Second Language Acquisition, Cross-cultural Communication and Foreign Language Teaching
In this seminar, students will discuss and explore the process of second language learning and teaching through studying textbooks and research articles. Students will learn how to conduct research such as how to develop research themes and research questions, how to design research, and data analysis, as well as how to write a research paper. Students will work on their individual studies, giving each other feedback in weekly discussions.
This lab usually has 20-25 students including graduate students, and many of them have had experience living or studying abroad and are proficient speakers of English.
Discussions can be conducted in both English and Japanese, and I am hopeful that both Japanese and international students can improve English and Japanese proficiency respectively by being in this seminar. We have guest speakers.
I normally do not accept students who are already in the second semester of the third year since it takes a long time to understand the field of second language acquisition unless students have taken my 'Introduction to SLA and foreign language teaching' lecture.
New students will be expected to find out what they want to investigate by the end of the semester. They need to submit the research proposal including the purpose of the study, research questions and the research design at the end of the semester. Continuing students should submit the paper that includes the results and discussion of their pilot study at the end of the semester.
Previous students' thesis themes include the followings:
* English learning and teaching at primary school level
* CLIL teaching at primary school
* Effectiveness of group work on English learning within the framework of Socio Cultural Theory
*Conversation analysis of Japanese/English bilingual speakers
* Code-switching of bilingual speakers and multilingual speakers
* Pragmatic investigations of failure in making the audience laugh: 'Owarai' in Japanese
* Motivation in English language learning
* Comparative analysis of sarcasm between Japanese and Americans
* Lost in translation? Humour translated in Japanese subtitle in American movie
* Responses to compliment in Japanese
* Differing perspective setting between Japanese and English in storytelling
And many more!
If needed, reference books will be recommended for the new students prior to the beginning of the semester.