scholarly journals TEACHING ENGLISH WITH PICTURE BOOKS: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS IN ENGLISH EDUCATION IN JAPAN

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Arisa Kochiyama
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Picture Books ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Upper Elementary ◽  
English Education In Japan ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

<p>The council for revitalization of education has submitted a proposal to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for educational reforms to make English language courses compulsory in the fifth and sixth grades. The majority of elementary school teachers are now worried and lacking in confidence to teach English, as they feel they are ill-equipped for their new role as language instructors. According to Keith Schoch’s article Picture Books across the Curriculum, picture books deserve a place in the upper elementary and middle school grades for a number of reasons: If chosen with consideration for the interests of the students and used in ways that are appropriate for learners, picture books can provide valuable opportunities of language-rich experiences and interactions. Thus, the present study firstly describes and analyses some of the challenges facing English education in Japan by relating to its wider social setting. Secondly, the study analyzes how teachers perceive they can promote language learning in their EFL classrooms through the medium of picture books. Thirdly, the study discusses the merits of using picture books in the upper elementary and middle school English education from the viewpoint of English language learning, and then investigates topics and themes of a picture book which illuminate some universal aspects of human condition. </p>

scholarly journals USING PICTURE BOOKS TO ENHANCE MOTIVATION AND LANGUAGE LEARNING OF REMEDIAL EFL LEARNERS

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Arisa Kochiyama
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Picture Books ◽  
English Language ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Remedial English ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Adult Esl

According to studies done by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, many secondary schools across the nation aren�t adequately preparing students to excel at college. Universities are stepping in to fill the gap by offering remedial college courses in subjects such as Japanese and English. The purpose of the present study is to explore how an EFL class for college freshmen can help the students develop the critical thinking skills as well as language skills such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar necessary to read at the college level.Picture books are often overlooked by adult ESL/EFL instructors as many of them feel uncomfortable reading books designed for children. However, if chosen with consideration for the interests of the students and used in ways that are appropriate for adult learners, picture books can provide valuable opportunities of language-rich experiences and interactions. In fact a number of studies in Western cultures have shown that picture books provide a wealth of possibilities for teaching English topics as well as various vocabulary sets such as family, food, clothes, and so on. They can also motivate learners to read more and learn more as the students are more likely to find reading a manageable challenge.Given these functions of picture books, the main objectives of the study are (1) to discuss the merits of using picture books in remedial English classes from the viewpoint of English language learning, (2) to investigate the effect of using picture books on the learners� motivation and emotional development, and (3) to give a report about the students� reactions towards an adoption of a picture book in an EFL class.Keywords: intercultural communication, English as a second language, EFL classroom, language and gender, children�s literature in EFL learning

scholarly journals Where the Wild Things Are

2003 ◽  
Vol 48 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 128-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riitta Oittinen
Keyword(s):  
Picture Books ◽  
English Language ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Forthcoming Book ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Classical Picture

Abstract Translating picture books is a many-splendored thing: it includes not only the relationship between the verbal and the visual (images and other elements) but also issues like reading aloud and child images. In the following, while mainly concentrating on the visual, I will deal with the other questions as well, as they all interact and influence each other. My starting point is translating as rewriting for target-language audiences – we always need to ask the crucial question: “For whom?” Hence, while writing children’s books is writing for children, translating children’s literature is translating for children. (See Hunt 1990:1, 60-64 and Oittinen 2000.) The reasons why I take such a special interest in translating picture books are twofold: cultural and national as well as individual. In Finland, we translate a lot: 70-80% of all the books published for children annually are translations. From the perspective of picture books, the number may be even higher (and 90% of the translations come from the English language; see Rättyä 2002:18-23). Moreover, being an artist and translator of picture books makes me especially keen on the visual as a translation scholar as well. As a case study, I have chosen Maurice Sendak’s classical picture book Where the Wild Things Are and its translations into German, Swedish and Finnish. At the background of my article is my book Translating for Children (2000) as well as my forthcoming book Kuvakirja kääntäjän kädessä on translating picture books. Due to copyright reasons, I only have picture examples from illustrations of my own.

English Language Learning as Intercultural Experience

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Hamza R'boul ◽  
M Camino Bueno-Alastuey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Intercultural Relations ◽  
Intercultural Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education

Teaching English in higher education entails additional factors and considerations that exemplify the complexity of accounting for the diverse population in modern higher education institutions. In particular, the increasing flow of international students and the employment demands of functioning in multicultural contexts render helping students to develop a critical understating of intercultural relations an important aspect of English language teaching. With the increasing adoption of English as a medium of instruction and its use as a lingua franca in intercultural communication, it is important to structure English education in a way that accounts for intercultural relations both in and outside the university. In addition to the postmodern conceptualizations of interculturality that emphasize the fluidity of culture, language and identity intercultural relations are characterized by power imbalances. That is why this chapter makes a case for the necessity of considering sociopolitical realities in intercultural English language teaching in higher education.

How Big is Your Foot?

