decision making as regards ones own learning (choice of activities, partners, materials, etc.) 4. Responsibility for ones own learning (Dam, 2003, p. 139) This is the four-step process that I am trying to replicate in the classroom through Free Talk to promote the use of the ELI. I feel that if I can emphasize the experience, awareness, and influence processes of Free Talk, then the students can take responsibility for their learning through seeking out English speaking conversation partners outside the classroom. I view the conversations in the classroom as a stepping stone to the ELI, and the ELI in turn as a stepping stone to (non-assigned) conversations with other speakers of English.
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C) Free Talk and Promoting Learner Autonomy I decided to promote autonomy in the classroom through applying Dams (2003) experience, awareness, influence, and responsibility model to the concept of Free Talk. Michael Torpey first introduced incorporating Free Talk into each lesson during his observation of my class in the Spring of 2005. Free Talk is a warm-up conversation that lasts about five to ten minutes on the topic of the students choice. It can be done in partners or in groups (organized by the teacher or the students choice). Students come into the classroom and chat until the teacher stops them and begins the more task-based part of the lesson. Free Talk, though less structured than other in-class activities, is just as valid and important in increasing language ability as other parts of the lesson. Starting each class of this year with Free Talk has given my students experience (step 1) with speaking in an unstructured manner with their classmates in English. Periodically I go to the awareness step (2), when I add another component to Free Talk though integrating it with a few awareness-raising questions. We have class discussions on the concept of Free Talk itself. The teacher asks questions of the class and the class raises their
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concerns or questions about Free Talk. Some of the sample questions are listed below: Why does the teacher not give you a topic? How do you go about choosing a topic with your partner? How do you change the topic? How do you start a conversation? How do you end a conversation? How do you keep a conversation going?
In addition, once every semester I conducted surveys and interviews to figure out how the students felt about Free Talk, using free response, multiple choice, and rankings (See Appendix 1). Through our in class discussions and the continuous feedback that I received from students, I was able to understand their impressions about Free Talk. Using feedback gathered both publicly and privately, the class then made changes to the way that Free Talk was carried out, thus leading to increased student influence (step 3) over the activity. Finally, I hope that students will be able to take more responsibility (step 4) for their learning, which for me is evidenced by using resources such as the ELI lounge more often.
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D) Findings Teacher Journals and Observations Here I will summarize my impressions as a teacher using Free Talk. Integrating more free speaking tasks into the curriculum brought about multiple benefits, according to my observations. First, students practiced topic and conversation management. Second, it encouraged teambuilding and cooperation among class members and allowed them to get to know one another on a more personal level. Third, it increased student awareness and reflection through focus tasks. Fourth, it weaned students away from relying on the teacher as facilitator, and to instead look to each other. Fifth, it increased student fluency. Finally, Free Talk also validated conversations between non-natives. From a classroom management point of view, as well, there are many benefits. First, it is a relaxing activity, as students have the time to decompress from their lives outside the classroom before diving into the days lesson. Second, there is no need for the teacher to prepare or give instructions, as students already know what they need to do. Third, the problem of a few minutes of tardiness is solved because groupings can gain or lose a member
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easily, and there is no need for explicit instruction in order to participate in an activity. Finally, it also promotes the use of English-only, since students begin using English as soon as they come in the door. Student Feedback In general, as expressed through class discussions, interviews, and surveys, student reactions to Free Talk is overwhelmingly positive. In fact, the more experience the students had with it, the more positive they felt. The results by the second semester were striking. Out of a class of 28 students, 16 said gave it the highest mark possible regarding how much they enjoyed it (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest), whereas 12 gave it the second highest mark possible (4 out of 5). No one went lower than those two high marks, which shows the popularity of the activity. No other task or activity that I have ever done in class has gotten such overwhelmingly consistently positive feedback. Grouping issues were important, and I found that students had strong opinions about how they were grouped for Free Talk (e.g. choosing their own partners, getting into smaller or larger groups). I found that
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students in general enjoyed doing Free Talk in pairs. As a teacher, though, I think that groups are more effective as preparation for the KEPT exam. In addition, students enjoyed mixing up the groups is a good idea. Again as a teacher I accommodated their requests, although I have heard of research that says that staying in the same groups encourages team building. This is difficult because it depends on the teachers own ideas. One of the more successful Free Talk variations, which lasted over the course of about seven or eight weeks, was to give students a list of names of all classmates. Each day the students would find a new partner, and once that person was marked off their list they would try to find another partner for the next day. Students enjoyed this activity, although the search for a new partner every class period took some students out of their comfort zone as they had to approach students they did not know very well. The positive side was that students were able to enjoy the company of classmates they would not normally talk with. During the first semester I interviewed every student to see how they were interested in improving their English outside the classroom. Half the students were interested
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in the speaking lounge, which was a number I considered low (14 out of 28). However, during the course of the semester I continued to make it clear that it was possible to enjoy the area without necessarily talking with a teacher. My students enjoyment and frequency of use of Free Talk and of the ELI lounge steadily increased over the course of the year. Interest in the ELI lounge started with a fairly low attendance (about half the class went more often than once a month during the first semester). However, during the second semester, fourteen claimed to go at least once a week, six at least once every two weeks. This means that 20 out of 28 students in my class were in the ELI lounge once every week or two. As for the remaining students four went once a month, two once every two months, and only two had not been that semester. Keep in mind that when I distributed the survey, I had made no assignments to go to the ELI lounge. Thus, the students were going to the lounge purely of their own volition. Another question that was what they most enjoyed doing in the ELI lounge area. One question asked the students to order their preferred activities in order, from 1 as the most
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favorite to 8 as the least preferred. Here were the results of that ranking: 1. Talking with their friends 2. Relaxing 3. Watching TV 4. Talking with a teacher 5. Reading books 6. Doing other activities 7. Eating 8. Doing homework It is interesting to note that the camaraderie within the classroom, as promoted by Free Talk encouraged students to look to each other as conversation partners instead of seeking validation from a teacher as a conversation partner. In fact, speaking with a teacher ranks fourth, in the mid-range on the list of favorite activities.
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E) Suggested changes in curriculum and ELI lounge This study has prompted the rethinking of activities both in and outside the classroom. In the classroom I think it would be a good idea to include Free Talk in the curriculum as a universal Freshman-level warm-up activity. Free Talk promotes fluency, autonomy, a positive classroom reflection and atmosphere, most importantly. In addition, it increases interaction, interdependence. All these points support its inclusion as a universal warmer. The results of this study also indicate a rethinking of the role of the teachers in the ELI lounge might be useful. Perhaps ELI teachers in the ELI lounge could be viewed as resource, and not as mandatory conversation partners. Currently, both the teachers and the administration see the ELI as an area where conversations are validated by the teachers. Teachers are openly encouraged to participate in all conversations that the students are having. This study calls into question the value of mandatory teacher involvement. Is an older native speaker makes a more appropriate partner than an English-speaking peer (native or non29
native)? The age difference between teachers and students, as well as the role of a teacher as an authority figure, indicate that unless invited directly by the students to participate in a conversation, the administration might want to rethink its policy of unconditional teacher involvement. If it is English-only, natural conversation, that is attainable with or without teacher participation.
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Part II: Complementing the BEPP Curriculum through SALC Activities A) Introduction This project turned out to be much bigger and more complex than I had originally envisioned. In fact, this is a new project, never before done by either the SALC or BEPP, much less a joint project with both. The efforts summarized here encompass my work not only as a BEPP member and Freshman English teacher, but also as a Materials Designer for the SALC. B) Project Description This series of pamphlets is a joint BEPP/SALC curriculum development and materials design project. The goal of the project is to compile a list of SALC resources into a pamphlet that supplements each of the eight BEPP Freshman Curriculum Units. The eight units of the Freshman Curriculum are: Orientation (all students) Japan (lower level students) Advertising Environment
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Film Music Relationships Travel The SALC resources referenced in the pamphlets are meant to be accessed autonomously by learners, and thus are never assigned as homework or done for extra credit. At the same time, the materials are directly related to material covered in the BEPP lessons. For example, the Presentation lesson in the Orientation Unit has a presentation pamphlet resource in the SALC; the Three Genres lesson in the Music Unit to a Bob Marley CD. The teachers and learning advisors only obligations are to make students aware of the resources available. There is no outside evaluation of the work produced. The pamphlets have pictures and references to resources in the SALC that expand upon material covered in class. Four to six resources are identified in each pamphlet, covering a selection of the following areas: grammar listening presentation/discussions/debates speaking (e.g. phonetics, fluency)
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video vocabulary Depending on the theme of the unit and the resources available, some areas may be more relevant to some units than to others. For example, perhaps more videos could be provided for the Film Unit, or more CDs for the Music Unit. These areas have been chosen because they correspond to areas that teachers would like to improve on. The subject areas are based on what teachers have highlighted as not being covered in their classes, but that could benefit from increased coverage (See Appendix 2 for the BEPP list of useful supplementary resources). With limited time and resources in class, it is perhaps preferable for students to follow up on resources that they find useful for their own goals and studies. These pamphlets fulfil that need. C) The Process One of the challenges of compiling the brochures for this unit has been taking all of the concerned parties into account. For example, in order to produce just one brochure, I had to:
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1. Go through each BEPP Freshman English lesson and identify key points to build on 2. Find SALC materials that filled that need 3. Write a blurb for the pamphlet describing the SALC material and referencing it back to the BEPP lesson 4. Submit the wording for the pamphlet for drafting by the SALC materials designers 5. Submit images used in the pamphlet for the SALC materials designers to scan 6. Have the designers return a draft version to me 7. Trial the brochure 8. Obtain rights to copyrighted materials 9. Submit the trialed and edited brochure for publishing 10. 11. Receive the pamphlet back from the Distribute among the classes and make outside publisher available in the SALC itself There were many breakdowns and problems in this process, and as of now I have not been able to complete a single brochure. For example, I found that the designers wanted the materials trailed before they would give me a draft of the materials. However, the form and content are
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basically inseparable, so this created somewhat of an impasse. Furthermore, there are many copyright issues surrounding the pamphlets, mainly because they are produced out of house. However, the student trialing is fairly straightforward, as there are students available (for pay) to help with the trailing. So far I have drafted pamphlets for the Orientation, Music, and Relationships Units. For a sample of work in progress I have completed so far and given to the Materials Developers, please see Appendix 3. D) Conclusion In the future, BEPP will need to decide whether complementing the curriculum with the help of these brochures is a high priority. It requires a lot of effort and, as I explained earlier, requires cooperation with many people (SALC Learning Advisors and Managers, BEPP members, Materials Designers). I hope that with the lessons learned through the course of this year, BEPP can continue its involvement. The ideal candidate to continue this project is someone with a knowledge of or interest in SALC resources who is also familiar with BEPP goals and curriculum. Signing up
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for a koma of Materials Design would be highly beneficial, as well, as it gives the person more time to explore the resources and more access to SALC staff (especially the Materials Designers, who are employed directly by the SALC, not BEPP). Although it is a challenge and a time investment, I believe that developing these materials could be of enormous benefit to both the students and the teachers. However, it is up to BEPP to decide the extent of its involvement. If the committee decides to emphasize other priorities, it will probably become an exclusively SALC project.
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References
Aoki, N. (1999). Affect and the role of teachers in the development of learner autonomy. In J. Arnold (Ed.), Affect in language learning (pp. 142-154). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Basic English Proficiency (BEPP). (2005). Possible areas of support: BEPP and SALC materials. Unpublished manuscript. Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited. Dam, L. (2003). Developing learner autonomy: The teachers responsibility. In D. Little, J. Ridley and E. Ushidoda (Eds.), Learner autonomy in the foreign language classroom: Teacher, learner, curriculum and assessment, (pp. 126-150). Dublin: Authentik.
