Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This research report covers the first six months of a podcast project called “Lost in Citations.” The COVID-19 crisis of 2020 led to the suspension of many research activities. To follow the intention to up-skill for the time after the COVID crisis, Chris Haswell and Jonathan Shachter collaborated to produce a once-a-week, long-form interview podcast, turning it into a project with 40 episodes and more than 11,000 downloads in just over eight months. This report will outline the background to the beginning of the podcast, issues that have arisen which required actions to mitigate and new skills to be learned, and also a sample of the kinds of research activities we are intending to undertake with the recorded materials with a “podcast narrative”.

Repository Public URL： http://hdl.handle.net/2324/4377778

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This paper focuses on an under-investigated group of international students in Japan, those who make up the cadre of university teaching assistants. Using data gathered from interviews with international students working as teaching assistants at two Japanese universities and teachers in a language program using teaching assistant programs, this research project intends to build a clearer picture of how internationalization in university operates in classrooms. Using qualitative data analysis, this paper concludes that international students in the role of teaching assistants have the potential to gain a great deal from the experience, but that from the perspective of possible benefits for students and teachers, they remain an underutilized resource.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

English language education policies throughout Asia typically operate on a deficiency model, wherein differences from "native speaker" English are viewed as flaws requiring educational correction. Such a position overemphasizes aspects of English that are relatively unimportant in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) communication, while simultaneously generating negative attitudes towards learning non-prestige English variants. The Global Model of English (Haswell 2013; Haswell & Hahn, 2016) encapsulates ELF interactional realities, and is aimed at being a tool for teachers, curriculum designers, and language policy makers. The model frames English performance in terms of communicative success rather than conformance to an arbitrary (most often native-speaker) standard. The model is particularly valuable in the Asia-Pacific region, where many English variants exist, as it demonstrates the importance of transitioning from native-speaker-centric language education. To operationalize the Global Model in educational spaces, we must determine practices that centralize intercultural communication while accounting for pre-existing language-related ideologies. To begin this process, a pilot study was conducted to gather from students in Japanese universities regarding their ideas about how to configure a globally focused language learning program. Results indicate that while students do not always share the desire for a fully globally focused curriculum, there do appear to be some areas of concordance on which new programs can be built that will move us towards greater internationalization.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The internationalization of tertiary education is a process that is continuing around the globe, ever deepening in complexity. Connected to this evolving situation is the question of how best to integrate the students who are brought together on internationalized campuses by these efforts. This paper reports the findings of an investigation of former international student teaching assistants at a highly internationalized university in Japan, and considers the various personal and professional benefits they felt they acquired. Using testimony from interviews with nine former teaching assistants, and using a grounded theory approach to analyze and identify common themes in the participants’ reported experiences, this report concludes that the hiring of international students as teaching assistants has the potential to benefit the individuals included in such a program and the institutions who recruit them.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (international conference proceedings)  

