2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Meditation as a Tool for Language Learning - Mindfulness as a New Approach to Foreign Language Teaching in Modern Higher Education
| Project/Area Number |
20K13104
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
Zeilhofer Luisa 京都大学, 国際高等教育院, 特定講師 (20822729)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | 外国語教育 / マインドフルネス / SLA / Mindfulness |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The goal of this project is to investigate whether meditation can improve language learning in university settings. The second year went smoothly as I was able to publish an peer-reviewed article investigating whether meditation can have a positive impact on language learning even within just one semester (15 weeks), in contrast to my previous studies that took place over a longer period of time. In my 1-year study (Zeilhofer, 2020), one of the main findings was that test scores were influenced more by the frequency of meditation than by the method itself, as participants who meditated every time achieved better test scores. The study shows that only one semester of meditation was sufficient to improve academic achievement. However, this effect was limited only to "Guided Meditation Every Time."
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
All my intended plans for the academic year were fulfilled. My one-year study (Zeilhofer, 2020) demonstrated benefits for both Guided Meditation Every Time and Breath Counting Method Every Time. In contrast, the new article provides evidence that guided meditation instructions work faster and guided meditations are recommended for shorter courses, while for the period of a whole year the Breath Counting Method is equally effective and easier to integrate due to its simpler handling, as no additional set-up and preparation time is required. Moreover, the meditation types and frequencies were changed after the first semester, so that very characteristic effects of the method and frequency used could be observed.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Currently, I am in communication with other researchers who are linking mindfulness to language learning and teaching. We have started to build an international network, and we will be contacting experts at leading research institutions around the world to organize a conference. Currently, I am in the process of submitting a new article that will explore the direct link between language learning and mindfulness. I am also in the process of outlining a new data collection process.
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Research Products
(1 results)
