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This is an exploratory study in an undergraduate EFL business-writing course studying participants' ability to read, comprehend, and represent text visually using concept mapping (CM), summary writing, and social network analysis techniques as complementary strategies. The idea with this experiment was to explore if students are capable of analyzing business and technology information from technical readings in a way to represent it graphically with CMs and social networks. Preliminary data from the case study showed that students were reasonably successful in processing texts on topics related to the Tesla electric car company's business and technology models. Multiple iterations and guided instructions when designing CMs demonstrated the interplay of various actors, processes, interactions, and contexts. Student performance indicated significant expertise with CM design and text summarization but inadequate performance designing social networks, indicating the necessity for more structured instructions and practice.

This paper explores Malaysian students' problems within their science and engineering tertiary courses in Japanese through their diary entries and semi-structured interviews. The study analyses how students implement management strategies to overcome their problems. Although many studies are available regarding students' academic activities in a foreign language, few of those have reported upon foreign students' academic experiences in Japanese science and engineering courses within their in-country program. The students predominantly had difficulties in writing experiment reports, understanding scientific concepts, and reading Chinese characters (kanji). Management strategies that they significantly employed to overcome their problems were peer cooperation and the use of internet resources. The paper discusses potential support that the program and the language course can provide for these students. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

Task-based language learning (TBLL) has heavily influenced syllabus design, classroom teaching, and learner assessment in a foreign or second language teaching context. In this English as foreign language (EFL) learning environment, the paper discussed an innovative language learning pedagogy based on design education and technical writing. In this TBLL course, the language learning based assignments centered on designing and analyzing objects using various computer-aided design software and physical LEGO toolkit. The design software was used collaboratively and the design analysis was done mostly as group activities. The language production activities centered on technical document authoring, using collaborative online authoring tools for website hosting and note-taking for design projects, besides oral in-class presentations, and online posting in English. Language reception activities such as readings related to the course lectures, videos, assignment, and assessment instructions were hosted and linked from Moodle--the learning management system. This paper critically analyzed student performance with physical LEGO design and CAD software, including how student groups authored websites detailing the structural and functional specifications related to the product assembly procedure. This paper outlined how design pedagogy could be included in the curriculum while teaching English as a foreign language. In the process, students not only learnt about design fundamentals, but how to author complex technical documents in English. Findings based on course data and class interactions have adequately demonstrated that students were capable of handling the task-based language projects with reasonable efficiency and confidence.

Discusses a simulation used with computer science students studying English for specific purposes in a university technical writing class in Japan. Highlights include building a paper bridge as a project team; writing a technical proposal as a team; language learning goals; influence of a group's ability to work as a team; and student motivation. (Author/LRW)

The paper discusses (1) sources of difficulty in comprehending technical writing, (2) distinctions between content structure and text structure, (3) building blocks for expository writing and techniques of text design, (4) contrasts between American and Japanese science and social studies texts, and (5) suggestions for promoting comprehension. (Author/JDD)

Objectives: To describe and compare the references cited in popular books about diet and health between the USA and Japan. Design: Books were selected based on their best-seller rankings in the diet and health category of online bookstores. We identified references throughout all pages of the books and examined the number of references, reference format (identifiable or not) and presence of specific types of references, such as systematic reviews of human research. We compared the characteristics of references between the two countries and examined related factors to citation. Setting: Cross-sectional study. Participants: Books (n 100 in each country). Results: Among 100 books from each country, sixty-five US and sixty-six Japanese books had references. Forty-five US books cited more than 100 references, against only five Japanese books. The number of books that cited systematic reviews of human research differed between the USA (n 49) and Japan (n 9). Additionally, the number of books that provided identifiable information for all references was significantly higher in the USA (n 63) than in Japan (n 42). Books whose first authors have licences of medical doctors were more likely to cite references than those without in both countries. Conclusions: Two-thirds of books about diet and health cited references in both the USA and Japan, but Japanese books cited fewer references and were less likely to cite systematic reviews and provide identifiable references than US books. Further research into the scientific reliability of information in books about diet and health is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From my 25 years of experience working with Japanese graduate students, my central understanding is that the students know a lot of English as they can read English articles, have good knowledge of English, and do their experiments well. They can also solve problems. First of all, I feel the most critical difficulty in writing any papers for Japanese students is the difficulty in deciding where they need to stop experiments, whether the produced data is enough for a publication, and how to prepare a research manuscript. Therefore, the help of someone who has both research supervision capability and English proficiency is essential for research publication in Japan. In that case, it is easy to handle the English manuscript of graduate students in Japan; I have been working hand in hand with graduate and postgraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Native-English-speaking English teachers at universities in EFL contexts are often asked to edit scientific manuscripts written by English as an additional language (EAL) colleagues. However, a lack of familiarity with scientific writing can make such editing tasks burdensome to English teachers. Using Lave and Wenger''s (1991) notion of legitimate peripheral participation as an analytical lens, this study explored how English teachers who regularly edited healthcare-related texts learned the “craft” of scientific editing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four English-teaching editors employed at universities in Japan, with a focus on these editors'' initial difficulties with editing and how editors overcame these difficulties. Two participants also completed think-aloud editing tasks, which were followed by stimulated recall interviews. Results indicate that four issues are of potential significance to these English teachers'' learning of and attitudes towards the craft of scientific editing: 1) the various styles and terminology of medical academic writing; 2) authors'' involvement in the editing process; 3) the ability to communicate with authors in Japanese; and 4) early apprenticeship or immersion experiences. We conclude that universities in EFL contexts should encourage greater collaboration, involving both education and research, between English teachers and scientific professionals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Barriers that impede effective communication between scientists and journalists include communication styles and skills, professional jargon, mistrust, time constraints, and orientation to knowledge types and "facts." Here we describe an experiment in building bridges between journalists and scientists in Southeast Asia and Japan in a three-day training workshop. Tangible outcomes include the publication of news articles about the workshop; co-authored science journalism articles pertaining to the Mekong River basin; publication of the workshop proceedings; a poster presented at the IHDP Open Science Meetings; and, continued publication collaboration among the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of the AntConc corpus analysis toolkit, originally designed for use in a technical writing course at Osaka University, Japan, but now adopted in institutions throughout the world as an easy-to-use, freeware, multiplatform alternative to the many commercial concordance programs. First, I will explain how the software was originally tailored to the needs of students in the Osaka writing course and later to a general audience through the requests and feedback from teachers and students around the world. Then, I will give an overview of tools in the most recent version of AntConc and explain their value using examples from the classroom. Finally, I will discuss some of the software's limitations and future developments, and suggest applications in professional communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the results on a study of Japanese scientists and their research. The assertion that researchers should place more emphasis on quality and less on quantity of papers they publish; Percentage of scientists who communicate with foreign researchers; Further findings of the report from the Science and Technology Agency (STA).

Discusses the practices of Japanese scientists regarding research. A report indicating that many Japanese scientists do not publish internationally; Percentage that publish only in Japanese journals; Focus on numerical output of research papers; Other findings of the study.