The role of internationalization is emphasized heavily in the decision-making of education ministries worldwide. However, the role of students is often underemphasized, particularly the role internationally-active students can play in the process. This paper reports an investigation of international students and their experiences of working as teaching assistants (TAs) at an internationalized university in Japan. Participants reported personal and institutional benefits that should be of interest to other institutions interested in improving their engagement with internationalization of the education industry: in an era of increasing global interaction, and the use of English as a lingua franca, student experiences can have a lasting effect on them and their respective universities. This paper concludes that more can be done to ensure that beneficial effects of professional service are maximized and carried forward into future generations of students.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The international mobility of university students is increasing, and the number of students moving to and from Asia has been growing in line with global trends in international education policies. In addition to encouraging greater international recruitment, policy initiatives to boost the internationalization of Japanese universities are closely linked to the metrics of global university rankings. Aiming to provide an insight into the internationalization process, this paper reports the findings from interviews with faculty members working at an international university in Japan and considers their impressions of how efforts to create an internationalized university environment affects their careers and the academic experience of their students. This investigation concludes that an internationalized student population creates a profoundly different university environment than that found on regular domestic campuses, but that efforts still need to be made to assist all students and faculty members in taking full advantage of their opportunities.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The study of the uses and varieties of the English language has become more complex and user focused over time. Historically, models produced to represent this have privileged nations who use English as a first language by making them the implicit source of the language. We argue that language models must account for context, individuals, language varieties (both shared and individual), and the overall comprehensibility of interaction. To aid all English language users, the Global Model discussed in this paper tracks English language use with reference to both speakers and language varieties and is designed to help teachers and students recognize the real-world linguistic landscape of global English use. We also suggest ways of teaching that help show that the most successful users of English should be considered to be those who can use English to bridge geographical, cultural, and discursive differences.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The number of international students in Japan is rising in line with global trends. Commensurately, so is the use of English in Japanese universities, as a medium of both instruction and inter-student communication on campus. English foreign language education is a key component of the language curriculum in Japan and has evolved in recent years to encompass the requirement to prepare university students for English-mediated instruction (EMI) courses. This development is linked to the oft-expressed interest of the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) to internationalize Japanese tertiary education institutions. This paper reports the development of the importance of English in Japanese tertiary education, the reasons for its position as a subject of special focus, and the long-term implications of this focus on English in Japan. This issue is one of the most important facing Japanese education, as it will affect how universities structure their courses, how schools and curricula prior to university level prepare students for the use of English, and how students use English both personally and professionally in their post-graduation careers.

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (other academic)  

Beginning in 2014, the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) introduced the Top Global University Project (MEXT, 2014), a new round of funding to assist universities in their efforts to internationalize. MEXT has given universities directions regarding the expected changes at both the faculty and administration levels in advance of the apportionment of these funds. These changes include the increased use of English in university courses and on campuses, as well as the hiring of more foreign and foreign-educated professionals. Such changes will affect the roles of university educators over the coming years. This paper covers MEXT efforts since 2008 to internationalize universities and suggests how teachers might be expected to react to the integration of international students into their classes. Using the results of an online survey, it introduces testimony from EFL teachers at an international university, and is aimed at helping university educators and policymakers in their efforts to work in an increasingly internationalized profession.

Other Link： http://jalt-publications.org/proceedings/articles/4688-university-teaching-internationalized-era

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (other academic)  

In an era of increased internationalization in tertiary education, MEXT’s Global 30 Project aimed to rapidly increase the number of foreign students in Japan. However, there has been little investigation of how these international students are being received by their Japanese peers, and what effect an internationalized study environment has on opinions of both foreign and domestic students with respect to their language study and attitudes towards English use. Utilizing a two-stage methodology of surveys supported by focus-group interviews, this research compared students at a Japanese international university with students at a Global 30 university and a regular private university in Japan. The findings suggest that the increase in international university students could have a positive effect on domestic students in relation to their attitudes towards the study of English. However, there were also concerns among international students connected to their experience of localized varieties of English.

Other Link： http://jalt-publications.org/proceedings/articles/3975-issues-related-internationalizing-japanese-universities

Event date： 2023.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

This research presentation covers an audio podcast project called “Lost in Citations.” As the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 led to the suspension of research activities and conferences for the better part of two years, we aimed to connect with academics and disseminate research information with a global audience. With each episode centered on an academic publication, the main goals of this long-form interview-style podcast were to (a) explore elements of research activities that added context to the publication, (b) learn more about the background of each guest, and (c) gain insights into researching and writing better academic papers. After interviewing guests with similar specialties, the researchers became aware of a research opportunity wherein the interviews themselves could be treated as qualitative data.
We will first discuss the background to this project and how it evolved into a data collection endeavor. Then, we will outline an example of the thematic similarities that emerged after interviewing five leading scholars in the field of silence in Japanese university English language learning classrooms. The themes that emerged in this "podcast narrative" are as follows: ways of conceptualizing silence, silence, and culture, approaching research, problematizing and coping with unwanted silence, and categorizing meaningful/productive silence.