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Deci, E. L. (1995). Why we do what we do: The dynamics of personal autonomy. New York: G.P. Putnams Sons. Elliott, R. and Rose, H. (2005). Kanda Freshman English majors and the ELI. Unpublished manuscript.
Rose, H. (2004). Activities to promote ELI use in Freshman English. Unpublished manuscript. van Lier, L. (1996). Interaction in the language curriculum: Awareness, autonomy and authenticity. New York: Longman Group Limited.
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Appendix 1 Sample Interview Questions and Survey For Assessing Use of the ELI Lounge and the Effectiveness of Free Talk Interview Questions Tell me about activities you most enjoy in our class? Are there any activities you dont enjoy as much? Why? What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing outside of class to improve your English? How do you feel about the Free Talk warm-up activity in our class?
Survey Questions Tell me about your in-class Free Talk Experience Please mark between 5 (absolutely true) and 1 (not true at all). 1. 2. 3. I enjoy free talk time in this class. 1 I prefer doing free talk in pairs. I prefer doing free talk in groups of 3 or 4. 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
4. I think we spend enough time doing Free Talk in this class. 5.
Additional comments about in-class Free Talk Experience:
ELI Lounge Experience Please mark between 5 (absolutely true) and 1 (not true at all). 6. 7. 8. 9. I like the yellow sofa free talk area. I like the yellow sofa reading area. I like the Writing Center. I like the Practice Center. 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development 10. When you go to the ELI lounge area, what activities do you prefer? Please put in order from your most to least favorite activity. Example: Doing homework (_1_), Chatting with my friends (_2_). a. Eating my lunch or a snack (___) b. Chatting with my friends (___) c. Talking with a teacher (___) d. Doing homework (___) e. Relaxing (___) f. Reading (___) g. Watching TV (___) e. Other activities (___) 11. How many times have you been to the ELI lounge, Writing Center, or Practice Area this semester? (Please circle only one.) a. At least once a week. b. About once every two weeks c. About once a month d. About once every two months e. I have not gone yet this semester 12. Comments about ELI lounge Experience:
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Appendix 2 Possible Areas of Support: BEPP and SALC Materials (2005) The following are a few areas in which the Freshman English curriculum could benefit from further materials development outside the classroom. While the points mentioned are dealt with to some degree in the teacher student scenario, materials that treat these matters in further depth, and that could be accessed independently by the student via the SALC, would be of enormous benefit. Focus on form: As FE is concerned mainly with listening and speaking in a communicative fashion, a concentration on grammar and its specific applications/conjugations is absent from the current curriculum. Supplemental materials with a focus on form could greatly aid the overall language proficiency of the students. These grammar points could even be directly related to units taught in FE. For example, Grammar you might use when talking about Travel, etc,. Research: Students need to broaden their knowledge base concerning research and performance strategies. Further areas that could benefit from further support include -where to find and how to access materials -how to summarize from primary sources -what specific language to use in structuring a presentation -how to use technology effectively -how to lead a discussion -how to ask questions about a presentation Pronunciation: Sentence level pronunciation, supra-segmental, intonation, wordblending, etc. Detailed activities designed to employ existing materials (i.e., speaking booths, texts). Vocabulary: Materials that offer further recycling, practice and explication with vocabulary currently found in Freshman.
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Appendix 3 Sample Brochure for the BEPP/SALC Joint Pamphlet
The brochures will be the size of one piece of A4 paper, folded lengthwise into three sections. Front cover: The Freshman English Collection The Orientation Unit SALC and BEPP logos
Inside flap:
Take a look inside to find out which SALC materials can help you succeed in your Freshman English classes!
Inside p. 1:
The Orientation Unit (Below a map of the SALC with various sections: Drop-in Desk, VVocabulary section, PRESPresentation section, OCOral communication section)
Inside p. 2:
This brochure will help you learn more about some of the ideas youre talking about in Freshman English class: Learning Styles, Discussions, Presentations, and even the ELI Lounge Area.
Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, please take the time to choose the resources most useful to you and have a look. If you have any questions about the location of these activities or materials needed, please ask at the SALC desk.
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(Items 1 & 2 Location) On the Shelves near the Drop-In Desk <IMAGE> Learning Styles: The best way to understand about different ways of learning is to take the SALCs First Steps Module. But even if you didnt sign up for the module, you can still understand more about what kind of learner you are! Just take a look at the multicolored SALC worksheets on display. These only take a few minutes to complete, and they can help you understand a lot about the way you learn. Take a look at these two: What are Learning Strategies? and Solo, Partner or Group?
(Item 3 Location) Oral CommunicationOC <IMAGE> Discussions: At Kanda you will have discussions in most of your classes, so improving this skill is something that will help you more and more as you continue your studies. Take a look at Speaking selfcheck: Do you know how much you can express yourself in English? This worksheet is especially helpful because you can record and assess your speech every day, week, month or semester and check your progress.
Inside p. 3:
(Item 4 Location) Presentation SectionPRES <IMAGE>
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Presentations: How comfortable do you feel speaking in front of a group? If the thought of public speaking makes you nervous, please take a look at our presentations section. This section has lots of helpful hints on how to improve your skills. Want a lot of helpful information in a small, easy-to-use pamphlet? Take a look at Down to Business: English for Presentations, which gives you lots of great advice in a glance.
(Item 5 Location) Vocabulary SectionV <IMAGE> The ELI Lounge Area: Would you like to feel more prepared when talking with the native-speaking teachers who come from all over the world? A pamphlet like Need-to-KnowAmerican & British English Differences Explained might help you understand some of the differences between different types of English.
Feel free to take a look at any or all of the resources mentioned here. Keep an eye out for brochures on more Freshman English Units!
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Instituting Exit Competencies at the University Level: Procedures, Problems and Future Developments Benjamin Laskar Heath Rose Introduction A system of assessment based on exit competencies is under development in the English Language Institute (ELI) at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, Japan. It seeks to measure student language In competence across a broad range of objectives, reflecting the emphasis placed on communication in ELI classes. students can actually communicate in the language. Currently this system is being developed under the auspices of the Basic English Proficiency Project. The reasoning behind this is Freshman English is representative of many of the principles the ELI was founded upon and furthermore, it has become somewhat of a template for other courses that have been developed under the ELI umbrella. This paper will outline the this way, it provides a wealth of information about what
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rationale behind the development of such a system, current developments, feedback and future plans.
Background to exit competencies Competency-based approaches have become increasingly common in language testing around the world, with several large-scale testing programs using this kind of assessment. This trend has developed out of the broader language testing movement, which On a practical level, the trend has As Docking (1994:9) points communicative
emerged in the 1970s.
also been advanced by demands for vocational standards and by economic rationalism. out, some in the field of language testing have opposed competency-based approaches because of the connections with economic rationalism and also a perceived connection with behaviourist psychology, which Docking disputes. He goes on to explain problems with many of the features of standard assessment, then outlines the main benefits of competency-based approaches, such as being a means of rewarding excellence among students, raising standards, ensuring consistency of standards across different classes and empowering students to take more responsibility for their learning (ibid: 15).
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Rationale for exit competencies in the ELI Exit Competencies are a series of objectives that outline students communicative capabilities--an inventory of what they can do in a communicative sense. This approach to assessment is in-line with Kandas principles of developing a curriculum that takes a communicative approach system centering that outlines on developing independence, serves interpersonal interaction and interdependence. Having a curriculum objectives numerous educational functions: (1) It makes a public statement about the level
of language proficiency communication skill attained by all Kanda students (2) It allows students to progress through the curriculum at a speed in accordance with their skill (3) (4) (5) Accommodates differing levels of proficiency It is a statement of accountability on Enables students and teachers to become curriculum design and efficacy aware of course objectives
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(6) (7)
Allows students to become aware of their Encourages more engagement from
own weaknesses students in classes due to a realization of accountability
The aim of the English curriculum at KUIS is for all students to attain a stated level of ability expressed in terms of a (1) (2) score on a test of global proficiency the Demonstrating competency in using
KEPT language the exit competencies.
Initial Vision 1) Kanda English courses will be divided into Basic courses (Basic English Proficiency, Basic Writing, Basic Reading, Intensive Reading, Extensive Reading, Oral Communication, Media English,) and Advanced Courses (SOGOs). Students will continue to take
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Basic courses until they are exempted.
Successful
completion of exit criteria and attainment of the required KEPT score will secure exemption from Basic courses and enable students to move from Basic courses into Advanced courses. Figure One: See Figure 1.
Movement from Basic to Advanced Courses
2) Exit competencies will be administered by the BEPP teacher to students who have already attained the required KEPT score. If the student is successful in meeting the established criteria, the BEPP teacher will meet with the students Reading and Writing teachers to confirm that the student is capable in all skills areas. 3) For social and other reasons ( the development of autonomy, team work skills etc) the earliest time students will be permitted attempt
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exit by
performing the exit competencies is during the second semester of First Year. 4) Students will still be required to accumulate the same number of credits of English proficiency for graduation over a four-year period. Exemption from Basic courses will simply mean that some students will take more advanced courses than others. It may be possible to acknowledge this in student transcripts at graduation. 5) SOGO courses will become of a more advanced nature through a natural process. Because students taking SOGO courses will all have attained the required level of proficiency required for graduation, such courses will be able to be offered assuming a higher standard of English ability with materials able to be pitched at more challenging levels. Proposed System 1) Assessment for exit competency shall not be viewed as a test and will be customized to the specific needs of the Basic English Proficiency course materials. 2) The assessment is to occur during the natural development of the class. What this means is that during the class presentations the teachers will
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without notice grade those students for exit criteria that have met the KEPT requirements. The proposed system requires a movement of students from basic into advanced courses. The process by which is this is carried out is shown in figure 2. FIGURE 2: Process for students moving from Basic to
Advanced courses
Incoming students to Kanda University of International Studies (KEPT). would be filtered into tiers of language proficiency through the Kanda English Proficiency Test As has always been the case, the KEPT is used However, as an instrument to stream students into Basic classes each year according to their language proficiency.
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in the proposed system, the KEPT would take on a new function to divide students into two groups by means of a cut off score in the KEPTthose students who make the cut off would then qualify to be measured for competency assessment throughout the first year. before qualifying. Those students below the cut off would have to wait until the next KEPT Students who have qualified for competency assessment and then pass the competency checklist would then be free to move into advanced courses. Those students who didn't pass the competency checklist would have to wait until the second cycle of assessment before being assessed again with the new qualifiers from the next KEPT. to move into advanced. Students would need to pass both KEPT and the competency assessment in order In theory, therefore, some students might move into advanced courses after one year in basic, while others might spend three or four years in the basic course level. In addition to this, it is to be understood that the following principle apply: Methodology The research was carried out as an action-based research project. According to Nunan (1994), action research is a form of research that is becoming increasingly significant
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in language eduction.
He states that in the area of
language education it involves research that is carried out by practitioners, or classroom teachers, rather than outside investigators (Nunan 1994). Taggart: A distinctive feature of action research is that those affected by planned changes have the primary responsibility for deciding on the course of critically informed action which seem likely to lead to improvement, and for evaluating the results of strategies tried out in practice. group activity. (1988: 6) Action research is a According to Kemmis and
Action research was deemed the most appropriate methodological framework to use because it allows the researcher to trial a number of systems within real learning environments. In addition, another benefit of conducting the project as action research was that the practitioner as researcher role takes advantage of knowledge of class dynamics and student personality that may go unnoticed by an outside researcher. Such knowledge is vital when dealing with a study involving the trialing of a system in regards to its feasibility of use in real classroom settings and its accuracy at measuring student competency. The
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study,
therefore,
was
conducted as action-based research to take advantage of the researchers knowledge of his own class, rather than it become a liability as viewed under other methodological frameworks. The methodology used in the current research uses an action research framework to investigate methods of exit competency assessments, through a series of cycles. Each cycle consists of the following processes: based on results of the trial (shown in figure 3). FIGURE 3: Process of research system development, trailing, data collection and system reform
System Development System Reform Data Collection

