With the rapid development of on-line translation (OT), it is important to explore how we could integrate OT into EFL teaching. This article reports to what extent students were familiar with OT based on the questionnaire survey at a Japanese public university. The results show that, among the respondents, a majority of them make use of OT for…

Action research has been advanced as one way that second language (L2) teachers might raise their awareness of the complexities of their work. Yet, while the publication of action research into L2 learning and teaching has gained some traction in recent years, reports naturally tend to focus on research outcomes. In the current article, I argue…

With the development of language corpora, linguists have been able to identify how often specific words, phrases, and expressions are used, and in which contexts. However, applications of corpora in the wider domain of language teaching have remained limited. This article presents an approach to utilizing corpora, combining principles from…

As a compulsory classroom subject in an environment in which it is rarely used, English as a foreign language might seem to have very little connection to students' present or future lives. There may be a disconnect between various circulating messages about English, and experiences of little day-to-day English use. This article presents…

This article provides information on an action research project in a low-level EFL setting in Japan. The project aims were to (1) foster spoken communication skills and (2) help students engage with their own learning. The project investigated the applicability of board games as a mediating tool for authentic communication as part of a wider TBLT…

The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods action research study was to expose six students studying Oral Communications 1 (OC1) at Japan's Technical University (JTU) to a sociocultural component using the textbook "Mirrors and Windows" (Huber-Kriegler, Lazar, & Strange, 2003) over an eight-week period with the assistance of…

Since 1995, to allow teachers to organize and instruct in more effective ways, many English as a Second Language (ESL) specialists and researchers have studied the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model and its instructional framework by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short in 2004. By combining strategies and techniques that recognize the…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience or with school employment. This course, Education…

Assessing student presentations can be made more reliable with video-recording and post-performance rating. Further, self assessment and peer assessment can aid in the learning process by students when using specific, easy-to-understand rubrics. A ten-year action research study involved video-recorded performance assessment tasks using a free,…

Paper-based tools such as self-evaluation activities, learning plans, reflective journals and learning logs are commonplace for managing Self-Directed Language Learning (SDLL). Such tools not only promote ownership over learning and provide a sense of achievement to learners, but they also promote reflection and raise awareness of learning…

This paper looks at an alternative curriculum model for study abroad designed specifically to address some of the needs of non-traditional students enrolled in an online education program. In order to meet the needs of non-traditional students and provide quality international programming for them, it is necessary first to understand their…

English education in Japan faces numerous challenges, including an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, mandatory English classes, and an exam-oriented education system. Computer technology and the almost universal possession of smartphones can ease the burden of learning, but only if these tools are used effectively. Japanese university…

According to Swain, Kinnear, & Steinman (2011), we use a language with others as a form of shared cognition, and in the process we scaffold each other. This action research investigates how students' online written output affects each other's writing. One thousand twenty online entries written by 21 Japanese university sophomore English majors…

This paper argues for the incorporation of bottom-up activities for English as a foreign language (EFL) listening. It discusses theoretical concepts and pedagogic options for addressing bottom-up aural processing in the EFL classroom as well as how and why teachers may wish to include such activities in lessons. This discussion is augmented by a…

In universities throughout Japan, English language learners are required to stand in front of their peers and make a presentation with the aid of software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. This type of public speaking activity can often be an anxiety-inducing, glorified reading or memorization exercise of text-heavy slides that fails to meet the…