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Boosting the conference competence of Japanese university students

Research Project

Project/Area Number 21K00708
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
Research InstitutionKagawa University

Principal Investigator

Willey Ian David  香川大学, 大学教育基盤センター, 教授 (90403774)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 鈴木 裕美  香川大学, 医学部, 助教 (00644733)
G・M McCrohan  香川大学, 大学教育基盤センター, 准教授 (20448351)
Project Period (FY) 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥520,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥120,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
KeywordsInternational Posture / WTC / CLIL / Survey / Conference / Communicative competence / Extroversion / Opinion / Anxiety / Communication skills / conference / international posture / applied improvisation / in-service learning
Outline of Research at the Start

This project aims to boost the conference competence of Japanese university students through mini-lessons in English classes. Assessing the efficacy of mini-lessons will be done through pre-post International Surveys and focus group interviews in each year of the project.

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project aimed to develop the "conference competence" of Japanese university students through targeted class activities. The International Posture (IP) scale was used as a measurement tool.
In the first year, as a pilot study, surveys were conducted to identify trends in IP among students and how IP relates to proficiency and other variables. We found that students were weakest in expressing their opinions. In the second year, communicative tasks aiming to boost IP were applied in an intervention study along with a control group. Significant gains were not achieved, due perhaps to the insufficient amount of time. In the third year, the effect of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) instruction on IP was assessed in a survey of students enrolled in a Medical English class. Significant gains in IP were identified. Content-based instruction may be the best way to boost learners' conference competence.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

This project was significant in two respects.
1. It has generated a large amount of data on IP trends among Japanese university learners including learners' strong and weak points.
2. It has identified teaching practices that are most beneficial in promoting IP development in Japanese learners.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2023 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (15 results)

All 2024 2023 2022 2021

All Journal Article (2 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 1 results,  Open Access: 2 results) Presentation (13 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 8 results,  Invited: 3 results)

  • [Journal Article] Assessing the relationship between English proficiency, learning motivation, and the four dimensions of International Posture2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Journal Title

      On CUE Journal

      Volume: 15 Pages: 50-68

    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Journal Article] Revisiting International Posture: An interview with Tomoko Yashima2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian
    • Journal Title

      The Language Teacher

      Volume: 47 Pages: 27-30

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Elevating the International Posture of University English Learners2024

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      The 43rd Thailand TESOL International Conference
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] Helping Students Find Something to Say2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      JALT PanSIG 2023
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] How Can We Increase the International Posture of Japanese University Students?2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      2023年度JACET中国・四国支部春季研究大会
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] An attempt to increase the International Posture of Japanese university students2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      第26回日本医学英語教育学会学術集会
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Helping Students Speak to the World2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      大学英語教育学会第62回国際大会
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Elevating the International Posture of Japanese university students2023

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      57th RELC International Conference, Singapore
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] How do medical and nursing students measure up in terms of International Posture?2022

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      第25回日本医学英語教育学会学術集会
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Promoting International Posture in Japanese university students.2022

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      Psychological Aspects of Second-Language Learning: 全国語学教育学会横浜支部会
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] Boosting the International Posture of Japanese university students2022

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      全国語学教育学会第48回年次国際大会教材展示会
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] What does it take to boost the International Posture of Japanese university students?2022

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian, & Suzuki, Hiromi
    • Organizer
      第5回JAAL in JACET 学術交流集会
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Motivating action through Applied Improv2022

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian
    • Organizer
      JALT Yokohama Chapter 支部会
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Do applied improvisation exercises boost compassion in medical and nursing students?2021

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian
    • Organizer
      第24回日本医学英語教育学会学術集会
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Boosting compassion through Applied Improv2021

    • Author(s)
      Willey, Ian
    • Organizer
      JALT 2021
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research

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Published: 2021-04-28   Modified: 2025-01-30  

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