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Trial
The research has completed three cycles since its implementation in 2005. One trial was carried out, outside of the classroom environment in December 2005. The second trial was carried out in select first tier classes in May and June 2006. information through The third trial was carried out Each trial yielded with teachers and interviews from September to December 2006.
researchers on the feasibility of using the system in class and on its perceived accuracy, leading to the further and on-going development of the system itself. in figure 4. The procedure, for the current study, therefore, is as outlined
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FIGURE 4:
Research Procedure
A system was developed to measure students' competency through a series of tasks to be completed in class. Competency was measured through peer understanding and response to the task in conjunction with teachers' assessment. The system was trailed withsix groups of students. Data revealed short-comings The system was reformed
CYCLE 1
CYCLE 2
The system was adapted from that trailed in the first cycle. Competencies were assessed in conjunction with usual assessment in Freshman English. The system was trailed in two upper tier classes. Data revealed short-comings The system was reformed
CYCLE 3
The system was adapted from that trailed in the second cycle. Competencies were assessed in a more holistic manner. The system was trailed in 8 classes over a whole semester. Data revealed short-comings The system was reformed
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Results Results of First Cycle In the first cycle one the system was developed into a number of tasks that would be used elicit certain competencies from students. Previous research (Rodda, 2004) had indicated that a system whereby students were assessed outside of the classroom in test conditions and by multiple raters was not practical for the Kanda University Infrastructure. The proposed system required too many Therefore, the system man-hours and too much focus of students' attention and time away from the curriculum. developed in the first cycle used task, which were designed to be implemented within class and assessed by a single teacher and by peers. A number of students from all proficiency levels were chosen to take part in this trial. out and filmed. The tasks were carried Data collected in the form of feedback Lower proficiency students
from the teachers of these classes indicated a number of flaws in the system. displayed higher levels of language competency than higher-level students, according to both teachers and verified by three researchers who watched the filmed
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tasks.
However, data collected by peer reaction to the This result indicated a serious flaw in
task indicated higher-level students completed the task more successfully. the system design that indicated that audience reaction was not a reliable method to assess a performer's competency. Thus, in the reformation of this system at Other data, which was collected at this the end of the trial cycle, the aspect of peer assessment was abandoned. time, included competencies displayed by 'best practice', through the filming of a model performer in the task. This aspect provided invaluable data into what competencies teachers expect students to possess in order to complete classroom tasks successfully and therefore, move to advanced classes. Results of Second Cycle In the second cycle, a system whereby students would be assessed in conjunction with their regular assessment in class was development. Exit competencies were mapped to certain tasks where competencies could be observed. For example, presentation skills competencies were mapped to assessment rubrics used to assess performance in Freshman English presentations. The underlying concept of this was that, now that the teacher was the sole
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rater
of
competencies
and
it
had
been
decided
competencies were to be measured in class, if these competencies were mapped to existing tasks, this assessment would not distract from the curriculum and would be easier for teachers to utilize. Also by mapping (See competencies to a standardized rubric that all teachers used, subjectivity could be partially minimized. Figure 5 for example). Feedback from the trial of this system was collected by two teachers of a top-tier and second-tier class, as it was assumed that it was in these levels that students who qualified for exit competencies would be. This feedback Firstly, revealed a number of flaws in this system also.
due to the nature of some of the assessable tasks in Freshman English, standardized rubric was difficult to use. For example, while some presentations adopted a formal presentation style, others came in the form of introducing film or advertisements, or 'selling' a country to potential vacationers. It became difficult for teachers to judge whether a student had fulfilled certain competencies that were not always apparent in these presentations. Furthermore, it became ambiguous to teachers as to where the line of passing a competency rested in terms of assessing the student on a scale of F to A+.
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While it was
the intention to keep competencies separate from this assessment scale, by mapping the competencies to the assessment grid, similarities in language invariably caused confusion, and it became unclear to teachers why an A+ would not just mean a student had passed the competencies. The proposed system of exit competencies This indicates that students who no longer benefit from advanced courses would pass through the system. would indicate that students have mastered a skill, resulting in an A+ if demonstrated in an assessed task, such as a presentation. However, this raised the concern that if all students are expected to pass through this system and master these basic skills, this would result in all students scoring A+ near the end of their second year of studies. system. Such a system, would therefore, severely interfere with teacher use of the full range of the grading Due to exit competencies and assessment being inevitably intertwined, the use of exit competencies mapped to assessment items was abandoned, and the system was reformed.
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FIGURE 5: Example of Competencies mapped to presentation assessment.
F
Content Has not provided enough information to satisfactorily complete the task.
C
Has given enough content to satisfactorily finish the task. Could have dealt with topic in more depth / with better information.
B
Appropriate content on topic. Could have been improved with further research of relevant information from different sources.
A A+
Relevant, wellresearched and well-selected content from a number of sources. Has dealt with topic in depth. Shows excellent research skills, selecting relevant information from a variety of sources to discuss topic with originality and depth.
Exit Competencies (Check all that apply)

