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This study reviews the current body of research into reasons for Japanese university students' reluctance toward spoken class participation in English, along with a critical review of general teaching suggestions for encouraging participation. It then identifies the limitations of teaching strategies that may not take into account certain reasons for their silence, which may be rooted in the Japanese communication style or educational background rather than confidence or language ability. This paper aims to make use of these reasons to identify concrete, bottom-up participation skills that are more grounded in Japanese culture and communication style differences, and to provide related teaching suggestions. While this paper aims to address the issues affecting Japanese students, the implications can be applied to other East Asian students whose verbal participation may be affected by similar cultural factors.

This paper aims to clarify the expected oral proficiency level for secondary school English teachers in Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (hereafter MEXT) encourages public secondary school English teachers to reach a threshold level of the Pre-1st Grade of Eiken (an English proficiency test). However, the number of teachers attaining those levels has yet to reach MEXT's target. An analysis of the Pre-1st interview tests can give an indication of what MEXT expects Japanese English teachers to be able to do in oral communication. In this paper, a brief history of Eiken is reported, and the proficiency level of the Pre-1st Grade and the test contents are summarized. Then, features of the picture cards and questions used for the second-stage interviews from 2007 through 2015 are analyzed: (1) a series of four pictures for story narration (in total 54 cards), and (2) four questions to be asked afterwards (in total 216 question items). Some unique linguistic features are found as well as popular test topics. Also, interview questions have several featured sentence patterns and many basic-level words, as well as topic-related vocabulary items. This research will be of some help for understanding the threshold level of speaking abilities for secondary school English teachers in Japan.

This paper provides findings on a study which explored effective teacher motivation management strategies current university non-native EFL teachers in Japan utilize in their course of career. Teachers who have higher motivation can devote their lives more to give a lot to the learners and be productive on the education. Therefore, teacher motivation management is an essential issue to live a fruitful and productive life as an EFL teacher and researcher. In this study, six currently working Japanese university EFL teachers, three male three female, age ranges from 39 to 55 were interviewed individually on their teacher motivation strategy. Each teacher was asked how they manage their teacher motivation for teaching and research by reflecting back their whole career as a teacher and researcher. In this paper, twelve specific strategies were embedded from the data gathered by semi-structured interviews. The specific approaches are introduced along with quotes from the participants. The true aim of this study is to gain understanding of what kinds of teacher motivation management are utilized and give practical suggestions both for novice and experienced teachers simultaneously in order to contribute to the teacher education and development.

Though generally under-utilised in spoken English, the passive voice plays a crucial role in formal, written English (Biber et al., 1999). An understanding of how the passive voice operates in English writing is therefore a vital skill for EFL learners in secondary and higher education so that they may be able to both understand and produce fluent and accurate formal English writing. Using samples of Japanese high school learners' writing, this paper sought to shed light on why many Japanese EFL learners struggle to produce accurate passive constructions in English writing. The paper begins by examining how the passive voice is used in English, focusing on core passive forms, "pseudopassives" (Balcom, 2001), agency, and transitivity. Conveying a sense of objectivity (such as through the use of agentless passives) is also highlighted as a crucial feature of the use of the passive voice in formal, written English. Comparing the use of the passive voice in Japanese to its use in English reveals some structural and functional similarities, although there are some syntactic differences--particularly in relation to verb conjugation. The role of transitivity is also a key point of difference between the two languages. Unlike in Japanese, intransitive verbs cannot be passivised in English. Japanese EFL learners are often able to produce fluent, accurate passive structures in English, especially when the agent and patient are clearly identified. However, many Japanese EFL learners struggle with agentless passives in English--whereas in Japanese agents are almost always specified (Watanabe et al., 1991), the agent is often omitted in written English. This can lead to L1 transfer, the (incorrect) iteration and fossilisation of novel passive constructions. Increasing Japanese EFL learners' exposure to different varieties of English passive constructions is suggested as a potential means of remedying this problem. In addition, focusing on correct passive structure form (through explicit instruction and spoken/written corrective feedback) during in-class written production may also prove to be effective.

