2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Assessing English Writing of Japanese Learners: The Development of Scoring Algorithms of Emails, Descriptions, and Persuasive Essays
| Project/Area Number |
20K13119
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University of Commerce & Business |
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Principal Investigator |
Kim MinKyung 名古屋商科大学, 経営学部, 講師 (70866508)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Second language writing |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The purpose of this study is to develop machine scoring algorithms that can predict human scores of Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) student writing samples across three writing genres (i.e., emails, descriptions, and persuasive essays).
In 2021, a total of 176 EFL students who matriculated at a university in Japan were recruited. Participants’ demographic information (e.g., age, gender, and major) and English learning backgrounds were collected. Student writers produced three writing genres (i.e., emails, descriptions, and persuasive essays) in a quiet classroom. They also completed surveys that asked about their writing habits and attitudes towards writing.
Email samples were scored by trained raters using holistic grading scales. The ratings of descriptions and persuasive essays are currently ongoing.
As a pilot study, an article that examined EFL writing (descriptive writing) has been published in an international refereed journal, System.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
In 2021, the data collection procedures were finished. However, it has been difficult to find qualified raters for scoring the collected samples, so it has been slightly delayed.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
By the end of August 2022, the ratings of the collected samples will be finished. By the end of December 2022, data analysis will be completed. By the end of April 2023, a website that describes the results of the project will be created, and a manuscript based on this project will be submitted to an international refereed journal.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Last year, it was difficult to find qualified raters for scoring the collected samples, which made it difficult to use the budget as planned.
This year, raters for writing samples will be recruited and paid with an hourly rate of around USD 25 (approximately 2500 yen). Expert writers will be recruited to produce exemplary essays for a total of 15 different writing prompts with an hourly rate of around USD 25. In addition, a study from this project will be presented in a domestic refereed conference.
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