! Can interpret, organize, summarize/paraphrase information from a number of sources Can respond to questions on their presentation
Presentation Skills
Very little eye contact. Shows no awareness of voice and body language in oral presentation.
Has shown some awareness of voice, eye contact and body language in oral presentations, but needs to improve these skills.
Uses appropriate eye contact. Shows awareness of voice and body language in oral communication, but somewhat unnatural delivery.
Makes eye contact and uses body language to communicate. Good voice / delivery of information, but may not always be perfectly executed.
Has mastered presentation skills in terms of voice, natural delivery of information and body language.
Can make effective eye contact and gestures to communicate information Can make persuasive, informative presentations with natural delivery. Can use voice to stress importance, interest and to clarify information. Can speak fluently without long pauses Can speak with clear pronunciation Speaks with few grammatical/lexical errors. Can negotiate meaning
Language Competence
Grammar and lexical errors frequently interfere with meaning. Lexical and grammatical knowledge insufficiently to complete task satisfactorily. Little evidence of preparation and practice, resulting in a disorganised and ineffective presentation.
Frequent grammatical and lexical errors, especially in lateacquired grammar. Language is competent enough to satisfactorily complete the task. Information is organised into key areas / concepts. Presentation needed more preparation and practice to really be effective.
Grammatical and lexical errors may be present, but does not interfere with meaning. Pronunciation and intonation not always clearly executed.
Speaks with few grammatical and lexical errors. Clear pronunciation and intonation. Somewhat complex language used.
Speaks with very few grammatical and lexical errors. Complex language used. Clear pronunciation and intonation. Negotiates meaning. Information is masterfully organized, leading to a relevant and original conclusion. Evidence of extensive preparation and practice.
! ! ! !
Organization
Information is well organised according to presentation conventions. Presentation was well practiced and prepared, but some aspects could have been improved.
Information is well organised, leading to relevant conclusion. Evidence of a good deal of preparation and practice resulting in a wellorganised and presented presentation.
! !
! !
Can research to find relevant information for a task. Displays a concrete knowledge of the organization of a presentation. Shows co-operative learning in group presentations Speaks within time limits.
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Results of Third Cycle In third cycle of the study, competencies were simplified into one single competence checklist, which was to be filled out by the teacher four times throughout the year. Of all the previous systems trailed, this was the most holistic, involving teacher inference for many of the competencies. However, in order to maintain some partial level of objectivity, teachers were asked to fill out competencies as much as possible based on real observations of student achievement in class, rather than inferences made based on subjective recollections of achievement. This system was trailed with 8 Freshman Preliminary findings English classes (2 in each tier).
indicate some concerns that require attention: 1) Teachers have indicated difficulty in accurately assessing certain capabilities. For instance, Freshman English is an integrated skills course, however teachers found it very problematic to assess writing and reading as they rarely directly teach these skills, and as a result, do not require students to submit any examples for examination. Furthermore, other aspects the Freshman curriculum proposes to teachautonomy, independence,
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etc is very hard to accurately judge under the current system of in-class observation. 2) Time constraints. Teachers found it difficult to assess all the students in their class simultaneously. Even when assigning certain aspects of the assessment to different days, it was difficult for teachers to assess the large amount of listed competencies. As well, certain tasks required were so involved that only a few students could be observed per class period. 3) Subjectivity. It was very hard for teachers to agree on what exactly was an effective, competent student and what was not. It is necessary that some agreement on this issue be reached by teachers. As well, objectives were not clear as to what Advanced courses constituted, therefore making it problematic to decided whether students were capable of entering into them. Plan of Action As the trialling is still on-going, it is difficult to design a detailed plan of action, however it is clear certain issues need to be addressed:
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1) During the process of trailing it has become clear that the curriculum needs to be modified and further developed in order to bring it into closer consistency with our outlined objectives. 2) Some form of uniform assessment needs to take place across all classes and agreement reached on English level standards. 3) Other methods of assessment need to be experimented with in order to better discover whether certain competencies have been achieved. For example, filming of classes could or occur, or draft work collected and considered with grading final projects/presentations.
Conclusion In conclusion, a system of exit competencies could have many benefits for the English course at the university. Although there are logistical difficulties and perhaps some opposition to the concept, it has potential benefit in terms of positive learning outcomes for its students and in the long term by developing a reputation for producing students of a higher standard.
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References Bachman, L.F. 1990. Language Testing. Fundamental Considerations in
Oxford: Oxford University Press. What does language testing have to
Bachman, L.F. 1991. offer?
TESOL Quarterly, 25, 4, 671-704. Competency-based assessment in
Brindley, G. 1994. Prospect, 9,2: 41-53. Docking, R. 1994. picture.
second language programs: Some issues and questions.
Competency-based curricula the big
Prospect, 9, 2: 8-17. 1984. The action research
Kemmis, S. and R. Taggart. planner. Geelong, Australia: Deakin University Press. Nunan, D. 1994. UK:
Research methods in language teaching.
Cambridge University Press.
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Is Freshman English Meeting the Needs of its Students? Student Perceptions of Kanda Universitys Freshman English Program. Christopher Wyle Sandy Lee
Introduction In an effort to identify strengths and weaknesses of the Freshman English Program at Kanda University we wanted to look at the big picture in regards to the needs of the students, the perceptions of the students and how the curriculum, overall, is performing. The Freshman English curriculum has been honed and improved upon through successive semesters over the years since its inception. While many of the teachers feel as though the program is a success in its overall objectives, some teachers and students have complained about the curriculum and its foci on student-centered learning and presentations over traditional, testable skills and materials. The overall objectives of Freshman English are as follows:
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help students improve their general English skills especially speaking and listening variety of authentic communicative tasks develop group work skills, cooperation and interdependence among students develop internal motivation and confidence in English-learning environment help students transition from teacher-centered learning to individual, student-centered learning, with students eventually becoming independent learners use English to demonstrate and build general critical thinking skills increase students self awareness of their own learning style and their strengths and weaknesses in English1 Our interest is in investigating students attitudes towards the Freshman English and whether they feel their goals of becoming better language learners are being met. We conducted qualitative research in the form of a focus group (which may be ongoing) and written as well as online questionnaires. through a
From the Orientation Unit of KUIS Freshman English Program, BEPP Research Committee
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Research Questions Our research question, simply stated, is Is Freshman English achieving its overall objectives and, if so, are these objectives meeting the needs of the students? Through our research, qualitatively, we wanted to examine students ideas and perceptions and understand better their needs and interests in becoming better language learners. Focus Group After meeting with Kanda Universitys educational consultant, Professor Christopher Candlin, we decided to use the focus group as an effective forum for the framing of questions in a general questionnaire. While this was the main purpose for the focus group, the results yielded interesting information and allowed students to express their opinions more thoroughly about strengths and weaknesses in the F.E. program. The focus group, held on November 2nd at Kanda University with students in the Freshman English program, involved four student volunteers. Two of the students were from Freshman English Class 6 and two
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from Freshman English Class 12. The session was recorded on MD and lasted approximately 50 minutes. Four discussion questions were given as prompts but students were allowed to discuss any aspect of the Freshman English program that they wished to. The discussion was intended to draw out aspects that might be overlooked in traditional surveys and to both: a) Generate material for future questionnaires and b) Provide supplemental information as to the perceptions of students enrolled in the Freshman English program. The main emphasis in Freshman English is on
communication. Therefore the activities are heavily reliant on the students being communicative. Additionally, Freshman English does not only teach students English, but also how to learn English. Thus students are trained to be independent learners and should be motivated to learn English outside of the classroom as well. From the focus group, it is apparent that the four students being interviewed are aware of this. For example, the students discussed the importance of using English frequently (being communicative inside
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and
outside
of
the
classroom); being exposed to English as much as possible (e.g. watch DVD, listen to English CDs); carrying a vocabulary notebook (independent learning). An interesting insight from this focus group was what the students thought about the course and the unit structure. Some students thought that there should be more opportunities to practice speaking in English, whilst other students thought that the classroom activities encompassed many speaking activities. The students all believed that the course did help improve their English; they also mentioned that they would enjoy more diversity. By diversity, the students wished to have more practical English skills for their future reference and learn more about different kinds of English. It is apparent that whilst the students do not dislike learning English in the unit structure, they would be more motivated to learn English that would have a specific outcome. One of the reasons for students to want to have this type of learning could be that they lose sight of the hidden benefits that they are learning in class. For example, students sometimes forget that they are using negotiating skills when they are participating in a particular task and feel that they might be practicing speaking fluently instead. Reinforcing the objectives of the Freshman English class and the units
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objectives should be an area that is apparent and understandable to students. An additional finding from conducting the focus group was on the Freshman English units itself. As the students were exposed to different units (and different teachers) it was interesting to see what the students enjoyed from each unit. For example, students who have completed the Advertising unit explained what they liked about it and how they could see it being useful for them in the future. The other students were enthusiastic about this and were interested in trying out the unit themselves. On the other hand, it was even more fascinating to see students who have completed the same unit but have different responses to them. This could be the content itself being appealing to some people and not appealing to others, or it could be the actual activity itself being less attractive to some students. This means that even if the students are exposed to the same units, the learning outcome of the students could differ greatly. Through surveying a larger quantity of students we would be able to see if this is indeed a major concern. Furthermore, it would be valuable to see the objectives of each unit and whether students studying different units would still have the same beneficial learning outcomes.
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One of the more interesting and unexpected aspects of the focus group was the bias and perception of the participants. What one student saw as redundant, another saw as reinforcing. This was highlighted in the view the students had of presentations. Two students felt that presentations occurred often and gave them a good opportunity to improve their speaking and presenting skills. Two other students (both from the same class) felt that they didnt have enough presentations in Freshman English. As the two pairs discussed this issue, they discovered that they had an equal number of presentations, i.e. one per unit in lieu of tests. What, for one pair of students was not enough work, the other pair felt was a good amount and had merit. In addition, one pair spoke about not having enough chances at speaking. Again, the other pair felt that they had ample opportunities. While comparing our syllabi and teaching styles, the teachers discussed this issue after the focus group. The amount of speaking practice was fairly similar between both classes. This led to the interesting observation that what is good for one group is seen as not enough for another, regardless of the similarities in teaching styles and content. This phenomenon highlights some dangers in focus groups.
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The motivation of students effects their perception as to whether they are learning or not. It can be inferred from the discussion that students with high motivation may be frustrated at their pace, feeling as though they are not improving rapidly enough. While two of the best students felt that there was not enough of X, other students in class, perhaps more typical of college students, complain of the difficulty or amount of work or feel, on average, as though the work load is adequate. This again reinforces that in order to best judge the merits of the Freshman English program and the perception of the students involved, the process should involve a large number of students and be completely anonymous. (The two pairs, each from the same class of Freshman English often agreed with their classmates and indeed, arguably formed two pairs rather than four independent students during the focus group.) While the students above had differing viewpoints there was little commonality among them as to what the Freshman English program was not providing. This being the case, the focus groups discussion showed anecdotally and qualitatively, that the Freshman English program was in fact achieving many of its objectives. In looking for patterns to highlight the need for improvement within the program, there were no discernable patterns to be found
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a green light for the curriculum. The focus groups discussion, as interpreted by the researchers, showed that while opinions differed, there were no common perceptions of weaknesses within the F.E. English curriculum.2
In contrast to the focus group, an earlier survey at the end of Freshman English 6s first semester, showed a commonality, namely that of Japanese usage within that class. Students cited this as their biggest disappointment or source of frustration in Freshman English, more than any other issue. The question itself was Name two bad points about Freshman English this semester? Use of Japanese by students appeared as one of the bad points - more than any other issue.