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 476-481
Author(s):  
Suzanne Levin Weinberg
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Real World ◽  
Upper Elementary ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
First Year ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
School Grades ◽  
First Year Teacher ◽  
Eighth Grade Students ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

Concepts relating to fractions and measurement are difficult for students in the upper elementary and middle school grades to grasp (Bright and Heoffner 1993; Coburn and Shulte 1986; Levin 1998; Thompson 1994; Thompson and Van de Walle 1985; Witherspoon 1993). As a first-year teacher, I learned the value of relating difficult concepts, especially abstract concepts, to students' real-world experiences. The “How Big Is Your Foot?” project grew out of a question that I asked my eighth-grade students during my first year of teaching. We had just finished studying conversions in the metric system and had begun working with conversions in the customary system. As a warmup question, I asked my students to describe the distance from my desk to the door of the classroom. I wrote their responses on the chalkboard as they called out estimates: 1 meter, 60 meters, 25 feet, 300 inches, 300 centimeters.

scholarly journals LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES: GENDER AND PROFICIENCY

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Idham Syahputra
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Language Learning Strategies ◽  
Education Department ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Cognitive Memory

This study described and examined on the current English language learning strategies used by Indonesian Students English Education Department enrolled at State Islamic University of Sultan SyarifKasim Riau in Indonesia. The subjects of the study were (99) male and female students still studying for their Undergraduate degree in English Education Department. The study investigates the frequency of strategies use among these students according to gender and proficiency variables. Proficiency is reflected by students’ learning level (i.e., sophomore, junior, senior), self-reported proficiency in English (i.e., the students’ university average in English courses) and language self-efficacy (i.e,. how good the students perceived themselves as English learners). The collecting data used Questionnaire adopted from Oxford (1990a), Mohammad Amin Embi (1996) danPolitzer (1993), interview lecturers about the language learning strategies used by students. The results of this study showed that State Islamic University of Sultan SyarifKasim, English Education Department used learning strategies with high to medium frequency, and that the highest rank (79.6%) was for Metacognitive strategies while the lowest (63%) was for compensation strategies and the others used cognitive, memory, affective and social. In general, the results showed that gender and proficiency had no significant differences on the use of strategies. Based on these findings, the researcher recommends that more training should be given in using Cognitive, Memory, Affective, social and Compensation strategies by embedding them into regular classroom activities or teaching and learning process

scholarly journals ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRADUATES’ JOB PREFERENCES: A CASE STUDY ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING CENTER TEACHERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aji Budi Rinekso ◽  
Nurin Afifah ◽  
Ari Nur Widyantoro
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
English Education ◽  
Education Department ◽  
International Language ◽  
Teaching Situation ◽  
Career Prospect ◽  
Learning English

The demands of English as an international language keep increasing along the time. Through time, the needs for learning English vary from for different purposes. Then the realization came to the surface that not all groups of learners need to learn general English. Thus, the design of English courses is developed for specific purposes as they are best known as English for Specific Purpose (ESP). The needs for learning English in specific purpose enable English teachers to pose themselves in different challenges other than in formal education. This paper aims at investigating the motivations of some English Education Department graduates for working as English instructors at English courses. The qualitative data was obtained by conducting the interview on some English instructors in Swift English School in Yogyakarta. After analyzing the data, it was found that despite its challenges, some English Education graduates prefer to work in English courses to regular schools. With all of the privileges of working in an English course, some general motivations underlie their working preferences. Among of the factors are flexible teaching situation, more chances for improving personal competence, higher salary and moderate career prospect.

scholarly journals Japanese Aesthetics and English Education in the Global Age

2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuko Kurihara
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
American English ◽  
Information Age ◽  
Global Age ◽  
Japanese Aesthetics ◽  
Global World ◽  
Intellectual Activities ◽  
Japanese Youth ◽  
English Education In Japan

With the advent of the global information age, Japanese youth today are required to have authentic abilities to communicate with different peoples from different countries in the English language, rather than simply a good knowledge of practical and functional American English. Affective learners of English are created through aesthetic reading, especially English poetry, when moved or inspired by the authenticity of the content implying the profound but subtle meaning of human emotion in life. In this sense, the way of affective and aesthetic English learning follows the traditional Japanese appreciation of ephemeral beauty. As an authentic incentive to intellectual activities, this sensitivity leads to a deep, accurate, and rapid understanding of different peoples in the global world. American English education in Japan therefore should be aimed at a broader goal of English as a shared language for Internet-based communication, fostering a greater sense of traditional Japanese beauty for a more affective English-learner in the global community. Avec l’avènement de l’ère de la mondialisation, la jeunesse japonaise d’aujourd’hui est tenue d’avoir des capacités authentiques afin de communiquer avec différents peuples de différents pays dans la langue anglaise, plutôt que de simplement avoir une bonne connaissance, pratique et fonctionnelle, de l’anglais américain. Des apprenants affectifs de l’anglais sont stimulés par la lecture esthétique, particulièrement la poésie anglaise, lorsqu’ils sont émus ou inspirés par l’authenticité du contexte impliquant la signification profonde mais subtile de l’émotion humaine dans la vie. Dans ce sens, la manière affective et esthétique de l’apprentissage anglaise suit l’appréciation japonaise traditionnelle de la beauté éphémère. Comme incitation authentique aux activités intellectuelles, cette sensibilité mène à une compréhension profonde, précise et rapide de différents peuples dans le monde globalisé. L’éducation de l’anglais américain devrait alors viser à un objectif plus général de l’anglais non seulement comme langue partagée pour la communication par Internet, mais aussi favorisant un plus grand sens de beauté traditionnelle japonaise afin de produire des apprenants affectifs dans la communauté globale.