This paper examined whether a younger starting age of formal instruction on a foreign language is beneficial in expanding circle countries. An experimental study was designed to examine to what extent the five varieties of English language teachers are intelligible to Japanese- (JSLs) and Korean-speaking language learners (KSLs), who have different starting ages of formal English education. First, 132 JSLs and 214 KSLs participated in a listening test where the accents of audio stimuli were varied. The results showed significant differences in the listening test scores between the two groups of learners and among the five varieties of English. It was found that KSLs who started learning English language at an early onset demonstrated proficient listening performance. These findings provide support for the premise that "younger is better" in development and persistence of L2 sound identification. At the same time, both JSLs and KSLs demonstrated sensitivity to input varieties of English. This highlights the importance of exposing students in the classroom to various English accents that may encounter in real-world situations.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effective use of the core schema-based instruction (SBI) in a classroom setting. The core schema is a schematic representation of the common underlying meaning of a given lexical item, and was first proposed on the basis of the cognitive linguistic perspectives by the Japanese applied linguists Tanaka, Sato and Abe (2006) as a new teaching approach. The SBI has been expected to contribute to English teaching in a new way that is different from the translation-based instruction (TBI) because the core schemas can lead learners to a more essential and profound understanding. However, the previous empirical research on the SBI has not always shown its effectiveness over the TBI. This paper firstly analyzed its causes with reference to the theoretical features of the core schemas and pointed out two kinds of difficulty for the effective use of the SBI. Then in order to get over the difficulties, it was argued that the SBI should involve a bottom-up language learning process, as insisted in cognitive linguistics as the usage-based model. As the bottom-up process, group work discussion was employed in this study, where learners discuss the core schematic image in a group with its sample sentences which were provided beforehand. This learning style is different from the top-down SBI, where the core schemas are provided prior to sample sentences as almost all the previous empirical studies did. The present study examined the difference in the effects between the bottom-up SBI and the top-down SBI through an experiment conducted to technical college students with the six English prepositions ("at", "in", "on", "to", "for", "with") as material. Based on the results of the former study by the researcher, the present study was designed to add some exercises to the bottom-up SBI group. The results obtained from "t"-tests and ANOVAs suggested several findings. The findings were that the bottom-up SBI is more effective than the top-down SBI in meaning comprehension and that the effect continues for two months.

The entrance exams to Japanese universities have long been criticised for creating negative "washback" on English education in high schools in Japan, as teachers have often focused their teaching efforts on teaching grammar to prepare students for these exams rather than helping students to develop competency in spoken English. Many government initiatives have attempted to reform English language education by encouraging a greater focus on speaking competency. This paper outlines the nature of the Japanese university entrance exam system, considers the phenomenon of washback, and critically reviews the body of empirical research related to washback in the Japanese context. A systematic review was conducted on articles published between 1993 and June, 2022. These articles were subjected to thematic analysis in which four broad categories were identified: learner behaviour; washback to teacher behaviour; affective factors; and washback specifically from the introduction of the listening test. Findings suggest that more empirical studies are required to understand the complex nature of washback from university entrance exams, and that future research is required to examine potential washback from four-skills testing and, in particular, from the inclusion of a speaking test.

Online vocabulary learning tools have been gaining popularity in EFL classrooms. Although a considerable number of research papers have showed its effectiveness, the amount of research on learner progress in terms of productive skills is scarce. Little is also known about what types of learners make progress after using these tools. This is largely due to a lack of consideration of learning strategies and proficiency levels. The present study investigates the effectiveness of an online vocabulary learning device in Japan on the gains in passive and active vocabulary use at a range of proficiency levels. A total of 58 Japanese university students took a pre-instruction test and two post-instruction tests including vocabulary, reading, and essay-writing, allowing the author to investigate the degree of learner progress in mastery of passive and active vocabulary use. Additionally, they completed pre- and post-instruction questionnaires to confirm the device's impact on their progress. The results emerging from cluster analysis and ANOVA verified the use of the device for short-term retention of passive vocabulary for intermediate and advanced learners, but there seemed to be little improvement in active vocabulary use among learners at all proficiency levels. The study highlights the need to include the tool's functions that enhance student levels of word production as well as long-term retention.

This paper examines how different test methods may tap different aspects of second language knowledge. It employs multiple-choice (MC) and constructed response (CR) items which yield distinct or convergent information in the computer delivered testing of English in its presentation of this factor. In order to examine the effects of test method, a CFA approach to a multitrait-multimethod design was adopted to examine the convergent as well as discriminant validity of the two skill area traits and the two test methods. After comparing the hypothesized model with a nested series of more restrictive models using X[superscript 2] difference tests (Byrne, 2006; Widaman, 1985), based on the information from the path coefficients, and also using principal factor analyses, it was found that: 1) the skills are factorially separable, yet, highly correlated, 2) MC and CR methods are separable, and very weakly correlated, 3) there is thus a method effect, and 4) the MC method may not be suitable in sampling the unique ability characteristics of reading and listening skills.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of two instruction methods for teaching polysemous English prepositions ("at, in, on") and to explore learners' perception on learning tools used in the instruction when learning polysemous words. The first study investigated the effectiveness of schema-based instruction (SBI), which is a form of instruction based on the insights of cognitive linguistics (CL) and is a way of teaching, which provides learners with the schematic core meaning. Whereas, translation-based instruction (TBI) is one of the conventional ways of teaching prepositions as polysemous words, which offers learners a list of several meanings of each preposition. Two tests, as pre- and post-tests were carried out to examine the effectiveness of the instruction. A second study explored how leaners perceived the learning tools in each instruction method. The methods consist of the core schema and translations in dictionary, which were analyzed with the motivation to be able to conduct more effective instruction on polysemous words in the classroom. For this study, data was collected by a questionnaire and analyzed qualitatively to extract constructs that learners have on both instructions. Based on the results of these two studies, this paper argues that the core-schema approach to teaching English propositions is more effective than the conventional approach. Furthermore, the core schema approach is practical to administer to learners; however, it was discovered that learners perceived both benefits and disadvantages in the two instruction methods and suggested the necessity of separate-use depending on the learning situation.