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Sample Transcriptions from Focus Group
Below are some of the transcribed notes from the focus group session. MD Audio files available to researchers and staff upon request from Sandy Lee or Chris Wyle ..to use English activities. For example, go to ELI or speak English in classes. Because if we, dont use English activity I think we will never improve our English skill I think we have to make chances to speak English..er.. other classes.. Its best way to achieve our goals, I think .. small things, small effort also important. For example everyday I learn 10 vocabularies, or um write diary in English..um.. small things also important I think the importance to study English is to.. with interesting because I think that when I study English I always think that I have to study.. to study English with workbook is also important but to talk with friends in English is important too. And.. for example, as for me, when I finish.. when I can achieve my goal, for example to speak English active in classes, when I achieve that goal, I always give myself an hour. For example, I can watch movie on DVD or I can eat chocolate and so on. I think to touch many hour is good for to learn English. For example to watching English movie or listening to English CD, to touch many hr with English is good for us I think. 2. Nowadays I think our class is just doing unit work. Just to do unit work from beginning to ending and we have no time to speak English.. we just do activities.. we have (discussions) but very silent, not active. I want to learn more useful expressions. For example,.. um.. from watching movies we pick up that casual expression and try to use it. I want to do like this.
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We do a unit, but I want, I also want to do useful English. If we go to abroad we cant speak English. I also want to learn more useful expression or phrase I also want to know more conversation English. But I also want to know about English culture or history.. so I want to.. want to know other country more. I want to know..um.. things, more things which I can do with English in the future. For example, if I, when I improve my English skill I can travel all over the world and I can, we can, become various jobs. But now I dont know various jobs in English skills. So I want to know. Our class do presentations many time.. before I became very nervous.. but now I can speak in front of people not nervous so it is important for we go society..If we go society we have to say our opinion, that is important for us I think 3. ..presentation class was useful And activity with using a computer when presentation in front of everyone was useful too. Because I cant use computer well, especially Apple computer. We learn advertising unit. That was useful for me. Because I could look at other countries commercial. It is very surprise for me. Because other countries commercial is so unique more (than) Japan. So it is very impact for me. And we made CM and it was also enjoy and useful for us I think. Activity which we introduce other county and introduce a trip plan for other count and as far as I am concern my group introduced Vietnam also I didnt know about Vietnam but I can, could learn about Vietnam by doing that activity. recently when I listen English I can listen smooth because of listening activity I think.
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Online Survey Preliminary Findings While our research is ongoing, the insights gained from the focus group were applied to our online questionnaire guided by educational consultant Chris Candlins feedback and the research of JD Brown3 in particular, in designing an effective survey. This online survey is producing interesting feedback. While the survey is still in the process of being carried out by various Freshman English classes and our research is ongoing, the preliminary findings have been positive4. Students view Freshman English in a highly favorable light with high percentages of students perceiving the curriculum to be useful and perceiving their English skills improving as a result of Freshman English. The responses were varied, in areas such as which units were most useful or least useful in Freshman English. This is, in a sense, what the researchers were hoping for. Varied responses show us that the Freshman English curriculum is, by and large, working and meetings its goals and objectives while commonalities that highlight the same weaknesses again and again, to date, have not been found. Again it must be reiterated that this is a work in progress and the findings are by no means conclusive. It is dangerous to draw too
3 4
Brown, James Dean 2001 Using Surveys in Language Programs Please see Appendix B for more detailed information on the survey itself and sample responses with commentary.
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many conclusions at this time. At the time of writing this report, approximately 75 students have completed the Freshman English survey. With cooperation from other teachers we are hoping for more data and expect approximately 100 - 150 students to complete the survey. It is certainly appealing to receive positive responses from students. The responses were not only encouraging; they were also an affirmation that the Freshman English course is meeting the needs of the students whilst meeting the objectives of the course itself. As stated before, one of the goals of Freshman English is to be communicative and to train students to become independent learners. From the online survey, approximately 96% of students agreed that to speak as much English as possible (both inside and outside of the classroom) is a fundamental requirement in becoming a good English learner. Another affirmation that the students are meeting the requirements of the course is that they understand that in order to become good English learners they have to adopt an independent learning strategy. Approximately 71% of students agreed that it is essential to learn English outside of the classroom independently.
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An outstanding indication that the Freshman English course is actually meeting the needs of the students can be verified by students responding that the course has undeniably improved their English ability. 97% of the students replied that their English ability has improved with 83% claiming that their ability has improved substantially. This is by no means a true measure of the students actual ability or improvement, but it is at least an indication that the course has improved the students confidence in learning English. It is even better that there are a small percentage of students claiming that their English skills have not improved. This is an honest response that has not happened in the past. In the past there was only positive feedback and no negative feedback. It is actually more beneficial for us to see that some students feel that the course is not working for them so that we can further investigate this feedback. Additionally, meeting both the requirements of the course and students, over 71% of students felt that the most useful activities were the activities that involved speaking. Approximately 38% indicated presentations were very useful to them. Speaking exercises in class had 19% and the debate activity had 8%. An interesting response was movie making with 6%. These students stated they
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understood the benefits of communicating in English when making the movie. Hidden Benefits of the Freshman English Program Examining the Concept of Freshman English as Homeroom. What are some additional benefits that Freshman English provides, outside of the stated objectives outlined on page 1? While overall goals can be stated and studied both quantitatively and qualitatively, other, less empirically testable benefits may result from the Freshman English experience. One of these benefits is the experience of group bonding, the group dynamics at work in Freshman English classes that mirror those the students have already experienced as high school students in their homerooms. In fact, based on our online survey, over 75% of students surveyed rate their relationship with their class and instructors as 8 or higher on a scale of 1 10 (10 being highest). While working previously as a high school homeroom tannin or head instructor in a private Japanese high school, one of the researchers, Chris Wyle, had the opportunity to observe the social context as well as the
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structures of Japanese homerooms. Unlike the United States where most homerooms exist only until the end of elementary or in some cases, junior high school, in Japan homerooms are a part of the education system up until the end of high school. Homerooms, simply defined, are meetings in the morning and afternoon at the beginning and the end of each day school is in session. These class meetings are not only to go over the days announcements, set up parent/teacher appointments, clean the classroom, participate in school events, festivals, student committees and club organizations but also establish a group bond (the Japanese concept of wa) that will give the students support and access to teachers and students alike for addressing problems, concerns, etc. In teaching Freshman English it is arguable that Freshman English, meeting 4 koma a week, can be considered a university level homeroom, however more detailed research is necessary to substantiate this. The coursework carried out in class, along with independent study, are not the only activities being undertaken. Intended or not, students bond, get to know one another and often develop a good working relationship with the Freshman English teacher who guides them through their first year at University. This harmonious bond, or wa
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also helps them make friends, gain support for their studies as well as their social lives. It is possible F.E. provides an important service in addition to English instruction. It gives students the foundation, support and perhaps most important, the confidence to be successful language learners in their remaining years at Kanda. It is worth considering not only the purely academic objectives of the Freshman English program but the confidence-building, group-harmony or wa and social structure of the Freshman English program in an overall assessment of its merit. The researchers have observed the socialization that takes place in the classroom as well as outside of class. It seems that Freshman English provides an environment where students, through the activities of the course, gain confidence in their English ability and use this comfort-level and confidence as a framework to build upon in following years, in courses which have more of academic, skills and grammar foci. Conclusion The research work undertaken by the researchers has already yielded interesting and positive results. The preliminary findings point us towards the conclusion that
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the Freshman English Program is indeed meeting the needs of its students. How thoroughly and what changes might be made remains to be seen. The research is ongoing and as with any research, it is unwise to state the qualitative data as definitive in reading the minds and hearts of our students. At the same time, the online survey results in particular show that students feel they are: a) improving their skills b) gaining confidence as language learners c) enjoying their relationships with their classmates and lecturers These preliminary findings are encouraging but also require more analysis and work. The researchers hope to carry out this work next year in an effort to better understand our students, their needs and the benefits, stated and implicit, of the Freshman English program.
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Bibliography Brown, James Dean 2001 Using Surveys in Language Programs Cambridge Language Teaching Library, Cambridge University Press Lynch, Brian K. 2003 Language Assessment and Programme Evaluation Edinburgh Textbooks in Applied Linguistics, Edinburgh University Press McGrath, Ian 2002 Materials Evaluation for Language Teaching Edinburgh Textbooks in Applied Linguistics, Edinburgh University Press
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Appendix A. Focus Group Discussion Prompts Freshman English Focus Group BEPP Research Project Sandy Lee and Chris Wyle 11/2/06 First of all, thank you for participating in our focus group! A focus group is really a group discussion, where we get a chance to hear your opinions about something. It is a little like your KEPT speaking exam. However, this is not a test and you will not be graded! We want to hear your opinions about the questions below. Please take your time, be honest, express yourself clearly and enjoy your conversation.
1. What is the best way to achieve your goals in becoming a better English speaker?
2. Describe your ideal English class.
3. Describe an activity that went well in Freshman English
4. What were some activities that you thought were not so useful in Freshman English? What didnt work?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING!
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Appendix B. Results of Survey Sample Responses Below are sample responses of students in the online survey. If interested, the full results are available to researchers and staff through Sandy Lee or Chris Wyle Figure B1 This question was answered with an overwhelming 96% of the students wanting to speak as much English both inside and outside of class. It is interesting to note that the role of grammar instruction, of great interest to the researchers in determining the validity of Freshman English placed third in importance by the students, at a little over a third of the students interested in more grammar instruction. The second highest response involved learner autonomy as a better way at becoming a better English learner. (It is worth noting that grammar is not a main focus of Freshman English but it his however the basic component of Basic English taught by Japanese English instructors.)
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Figure B2
This figure highlights the students view on homework given out in Freshman English. Perhaps unsurprisingly, students feel the amount of homework assignments given are adequate, rather than only too little or too much (both responses garnered less than 10% of the respondents feeling there was not enough or too much.)
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Figure B3 and B4 This figure shows a random sample of responses to the question regarding the least useful activity undertaken in Freshman English. Note the fairly random responses to the survey and again, regarding the same question in Figure B4.
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Figure B5 This screenshot confirms that students do indeed have a solid and valuable relationship, fostered through their Freshman English classes and teachers. The benefits of these relationships fall under the category of Overall objectives of the Freshman English program however additional benefits are also evident, i.e. the support of the Freshman English classroom as a homeroom. While additional research is needed and will be undertaken, the initial findings are positive.
90
Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Figure B6 This screenshot shows a sample of responses by students regarding changes they would make to the Freshman English curriculum.
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Appendix C First Semester Paper Version of Freshman English Survey (Trialed with Freshman English - Class 6) 1. On a scale of 1 10 (1 is the lowest score, 10 is the best score) how enjoyable is Freshman English? ______ 2. What was the most useful activity we did this year? Why? _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 3. What was the least useful activity we did this year? Why? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 4. Which Unit was the most enjoyable? Why? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 5. Which Unit was the least enjoyable? Why? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 6. Do you feel that Freshman English is easier than your other English classes? YES ____ NO ____ 7. Do you feel that the amount of homework in F.E. is: a) too much b) just right c) too little
