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Effects and Impact of Extensive Reading in Japanese University English for General Purpose Classes
Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal ( IF 0.4 ) Pub Date : 2018-03-01 , DOI: 10.37237/090102
Shinobu Nakamura 1
Affiliation  

Extensive reading is one of the language learning strategies (LLS) that has proved to have positive effects on students’ English ability such as improving their reading speed, reading fluency, and grammatical accuracy. A recent study on extensive reading at a Japanese university assigned students 45 minutes to read graded readers (GR). Unfortunately, most Japanese university English for General Purpose (EGP) courses only meet once a week for 90 minutes. This study looks at ways to implement extensive reading in a typical 90-minute EGP class, and examines the extent out of class extensive reading assignment affects students’ reading and listening skills. 43 non-English major university freshman students in EGP course were assigned GR in their free time over a semester. Their improvement of listening and reading skills was measured based on the two TOEIC mock tests at the beginning of the semester and the at the end of the semester. Though the results were not significant, this study led to some insights into the parameters of an effective extended reading program including intensity, frequency and duration. この研究では 2016年 9月から 1月にかけて4ヶ月間行われた授業外多読課題とその効果 についての報告をする。多読は英語教育界では英語力を確実に伸ばす言語学習ストラテジ ー(Language Learning Strategy)として英語教育者及び研究者に広く認知されている。日 本の大学の一般教養としての英語(English for General Purposes)の授業で多読を取り入 れた成功例として西澤(2012)が週1回、授業内で45分間の多読を4年間続けた研究があ る。ところが、日本の多くの大学での一般教養としての英語の授業は週1回、90分を3 0回が主流であり、授業時間を多読に費やすことが難しい状況である。そこで多読を授業 外課題として2週間に1回課し、その効果を 2016年後期の初めと終わりで TOEIC形式の 短いテストを使って測った。2週に1冊を15週間続ける多読では英語力(リーディン グ、リスニング)には明確な効果は出なかった。しかし、授業外多読が成果を出すために 必要な期間、頻度、1回の多読の時間についての実証実験が今後の課題であるという気づ きを得ることができた。 Extensive Reading is a language learning method shown to positively affect students’ English proficiency, including reading speed, general language proficiency and improved motivation toward reading (Day, n.d.). Because of the limited number of English for General Purpose (EGP) classes at the university level, the ability to successfully implement extensive reading into EGP classes is limited. Despite the fact that extensive reading (ER) has been shown to be an effective language learning strategy, some researchers point out that extensive reading is not very popular among ESL teachers because it requires a lot of resources and class time (Day & SiSAL Journal Vol. 9, No. 1, March 2018, 3-10. 4 Bamford, 1998; Gabe, 2009). For example, at my institution which is a middle-sized four-year private university in Tokyo. We offer mandatory freshman 90-minute Japanese General Education English (EGP) courses once a week for 30 weeks over two semesters in the Spring and Fall. Instructors usually choose a textbook based on the focus of EGP classes, such as reading or speaking. If they plan a reading course utilizing the textbook, most of the class time would be spent working on activities from the textbook. Therefore, it is difficult to implement extensive reading in EGP classes. I have been teaching mandatory EGP reading courses to university first-year students for several years. My classes use a TOEIC preparation textbook for false-beginners in accordance with the curriculum requirements in our institution and are taught using a teacher-centered teaching style. However, students seemed not to be very motivated or showed little improvement on their TOEIC scores. In addition, they were lacking the basic vocabulary or grammar to comprehend short passages or short announcements. Therefore, I decided to implement ER once every two weeks as homework. A bi-weekly scheduled take-home extensive reading activity was decided on to alternate with a vocabulary quiz which was already a part of the course. How long and how often should ER program in EGP courses be conducted? Nishizawa and his colleagues (Nishizawa, Yoshioka, & Fukada, 2010) conducted a study measuring the effects of a long-term ER program. The program included 37 university students who participated in a four-year ER program. The students read graded readers (GR) for 45 minutes once a week for 120 weeks. In this study, the researchers concluded that ER programs should last at least two years to bring about improvement in Japanese university students’ English proficiency measured by their TOEIC test scores. In contrast, Mason and Krashen (1997) studied Japanese university students in EGP courses and observed improvement in EFL learners’ English skills with only a four-month semester long extensive reading program. The experiment group read graded readers for 90 minutes once a week for a semester. The non-experiment group of students received a traditional teacher-centered English reading course. Both groups took a cloze test of a 1600-word passage with every 10 words erased. Both the experiment and non-experiment groups took the same test before and after the treatment. The average gain of test score in the experiment group was higher than the nonexperiment group. Although Nishizawa et al. (2010) suggested that the ER program should be continued for least two years, Mason and Krashen’s study illustrated that a semester long weekly ER program can improve English skills. SiSAL Journal Vol. 9, No. 1, March 2018, 3-10. 5 How many words do students need to read to improve their English skills? Though studies differ regarding the optimal number of words that should be read, they tend to agree that students need to engage in regular reading habits over extended periods of time. Nation (2009) states that because of the nature of learning from reading, developing a successful ER program needs careful planning to take effect. Most of the vocabulary acquisition happens from reading occurred by incidentally encountering expressions repeatedly. Therefore, nearly 500,000 words per year need to be read by learners. In addition, this amount of reading has to continue over several years (p. 50). According to Nishizawa et al. (2010), students who read more than 300,000 words over four years demonstrated significant increase in their TOEIC score. In Mason and Krashen’s study, though the number of words read was not reported, participants read an average of 30 books over a semester of fifteen weeks. Participants The participants of this study consisted of 48 first-year students majoring in Economics and enrolled in an EGP course at a Japanese private university in Tokyo. The students were divided into two groups by class. Five students were excluded from data analysis because of their absence on the day of the pre-test or post-test. Of the remaining 43 students, 40 students were male and three were female students. All the first-year students in their major must take a first-year general English course and an English conversation course. Right after they entered the university, they took TEAP (Test of English for Academic Purposes) as a placement test to be placed in three different levels of EGP classes. Their TEAP score ranged from 40 to 83 points which is equivalent to lower than A1 level on the CEFR. Therefore, they were placed in the lowest level EGP class. Many students felt demotivated when it came to reading in English. They often struggled to comprehend stories even at the easiest level of graded readers and had difficulty passing online comprehension quiz.

