From Active Classroom Learning to Extracurricular Informal Language Learning: The Role of Virtual Cultural Context

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370656
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Kanazawa Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Fujii Kiyomi 金沢工業大学, 基礎教育部, 准教授 (60596633)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ELWOOD James 明治大学, 総合数理学部, 准教授 (00400614) ; WRIGH Brent 金沢工業大学, 基礎教育部, 講師 (80649426)
• Research Collaborator: ORR Barron アリゾナ大学, Office of Arid Lands Studies, 教授 ; UOTATE Yasuo フロリダ大学, Department of African and Asian Languages and Literatures, マスター講師 ; MATSYHASHI Yuka ネバダ大学, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, 講師
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: informal learning / Web 2.0 / EFL / JFL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research explored a language exchange activity between university EFL learners in Japan and JEL learners in the U.S., conducted via Web 2.0 technology. This project aimed to stimulate students to reach beyond active classroom learning to informal learning outside the classroom. To this end, the authors developed an approach to encourage informal language learning through the use of Web 2.0 applications that facilitate communication and social networking. The data comprises questionnaire responses collected before and after the project, as well as reflection log entries from the treatment groups. The data indicate learners who were in the treatment groups were able to raise their motivation, international postures, and intercultural competences. The results suggest that the utilizing online applications such as Facebook encourages students to create a rich and vibrant learning environment, and provides the opportunity for language exchange with native speakers.

Free Research Field

外国語教育