8. How is Freshman English different from English classes you had in high school? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 9. Give me two good points about Freshman English: ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 10. Give me two bad points about Freshman English: _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
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Survey of IC and ILC department materials that could be adapted for use in BEPP Freshman English (FE) Julian Murphy Introduction Course materials from the IC and ILC departments were examined regarding their suitability for use in the BEPP Freshman English course (FE). mind. Before continuing, it may be useful to briefly consider the basic structure of the BEPP FE, IC and ILC departments and materials. BEPP Freshman English FE consists of 8 units each covering a different theme. One of the main aims of the FE course is to help the students become 'autonomous learners'. The majority of the lessons are centred around oral communication. There is little in the way of a theoretical rationale for
93
This was undertaken
with the general improvement of the BEPP FE course in
teachers.
The units are not designed with an increasing There are
level of difficulty as the semester progresses.
few 'milestones' or feedback loops to motivate students. The FE course appears to have evolved in a
'barnaclisation' (Murphy, J. 2006) process.
To clarify, a
fairly rudimentary course has been gradually added to over the years but in a somewhat haphazard manner. Some very good materials are to be found in the FE course but others are sub-standard and in need of a lot of improvement. The overall appearance of the course There is materials is somewhat unpolished and has the look of individual lesson-plans being cobbled together. little coherence. The course would benefit greatly from
the attentions of professional materials developers and a higher level of graphic design and publishing input. Adding further materials to the course without first addressing the problems mentioned above may not be all that helpful.
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IC and ILC These departments grew out of FE partly because of bureaucratic necessities. Many of the 'freshman' materials in the IC department are the same as those in the FE department. materials. The ILC department has few of the same Both departments appear to suffer from many
of the same shortcomings as the FE department with regard to materials and course design.
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Materials from the IC department that may be of use in FE Speaking journals. The IC department seems to
put quite a lot of emphasis on 'speaking journals'. These are notes the students make during or after their outside of class English conversations. becoming an 'autonomous learner'. EIC 1 unit 7. Cultures or Japan. used in the FE Japan unit. EIC 1 unit 8. Travel. A good range of materials A very nicely The concept would appear to fit nicely with the goal of
presented and interesting set of lessons that could be
that could be added to the FE Travel unit. EIC 2- Sem 1. Lesson 3. Culture. The 'Cultural
stereotypes' lesson could be used in the FE Travel unit or Japan unit. looks interesting. EIC 2 Sem 2. Lesson 5. lot of different materials. Global Environment. A Professional presentation and
Average presentation.
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Should be something there that could be of use in the FE Environment unit.
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Materials from the ILC department (freshman section) that may be of use in FE (note: Freshman ILC and FE appear to have started
almost identically and evolved independently afterwards) 2. Travel. travel unit. 3. Film. look. 4. Relationships. A lot of the same materials. A lot of different materials to the FE The quality is average but worth a look.
Completely different to the FE materials. The quality is average but worth a
A lot of lessons.
Some new materials but not very promising. 5. Advertising. Identical materials.
Conclusions / Recommendations Many materials that could be of benefit to the FE course were found. However, it would appear that problems It may be time to consider if the way exist with the current FE course and maybe these should be addressed first. the course has evolved (barnaclised) is satisfactory or if an
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almost complete re-write is necessary. satisfactory option in the long run.
The latter would
require a lot of resources but would probably be the more
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Developing Classroom Personas and Language Identities in Tandem Making Effective Choices in the Formation of Academic and Language Identity Chris Stillwell
In many cases, the students of a class meet one another, and the teacher, for the first time on the first day of class. This applies to virtually any new classroom situation, and it may be a particularly resonant feature for Freshman students entering a university. Having no previous history in the eyes of this new community, the individual students are uniquely positioned to make choices about what is to be written on the clean slate that represents who they are in the eyes of their peers. A student who may previously have been known for not taking studies so seriously might start fresh, choosing to become a good student, while other students already satisfied with their previous classroom identities may now feel pressure to reestablish themselves in their former images. Teachers of such classes would likely promote greater learning
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progress
if
they
could
raise
awareness
of
these
opportunities to make effective choices. Because languages embody a cultures ways of thinking and expression, in essence its identity, learners of languages are also in a position to explore the development of new personas as a part of their linguistic progress. Such exploration can lead to enhanced motivation as students discover new aspects of interest in the language, and it can also help students make greater progress as they enrich their awareness of the origins of the various structures. New students in a language class For freshman students may thus find themselves in an uncommonly rich environment for self-discovery. in particular, the intersection of this opportunity to explore a new language identity with the opportunity to develop a classroom persona may play a powerful role in their success as language students, as well as their continued motivation to learn the language despite the inevitable obstacles that will arise. Again, the teacher who can raise awareness of positive choices that can be made is likely to be more effective in helping learners make continued progress.
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Though most EFL students would be at a significant disadvantage when it comes to finding native language speakers on whom to model their own second language identities, Kanda students have only to visit the ELI lounge to be immersed in English conversation with native speakers. However, it should be noted that although the Kanda English learning environment is in many ways ideal, the reality is that interest in the ELI lounge typically diminishes over the course of the year, and that students in the Freshman English classes are quick to revert to native language use at virtually every opportunity, particularly when they are given freedom from supervision as they engage with many of the taskbased lessons of the curriculum. We might say that it is at just such moments that we can see an inability or unwillingness to make effective choices with regard to the kind of language learner they want to be. A program that explicitly addresses the development of second language personality may help students to see the door to the classroom, or even the train to school, as the threshold beyond which they cease to be their Japanese-speaking selves and instead commence exploration of who they can be in their second language, and it may also promote sustained interest in related resources like the ELI lounge.
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OverviewThis program involves 1. The administration of a questionnaire intended to ascertain students starting point views on language identity 2. The incorporation of a number of identity-related lessons into the Freshman English curriculum 3. The administration of a second questionnaire to find out how much effect the mini-unit has had on learners perceptions of language identity, as well as any perceived effects on motivation, autonomy, and progress The aim is to have a valid questionnaire and effective set of lessons ready for the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, when the material can be used with the incoming Freshman English students just as they are dealing with various important choices in the formation of their academic identities. The preparation necessary to meet this goal has required the development, trialing, and revision of the questionnaires and lessons over the past year in one Freshman English class and two thirdyear/fourth-year elective sogo classes.
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A third questionnaire may be administered closer to the end of the year to determine what lasting effects the miniunit may have had, in the students estimation. It is to be hoped that by helping students become aware of the power they have in their unique positions as language learners and new members of a community, they can enjoy greater ego permeability, higher feelings of autonomy, and enduring motivation; all of which are critical components of an effective Freshman English curriculum. Pre- and post- program KEPT scores may also be analyzed and compared between classes that did participate in the mini-lessons and those that did not. Research Questions-Can a Freshman English mini-unit that explicitly addresses the creation of new language identity raise awareness of the relationship between language and identity, and of the conscious choices that can be made in this regard? -Can such awareness affect the learners perceptions of their progress with regard to ego permeability, autonomy, and motivation? -Can the pursuit of second language personality development have a lasting effect on a students progress?
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-Are Freshman English students in an essentially EFL environment able to develop new identities in English? How open are they to this process? The Questionnaire In order to measure the effectiveness of awareness-raising measures, a method must be devised to find out what the students views are prior to undertaking the program. To that end, a questionnaire comprised of likert scales and open-ended questions has been developed and continuously revised in response to the suggestions of various research professionals on hand at Kanda, including Bill Bonk, Chris Candlin, Ben Fenton-Smith, and Aaron Batty. Questions about motivation and the relative importance students place on various aspects of language learning aim to tease out correlations between particular interests and facility with language personality development. For instance, one might assume that students who are naturally interested in the target culture and who are interested in becoming more like a native speaker will be more inclined to be motivated by the pursuit of a second language personality.
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This questionnaire has been trialed in the English Adventures and Language Superpowers class, an elective course whose focus on learning strategies, integrated skills, and student empowerment make it a reasonable stand-in for the Freshman English program. Following this trial the questionnaire was further revised prior to its use in its first Freshman English classroom. The results of this trial, including responses to questions about the clarity of the items, will inform the final version to be implemented in the early days of the first semester of Freshman English in 2007. A Japanese translation is likely to be made available so as to ensure that language comprehension issues do not interfere. The Mini-Unit The additional Freshman English lessons on the
development of second language identity need to be written in the spirit of the existing program, which means that they should maintain a listening/speaking focus and continue to help the students acclimate to a studentcentered classroom. In some instances, the language For identity lessons may simply be revisions of existing lessons to allow for the language identity focus. example, the lesson on conversation roles is already
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thematically quite similar, so a simple change of conversation topics should be enough to support the new program without disrupting what is already in place. As stated above, variations on the language identity lessons to be used have been trialed in two semesters of the English Adventures and Language Superpowers sogo, and these lessons are currently being used in one Freshman English class. Based on the results of these It trials, the mini-unit is likely to be trimmed considerably prior to its use in the spring Freshman English classes. currently consists of the following: 1. Questionnaire, including an open-ended question about differences between English language and Japanese language personalities, followed by discussions with peers 2. Listening to an authentic recording of a conversation with successful language learners at Kanda, who share their perceptions of language personality and their practices for developing such personalities 3. Optional homework: Interview successful language learners to ascertain their thoughts on language personality, as well as effective choices that can be made in the development thereof
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4. Imitating native speakers- students learn a simple dialogue of everyday English and practice this dialogue in a number of situations, trying out various native speaker behaviors with each repetition. 5. Students visualize an idealized version of their second language personality in a creative writing activity that involves the creation of an English language superhero alter ego. their idealized selves. identities. 6. Repetition of the questionnaire, with some variations. [See Chris Stillwell for handouts that accompany these lessons] Preliminary Results The first part of the questionnaire was administered to both a Freshman English class and to a sogo, and it appears that the first question about how the English and Japanese language personalities are different may need to be restructured. At present it mostly generates responses
109
Students share their
creations, including the goals and learning secrets of They then collaborate on developing the stories that accompany these super-
that attribute differences solely to difficulty or lack of ability with speaking English. It may be useful to add an item in which the students read an example of a personality difference and then judge the degree to which they have had similar feelings. There have also been a number of instances in which the responses to this first question are hard to interpret, so I should consider allowing or even encouraging the students to respond in Japanese if they so choose. The questionnaire was given prior to and following the administration of a language identity unit in the sogo class, and the results were largely positive. Some students showed great variability in their responses on seemingly unrelated questions, such as their plans for how they wanted to use English in the future. see the removal of some of these items. The Final Steps for 2006-2007 The quantitative data from the first Freshman English trial will be analyzed with SPSS, while qualitative questions about the students perceptions of language differences will be analyzed separately. Responses of interest may After further investigation, the next version of the questionnaire may
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be investigated further through short interviews with the respondents. Once this preliminary data has been collected, the questionnaire and unit will be revised and condensed so that it can be employed with the utmost efficiency in the coming year, with the hope that raising students awareness of choices they can make in the development of their English language personalities, as well as their academic identities, will help lead students to take more responsibility for their own progress.
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development Name: _______________ QUESTIONNAIRE (6th revision)
November 27, 2006
1.
Is your English-speaking personality different from your Japanese personality? Please explain in the box below.
Please answer the following questions on a scale of 1-5

