2018 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Language Policy and Practice in non-classroom Language Learning Spaces
| Project/Area Number |
18K13200
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| Research Institution | Otemon Gakuin University |
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Principal Investigator |
ソーントン キャサリン 追手門学院大学, 基盤教育機構, 准教授 (70806116)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | Language Policy / Beyond the classroom / Self-Access / Learner autonomy |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the first year of the project, I have used the survey data from the preliminary project to identify host institutions for case studies and start my initial research interviews. The survey data also informed the development of the interview schedule for the interviews.
Currently six interviews have been conducted with practitioners at four different institutions, three in Japan, one in Europe. These interviews have then been transcribed, translated where necessary and analysed using a thematic analysis.
The analysis has revealed a variety of attitudes to language policy as it exists in each of the four institutions, from supporters of English-Only language policies or policies which strongy encourage and even enforce English use, to those which actively encourage a multilingual environment, and finally one context where language policy has so far not featured in general policy-making in that context.
Preliminary results from three of the interview results were presented at the Language, Identity and Education in Multilingual Contexts conference held in York, UK on Feb 14 & 15, 2019.
From my existing research and discussions stimulated from the presentation, I have narrowed the field of my investigation. I am now focusing on different EFL contexts where English is learned as a foreign language, (not used as an official language in society at large). The data seems to suggest an attitude towards target language use in Japan which is not seen in other contexts such as Germany or Mexico where language learning spaces are also popular.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
There are several reasons why the project is slightly delayed at the current time.
It is proving more challenging and time consuming than expected to get permission to perform interviews with students at institutions other than my own.
It is also difficult to get permission to perform observations of interactions in non-classroom language learning spaces in institutions other than my own. I appreciate the importance of getting ethics approval for all research activities, but this has slowed down my work somewhat.
It has also proved difficult to find appropriate times to visit these institutions to perform these observations. It is necessary to visit during a busy semester time, but these times conflict with my own primary duties as a teacher and manager of my facility. I hope to be able to find appropriate times in the second year of the project.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Having surveyed attitudes of managers and academics about language policy, in the second year I would like to turn my attention to students and their attitudes to using the target language in non-classroom language learning spaces.
This will be done through surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups with students at the case study institutions, or others if permission is not granted at those institutions. If permission can be gained, I would also like to carry out space observations to see how students interact in the spaces.
For both aspects (interviews & observations) it isnecessary to develop and pilot interview schedules and observation frameworks. This will be done at my own institution.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Remaining amount of funds will be used to travel to research site destinations to conduct interviews and observations with research participants.
Funds will also be used for conference attendance.
Some funds will be used for the purchase of qualitative analysis software.
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Research Products
(3 results)