There are some English verbs that can be used both intransitively and transitively. Verbs such as "break," "close," and "melt" can appear in intransitive active, transitive active, and passive constructions. Although native English speakers know in what kind of context a target verb is used in a certain construction, previous studies have shown that EFL learners, including Japanese learners of English (JLEs), face difficulties in choosing the appropriate construction of these verb types. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, I examined JLEs' sensitivity to the transitivity of such English verbs by using an animation-based acceptability judgment test. This examination was in comparison with some native English speakers (NESs). Second, I investigated which construction of such verbs JLEs tend to use in an animation-based composition test. The results of this study suggest the following: (1) In the animation-based acceptability judgment test, JLEs accepted the passive more than the NESs did in some contexts with the exception of "fall," and (2) in the animation-based composition test, JLEs preferred to use the intransitive of "fall" and the transitive of "drop."

A study was conducted to examine the differences in narrative essays produced by skilled and unskilled EFL student writers. Twenty-six Japanese university students participated in the study. They were told to write a narrative story based on six-frame pictures. The students were classified into two groups, skilled and unskilled, according to the holistic scores assigned to their compositions. Each student's composition was analyzed at both the sentence and discourse levels. The results of analysis revealed several differences between the two groups of writers at the sentence level. Namely, compared with the unskilled writers, the skilled writers tended to produce longer essays where a larger number of adjective and adverb subordinate clauses were used and where fewer errors were found. At the discourse level, the skilled writers tended to incorporate all the components of the story grammar, whereas several unskilled writers failed to include such components as Setting and Reaction. The skilled writers also used a variety of discourse styles to delineate characters' actions and psychology, but their unskilled counterparts employed only a few discourse types for describing characters' inner states of mind. The paper concludes by suggesting the importance of developing students' knowledge of narrative writing and providing them with opportunities to translate that knowledge into actual production of narrative writing.

This paper examines the ways in which healthcare professionals interact with patients' family members, and/or colleagues. The data are from healthcare discourses at difficult times found in the manga series entitled Nurse AOI. As the first step, we selected several communication scenes for analysis in terms of politeness strategies. From these scenes, we extracted individual events that exhibit any one of five main constraints/maxims that follow Leech's (2009) Grand Strategy Politeness (GSP) framework--generosity/tact, approbation/modesty, obligation, opinion, and feeling. The in-depth analysis was conducted using the following three perspectives: the contextual background of the communication, the relationship with patients' family member and/or colleagues, and the degree of face-threatening acts. This last perspective was evaluated by Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987), judging the imposition of face-threatening acts, social distance, and relative power. Each communication event was examined in terms of politeness strategies (Brown and Levinson, 1987; Yoshioka, 2007). At difficult times optimal politeness strategies are required while simultaneously providing urgent medical care for patients or victims. The findings of this study indicate both potential problems with healthcare communication at difficult times such as disasters and also suggest the ways in which the quality of communication may be enhanced.

This paper reports on the perception of Korean EFL learners toward feedback types on their written errors. The survey was administered using an adopted questionnaire from previous studies (Ishii 2011; Leki, 1991). This further allows a comparison of Korean EFL learners' attitudes with the responses to an identical questionnaire by Japanese EFL learners and ESL students in North America. The collected data were analyzed based on the response frequencies and a one-way ANOVA test was performed. The results indicated that Korean EFL learners react in favor of direct feedback to their written work, and yet they show little tolerance for simply marking the error without explanation or no feedback. In addition, these preferences are found to be different from Japanese EFL learners and ESL students. Possible explanations for the results were given with reference to the theoretical constructs of SLA.

This study aims to review the development of NWCCDL Project during the last 10 years from (2005 to 2014) and evaluate the effects of NWCCDL Project on the students' satisfaction of the project and their affective domain. The research data was analyzed from the results of the questionnaires which were conducted at the end of every semester. This research paper consists of three parts. The first is to review the development of NWCCDL Project from fall semester 2005 to fall Semester 2014. The second part is to prove that the participants are satisfied with this project. The students' satisfaction was analyzed on the results of the questionnaires focusing on several items. The third part is to prove that this project is very effective in cultivating the motivation and interest of EFL learners in the Korean university-level education context. This study can give much significant implication in the ELT area. First, this research is very important in the globalized educational context because NWCCDL Project is the international distance learning project designed to improve English proficiency through the interaction between Japan and Korea university students. Second, this research shows that the participants are satisfied with this project, which implies that using ICT in ELT area can be very effective in a foreign teaching and learning context. Third, this research can show that the interaction of non-native speakers of English through distance learning is effective in cultivating the motivation and interest of EFL learners in Asian countries. So the analytic results from the students' responses through the questionnaire provide significant implications for the effectiveness of NWCCDL Project in cultivating the motivation and interest of EFL learners in the Korean university, and also for the effectiveness of non-native speakers' interaction in learning English as a foreign language in Asian countries.