(1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree)
2.
Learning vocabulary is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ Strongly disagree 3. Learning grammar is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ Strongly disagree
5__ Strongly agree 5__ Strongly agree
4. Learning the entertainment culture (movies, music, sports, literature, etc) of native speakers is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ 5__ Strongly disagree Strongly agree 5. Learning the attitudes and beliefs of native speakers is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ 5__ Strongly disagree Strongly agree 6. Learning what native speakers regard as normal physical behavior (body language, gestures, personal space, touching, eye contact, etc) is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ 5__ Strongly disagree Strongly agree 7. Learning English voice style (loud or soft, fast or slow, ways of making a point) is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ 5__ Strongly disagree Strongly agree
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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development 8. Learning English pronunciation is important for my language learning 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ 5__ Strongly disagree Strongly agree 9. I can choose to develop a different personality in English 1__ 2__ 3 __ 4__ Strongly disagree 5__ Strongly agree
10. Developing a different personality in English is something that happens naturally over time
1__ Strongly disagree
2__
3 __
4__
5__ Strongly agree
How often do you?

11. 12. 13. 14. How often do you practice English outside of class? 1 __ never 2 __ sometimes 3 __ often How often do you study vocabulary outside of class? 1 __ never 2 __ sometimes 3 __ often How often do you read in English in your free time? 1 __ never 2 __ sometimes 3 __ often How often do you look for ways to study English on your own (not for class)? 1 __ never 2 __ sometimes 3 __ often
In the future, I hope to: (please check all the ones that are true)
15. __ get a job where I use English 16. __ have a resum (c.v.) that looks good because it has English on it, but I dont necessarily want to use English in my job 17. __ observe entertainment culture (watch movies, listen to music, read, etc.) 18. __ participate in English culture (play sports, celebrate holidays, and spend time with native-speaker friends, etc.) as a part of an English-speaking community 19. __ use English to assimilate into an English-speaking culture 20. __ use English to meet people from other countries 21. __ _________________________________ (write an answer of your own) 22. __ _________________________________ (write another answer of your own, if
possible)
Feedback about this questionnaire:

