Toward a Development of Effective Materials in Teaching English as a Lingua Franca

• Project/Area Number: 24520698
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Fukushima University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUURA Hiroko 福島大学, 経済経営学類, 教授 (70199751)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): CHIBA Reiko 亜細亜大学, 国際関係学部, 教授 (10227332)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 国際共通語としての英語 / 訛り / 理解度 / 受容態度 / 英語力 / 多様な英語 / カタカナ英語 / 世界共通語としての英語 / 国際語としての英語 / 言語態度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With the importance of teaching both World Englishes (WE) and English as a lingua franca (ELF) being recognized around the world, ELT practices in Japan need to keep pace. Aiming to offer models in teaching WE/ELF, the present study explored the relationships among tertiary-level Japanese learners’ evaluations of accentedness and comprehensibility, actual comprehension, and general English proficiency. The study also examined relationships between Japanese learners' L1-speaking backgrounds and their attitudes toward English accents. The study was further extended to examine intelligibility and comprehensibility of Japanized English to listeners from varying L1 backgrounds.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Accent and speech rate effects in English as a lingua franca (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura, Reiko Chiba, Sean Mahoney, & Sarah Rilling
  • Journal Title: System Volume: 46 Pages: 143-150
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2014.07.015
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Students' Attitudes toward Unfamiliar English Accents and their L1-Speaking Backgrounds (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura & Reiko Chiba
  • Journal Title: The Shogaku Ronshu Volume: 82 (4) Pages: 3-13
  • NAID: 120005418625
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] International Intelligibility of Learner English (2012)
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura, Reiko Chiba, and Satoshi Ara
  • Journal Title: The Shogaku Ronshu Volume: 81 (2) Pages: 63-74
  • NAID: 40019539369
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Modelling perceived accentedness and comprehensibility in ELF (2015)
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura
  • Organizer: 50th RELC International Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Singapore
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-18
• [Presentation] International intelligibility of nativized lexicon: A case of Indonesian students listening to Japanized English (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura & Nur Rini
  • Organizer: TEFLIN 2014
  • Place of Presentation: Solo, Indonesia
  • Year and Date: 2014-10-08
• [Presentation] Japanese English in ELF Situations: Does Lexical Nativization Affect Intelligibility?
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura, Reiko Chiba, Sarah Rilling, & Julia Kim
  • Organizer: AAAL 2014
  • Place of Presentation: Portland, U.S.A.
• [Presentation] Japanese Attitudes toward English Accents and their L1-speaking Backgrounds
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura and Reiko Chiba
  • Organizer: IAWE 2012
  • Place of Presentation: Guangzhou, China
• [Presentation] Learner Perceptions of English Accents
  • Author(s): Hiroko Matsuura and Reiko Chiba
  • Organizer: AAAL 2013
  • Place of Presentation: Dallas, U.S.A.