Event date： 2023.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

Event date： 2023.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

Event date： 2023.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Sookmyung Ladies' University, Seoul   Country：Korea, Republic of  

Event date： 2023.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

Event date： 2022.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

Event date： 2022.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Online   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2022.1

Language：English  

Venue：Online   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2021.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Online   Country：Japan  

In 2013, we proposed a Global Model of English that demonstrated how linguistic interactions occur and how these interactions can be mapped. This presentation updates the findings of our research, covering the pedagogical implications for the teaching and testing of English using a global perspective and dynamic approach, and suggests methods to improve the confidence of our students when using English in the linguistically complex real world.

Event date： 2021.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Online   Country：Japan  

With pandemic lockdowns restricting movement and contact, we began a podcast series in March 2020 to interview academics with whom we had an interest in speaking. After several months of content, we began to analyze the interviews as a source of qualitative data. A narrative emerged related to the current state of World Englishes (WE) and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) courses from several interviews with experts in the field, including Dr. Jennifer Jenkins, Dr. Aya Matsuda, Dr. Nobuyuki Hino, and Dr. Ahmar Mahboob. In this presentation, we introduce our method of investigation and what we have learned about the current state of these academic fields, which includes strong disagreement on the future directions of related research among these and other experts. We also highlight how this narrative has affected the progress of our project through subsequent interview testimony and commentary. The intent of this project is to learn more about state-of-the-art research in various fields and better understand the backgrounds of the researchers writing the books and articles shaping our modern academic landscape.

Event date： 2020.12

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Online   Country：Japan  

This presentation provides an insight into how programs developed to bring international students into university classrooms support national and institutional internationalization policies. Teaching assistants cover a number of sociolinguistic fields which affect the quality of education and student life at a university. The role of teaching assistant is also a popular type of employment for the many thousands of international students currently attending Japanese universities. For this reason, implementing a program attuned to the specific needs and abilities of international students is in the long-term interests of most, if not all, universities. This presentation introduces findings from a multi-year research project involving teaching assistants, teachers, and program coordinators, using qualitative data drawn from the interview testimony of these people with first-hand experience of a variety of teaching assistant programs. The major finding of this study was that international students in the role of teaching assistant were consistently under-utilized, meaning that opportunities for professional, personal, and interpersonal development were missed. The reasons for this included a lack of program direction and resistance from teachers to efforts to have international student teaching assistants undertake a wider role in classroom activities. This project has both practical and political implications, as it intends to improve the lives of international students on campus while supporting the goals of institutional and government policies. Based directly on the findings of this study, changes in programs at both Ritsumeikan APU and Kyushu University have been made, benefitting all stakeholders. This presentation provides concrete examples of what can be done to produce a program that is genuinely beneficial for all involved.

Event date： 2019.7

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：Tokai University, Kumamoto   Country：Japan  

From 2018, Kyushu University opened the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Innovation (共創学部). Within the school, students were to receive a far more intensive version of English study than that required of the students in other faculties. These courses were divided into three different sections: Global Issues covers international subjects; Japanese Issues covers topics relevant to Japan; Research Issues prepares students with academic-related skills. Two of these would be taught concurrently, forming 6 hours of classroom contact time per week

This presentation explains how these courses cover topics such as globalism, language, politics, business, and science. All classes are conducted in English and are both skill and content-based. Materials range from newspapers, academic journal articles, to video lectures such as TED. Students are expected to conduct original research through 4-5 hours of independent study per week.

Event date： 2019.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：University of Tor Vergara   Country：Italy  

The recent ubiquity of mobile devices has shortened the attention spans of our students. This has, in turn, led to an accelerated trend of microlearning, short-term, small-unit learning strategies. These strategies can be facilitated by the use of smartphone apps, capitalizing on the platform’s popularity and distinct advantages of portability and familiarity. Consequently, there is an immediate need to understand the usage patterns and learning effectiveness of these mobile devices in second language acquisition. This study set out to answer the following question: To what degree does time on task with an English language learning app indicate increased proficiency with the platform, as measured by pre-post test scores? This presentation reports how an English language learning app called English Gauge, specifically created for this study and used by 300 students over a 5-week period, performed to answer this research question. The app included grammar, vocabulary, and listening activities of increasing difficulty, with users being encouraged by the possibility of collecting progress and proficiency-related badges, and a leaderboard of the group’s progress. Correlation analyses and paired t-tests were used to determine the existence and strength of the relationship between the overarching metric of ‘time on task’, which included total number of sessions, average session length, total amount of time spent with the app, and student test scores. Results clearly show that time spent using the app was positively correlated with students’ improvement in test scores, a finding that indicates the importance of consistent and repeated engagement with materials to achieve proficient familiarity. Finally, this presentation will discuss the implications for designing future English educational apps and how teachers and developers can build on the conclusions of this research.