23. 24. 25. Did you enjoy answering these questions? Why or why not? Which questions were the hardest to answer? Why? Are there any questions that were not clear enough? Please explain.
113

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Research papers in task-based language teaching: Issues in curriculum design and development

At present there are 1,652

communicative competence in freshman who have been

teacher-centered, (Johnson, 2002)

instruction in the junior and senior high school English classes.

Teachers will have the

Assessment: Dilemmas, Decisions,

Learner Autonomy: From concept to experiment: The conceptual

4. I think we spend enough time doing Free Talk in this class. 5.

Additional comments about in-class Free Talk Experience:

(Item 4 Location) Presentation SectionPRES <IMAGE>

emerged in the 1970s.

Allows students to become aware of their Encourages more engagement from

own weaknesses students in classes due to a realization of accountability

KEPT language the exit competencies.

Basic courses until they are exempted.

Movement from Basic to Advanced Courses

He states that in the area of

System Development System Reform Data Collection

FIGURE 5: Example of Competencies mapped to presentation assessment.

Exit Competencies (Check all that apply)

References Bachman, L.F. 1990. Language Testing. Fundamental Considerations in

Oxford: Oxford University Press. What does language testing have to

Bachman, L.F. 1991. offer?

TESOL Quarterly, 25, 4, 671-704. Competency-based assessment in

Brindley, G. 1994. Prospect, 9,2: 41-53. Docking, R. 1994. picture.

second language programs: Some issues and questions.

Competency-based curricula the big

Prospect, 9, 2: 8-17. 1984. The action research

Research methods in language teaching.

Cambridge University Press.

Sample Transcriptions from Focus Group

2. Describe your ideal English class.

3. Describe an activity that went well in Freshman English

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING!

This was undertaken

with the general improvement of the BEPP FE course in

The units are not designed with an increasing There are

level of difficulty as the semester progresses.

'barnaclisation' (Murphy, J. 2006) process.

presented and interesting set of lessons that could be

Should be something there that could be of use in the FE Environment unit.

Completely different to the FE materials. The quality is average but worth a

almost complete re-write is necessary. satisfactory option in the long run.

The latter would

require a lot of resources but would probably be the more

Students share their

November 27, 2006

Please answer the following questions on a scale of 1-5

5__ Strongly agree 5__ Strongly agree

1__ Strongly disagree

5__ Strongly agree

How often do you?

Feedback about this questionnaire:

You might also like

5 Strongly agree 5 Strongly agree