Research to explore the mechanisms of focus-on-form and development of learning activities for Japanese college learners of English

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02996
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Kansai University
• Principal Investigator: Nabei Toshiyo 関西大学, 外国語学部, 教授 (20368187)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉澤 清美 関西大学, 研究推進部, 非常勤研究員 (80210665)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: フォーカス・オン・フォーム / ランゲージング / 協働ライティング / learner awareness / 活動理論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, "Focus on Form" has been considered from the framework of sociocultural theory, which emphasizes the agent's perspective of the activity. An instructional model that aimed at eliciting languaging in learners' dialogue when completing a learning task in theme-based peer writing activities was partially successful in promoting languaging; however, the extent to which individual learners focused on form varied considerably. A further inquiry into possible ways to direct dynamic awareness of individual learners has remained.
Considering that dictionary look-up behavior while reading English is also another form of "Focus-on-Form", I joined a collaborative research with Toshiko Koyama (Osaka Otani University) into dictionary look-up behavior. The findings in this research also indicated that learners' decision-making in word look-up is influenced not only by the language they face but also by their past experience of using dictionaries.

Free Research Field

第二言語教育, 英語教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究での結果から、教室内で行われる学習活動と学習の個人差を社会文化理論（活動理論）の視点で考察することの必要性や重要性を示唆された点は学術的にも社会的にも意義があると考える。今後の第二言語教育や広く教育研究で、学習者の（認知的および心理的）意識の理解と学習過程・成果の個人差の調査・考察が望まれると考える。