scholarly journals Students’ Perception of the Use of “English Phrasal Verb” Videos to Enhance Students’ Independent Learning Skill

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Haryanti Haryanti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Learning Skill ◽  
Phrasal Verb ◽  
Time To Learn

ABSTRACTIndependent English Language Learning is very important to do by students, especially students in higher education level, because they are often required to read many English references and use English on many occasions, for example in writing essays. Also, it is because the opportunity or time to learn English in the class is very limited. Therefore, students badly need to learn English independently outside the classroom. This study was designed to investigate the students’ perception of the use of “English Phrasal Verb” videos in enhancing their independent learning. There were six participants interviewed and observed to get information about the benefits of using “English Phrasal Verb” videos and the effectiveness of it in training the students to be independent learners. The study found that the students’ pronunciation and vocabulary mastery had improved as well as their listening and writing skills due to the use of videos and assignment given. It also revealed that the use of videos had successfully been a trigger for the students to find other English learning videos and learn them independently outside the classroom.ABSTRAKBelajar Bahasa Inggris secara mandiri sangat penting dilakukan oleh siswa, khususnya mahasiswa, karena mereka sering diminta untuk membaca banyak referensi Berbahasa Inggris dan untuk menggunakan Bahasa Inggris di banyak kesempatan, contohnya dalam menulis esai. Selain itu, karena terbatasnya kesempatan atau waktu untuk belajar Bahasa Inggris di kelas, mahasiswa sangat dianjurkan untuk belajar Bahasa Inggris secara mandiri di luar kelas. Penelitian ini didesain untuk menginvestigasi persepsi mahasiswa terhadap penggunaan video tentang frase kata kerja Bahasa Inggris (Phrasal Verbs Videos) dalam meningkatkan kemampuan belajar mandiri mahasiswa. Dalam penelitian ini, terdapat enam peserta yang diwawancarai dan diamati untuk mendapatkan informasi mengenai keuntungan menggunakan video dan keefektifan penggunaan video tersebut dalam melatih mereka menjadi pembelajar mandiri. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa penguasaan kosakata dan kemampuan pengucapan Bahasa Inggris mahasiswa meningkat begitu juga dengan kemampuan mendengar dan menulis mereka karena penggunaan video yang dimaksud dan tugas yang diberikan. Selain itu, penelitian ini juga menemukan bahwa penggunaan video telah sukses mendorong mahasiswa untuk menemukan video-video belajar Bahasa Inggris lainnya dan untuk mempelajari video-video tersebut secara mandiri di luar kelas. How to Cite: Haryanti. (2019). Students’ Perception of the Use of “English Phrasal Verb” Videos to Enhance Students’ Independent Learning Skill. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 6(1), 21-29. doi:10.15408/ijee.v6i1.12613

scholarly journals HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING STRATEGIES: AN OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH CLASSES

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
L. Angelianawati
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Higher Education Teaching

ABSTRAk   Salah satu komponen utama dalam perencanaan pendidikan tinggi adalah pengajaran. Berkaitan dengan pembelajaran bahasa Inggris, pengajaran berpengaruh terhadap keberhasilan siswa di kelas bahasa Inggris. Pemilihan strategi mengajar yang tepat, yang dilakukan oleh guru bahasa Inggris, membantu pembentukan proses pembelajaran Bahasa yang efektif dan tepat sasaran. Terdapat banyak strategi mengajar yang sesuai untuk pembelajaran bahasa Inggris di pendidikan tinggi. Dalam tulisan ini akan diuraikan beberapa strategi mengajar tersebut, termasuk persyaratan dan hambatannya. Pemahaman tentang strategi mengajar terbaik yang sesuai dengan kelas bahasa Inggris sangat penting bagi guru bahasa Inggris. Ulasan dalam tulisan ini diharapkan dapat menghasilkan perbaikan dalam praktik mengajar pendidikan bahasa Inggris di perguruan tinggi.   Kata Kunci: Pendidikan Tinggi, Metode Pengajaran, Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris     ABSTRACT   One of the main components in higher education planning is teaching. Regarding to English language learning, teaching distributes influences toward the learners’ successfulness in English classes. The appropriate selection of teaching strategies conducted by the English teachers help shaping effective and on-target language learning processes. There are many teaching strategies applicable to English language learning in higher education. The present writing elaborates discussions about those teaching strategies, including its requirements and barriers. Understanding the best teaching strategies which fit the English classes is considerately important for English teachers. It is expected that the discussion will result in the betterment on English teaching practices in higher education.   Key Words: Higher Education, Teaching Strategies, English Education

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