Planning our way forward
James’ Research
- Mentoring student teachers in how to do focus on form instruction
- Are skills and knowledge developed in teaching abroad programs transferable?
- Using focus on form in my own instruction
- Exploratory practice (Teachers and students research how to improve teaching and learning together)
Hiroki’s Research Interests
- CLIL: Not only using English for entrance exams but also as a tool “to have fun, for hobbies, or for enjoyment/ personal leisure” (Hiroki wants students to have ownership of English)
- Moral education and CLIL (oneself, relationship to others, relationship to society, relationship to nature/life/sublime things)
- “Two birds with one stone”
- CLIL uses authentic material
Eunice’s interests
- Comparing elementary and JHS English students’ anxiety
- Does (over) studying vocabulary restrict one’s ability to speak?
- Hypothesis: JHS students have more foreign language anxiety than ES students
- Follow up: Do students with high anxiety have low WTC?
Yuiko’s Research Interests
- Purpose/scenes/situation/ of language activities (目的・場面・状況）
- How to conduct it effectively.
- Using 目的・場面・状況 to make textbook activities more engaging.
- Developing engaging 目的・場面・状況 tasks.
- Research how to teach grammar in English
Wakana’s Research Interests
- How to develop students’ spontaneous interaction skills
- Can students’ speaking level (fluency) be enhanced through interacting after listening and reading about a topic?
Big Days/ Schedule
May 1: Fuzoku JHS
May 8: (Monday)
May 15: Seminar (Focus on form practice lesson, Yuiko)
May 22: Seminar (Possibly Wakana and Yuichiro introducing their pre-test/ post test)
May 23: Lecture by Dr. Shintani on Focus on Form, 13:30 – 15:00
May 29: Fuzoku JHS Open class
June 5: Seminar (Eunice decides research question and research instruments)
June 12: Yuiko does her focus on form lesson in the morning at Fuzoku JHS
June 19: Fuzoku ES Open School
June 26: Seminar (Hiroki discusses CLIL with us)
July 3: Keynote address to HS teachers
July 10: Seminar
July 17: Seminar
July 24: James in Aomori for a talk
July 31: Seminar, Wakana and Yuichiro Practice, James and Yuiko practice for Okayama
August 7: Wakana and Yuichiro Mid-term presentation
August 22 – 23: JASELE Conference (Okayama)
November 25: Fuzoku ES Open School (English)
December: Determine topic