Event date： 2019.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Lakeland International Conference   Country：Japan  

The Global Model aims to present the most state-of-the-art representation of international English usage, especially in its growing status as a global lingua franca. Unlike previous models, the Global Model simultaneously represents both users and English varieties (including non-national varieties), while also being dynamic and providing insight into different types of international communication.

It is to the last feature that the current presentation attends. One of the realities of the modern world is the number of interactions being conducted in English is increasing, and this interaction regularly occurs between not only users of different varieties of English, but also different levels of proficiency. Many ESL and EFL courses don’t prepare students to negotiate meaning and successfully communicate in multi-level, multi-varietal circumstance; instead, the only actors tend to be fully fluent textbook models or the students themselves. Furthermore, such courses tend to position one geographically distant “standard” variety (usually a so-called “native speaker” variety) as the target for all language learning. Instead, the emphasis should be on maximizing communicative potential through the development of strategies which help mitigate asymmetries.

This presentation will discuss the theoretical underpinnings of the Global Model and then demonstrate a recent refinement in the model that allows for a systematic representation of seven potential communicative circumstances dependent upon the relative proficiency and flexibility of the interlocutors. Additionally, it introduces practical activities from an EMI course at Kyushu University and an in-production textbook based on these concepts.

Event date： 2019.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Importanne Dubrovnick   Country：Croatia  

Event date： 2019.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Importanne Dubrovnick   Country：Croatia  

The recent ubiquity of mobile devices has shortened the attention spans of our students. This has, in turn, led to an accelerated trend of microlearning, short-term, small-unit learning strategies. These strategies can be facilitated by the use of smartphone apps, capitalizing on the platform’s popularity and distinct advantages of portability and familiarity. Consequently, there is an immediate need to understand the usage patterns and learning effectiveness of these mobile devices in second language acquisition. This study set out to answer the following question: To what degree does time on task with an English language learning app indicate increased proficiency with the platform, as measured by pre-post test scores? This presentation reports how an English language learning app called English Gauge, specifically created for this study and used by 300 students over a 5-week period, performed to answer this research question. The app included grammar, vocabulary, and listening activities of increasing difficulty, with users being encouraged by the possibility of collecting progress and proficiency-related badges, and a leaderboard of the group’s progress. Correlation analyses and paired t-tests were used to determine the existence and strength of the relationship between the overarching metric of ‘time on task’, which included total number of sessions, average session length, total amount of time spent with the app, and student test scores. Results clearly show that time spent using the app was positively correlated with students’ improvement in test scores, a finding that indicates the importance of consistent and repeated engagement with materials to achieve proficient familiarity. Finally, this presentation will discuss the implications for designing future English educational apps and how teachers and developers can build on the conclusions of this research.

Event date： 2018.11

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.10

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Sookmyung Ladies University   Country：Korea, Republic of  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Seoul, Korea   Country：Korea, Republic of  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English  

Venue：Hong Kong, Hong Kong  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Lakeland University   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Fukuoka University   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Seoul, Korea   Country：Korea, Republic of  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：Melbourne, Australia   Country：Australia  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Hong Kong, Hong Kong  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Lakeland University   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Aoyama Gakuin University   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Seoul, Korea   Country：Korea, Republic of  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Seoul, Korea   Country：Korea, Republic of  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Toyo Gakuen University   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Zayed University   Country：United Arab Emirates  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Lakeland University   Country：Japan  

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English  

Venue：Seoul, Korea   Country：Korea, Republic of