中文翻译:

日语阅读课对普通班英语广泛阅读的影响

广泛阅读是一种语言学习策略(LLS),已被证明会对学生的英语能力产生积极影响,例如提高他们的阅读速度,阅读流利程度和语法准确性。在日本大学进行的一项有关广泛阅读的最新研究表明,学生可以在45分钟内阅读分级阅读器(GR)。不幸的是,大多数日本大学通用英语(EGP)课程每周仅开会90分钟。这项研究探讨了在典型的90分钟的EGP课堂中实施广泛阅读的方法,并研究了课外广泛阅读作业对学生阅读和听力技能的影响程度。EGP课程中有43位非英语专业的大学新生在一个学期的空闲时间内被分配了GR。在学期初和学期末,根据两次TOEIC模拟考试对他们的听力和阅读技巧的提高进行了评估。尽管结果并不显着,但这项研究对有效的扩展阅读程序的参数(包括强度,频率和持续时间)产生了一些见解。年の研究では2016年9月から1月にかけて4ヶ月间行われた授业外多読スとその效果についての报告をする。多読は英语教育界では英语力を确を伸ばす言语学习ストラテジー(语言学习策略)日本の大学の一般教养としての英语(通用英语)の授业で多読を取り入れた成功例として西泽(2012)が周1回,授本で45分间の多読を4年间続けた研究があ。。ころが,日本の多くの大学での一般教养としての英语の授业は周1回,90分を3 0回が主流であり,课题多読を授业外科学として2周间に1回课し,その效果を2016年后期の初めと终わりでTOEIC形式の短いテストを使って测った。 2周に1册を15周间続ける多読では英语力(リーディング,リスニング)には明确な效果は出なかった。しかし,授业外多読が成果を出すために必要な期间,频度,1回の多読广泛阅读是一种语言学习方法,对学生的英语水平有积极影响,包括阅读速度,一般语言水平和提高的学习动机,这是一种语言学习方法。阅读(天,nd)。由于大学级别的通用英语(EGP)课程数量有限,成功实现对EGP类的广泛阅读的能力有限。尽管事实证明广泛阅读(ER)是一种有效的语言学习策略,但一些研究人员指出,广泛阅读在ESL老师中并不是很流行,因为它需要大量资源和上课时间(Day&SiSAL Journal Vol 》,第9卷,第1期,2018年3月,3-10.Bamford,1998; Gabe,2009)。例如,在我所在的机构中,该机构是东京的一所中等四年制私立大学。我们在春季和秋季的两个学期中,每周一次,为期30周,提供强制性的新生90分钟的日语普通教育英语(EGP)课程。教师通常会根据EGP课程的重点(例如阅读或口语)来选择教科书。如果他们计划使用教科书进行阅读课程,课堂上的大部分时间都花在了教科书上的活动上。因此,很难在EGP类中实现广泛的阅读。几年来,我一直在为大学一年级学生教授必修的EGP阅读课程。根据我们机构的课程要求,我的课程使用针对初学者的TOEIC准备课本,并以教师为中心的教学风格进行授课。但是,学生似乎没有很强的上进心,也没有表现出托业成绩的提高。此外,他们缺乏基本的词汇或语法来理解简短的段落或简短的公告。因此,我决定每两周执行一次ER作为作业。决定每两周安排一次带回家的广泛阅读活动,以代替已经是课程一部分的测验。EGP课程中的ER计划应进行多长时间和多久进行一次?西泽和他的同事(西泽,吉冈和深田,2010年)进行了一项测量长期ER项目效果的研究。该计划包括37名大学生,他们参加了为期四年的ER计划。学生每周阅读一次45分钟的分级阅读器(GR),持续120周。在这项研究中,研究人员得出结论,ER课程应至少持续两年,以通过日本TOEIC考试成绩来提高日本大学生的英语水平。相反,Mason和Krashen(1997)研究了日本大学生的EGP课程,并且仅用了四个月学期的广泛阅读课程就观察到EFL学习者的英语技能得到了提高。实验小组每学期每周阅读90分钟的评分读者。非实验组的学生接受了以教师为中心的传统英语阅读课程。两组都完成了1600字段落的完形填空测试,每删除10个字。实验组和非实验组在治疗前后均接受相同的测试。实验组的平均考试成绩高于非实验组。虽然西泽等。(2010年)建议,ER计划应持续至少两年,梅森(Mason)和克拉森(Krashen)的研究表明,为期一周的长期ER计划可以提高英语技能。SiSAL期刊卷 9,第1号,2018年3月,3-10。5为了提高英语水平,学生需要阅读多少个单词?尽管关于应阅读的最佳单词数量的研究有所不同,但他们倾向于同意学生需要在很长一段时间内养成规律的阅读习惯。Nation(2009)指出,由于从阅读中学习的本质,制定成功的ER计划需要仔细计划才能生效。大部分词汇习得是通过偶然偶然遇到表达而发生的阅读而发生的。因此,学习者每年需要阅读近500,000个单词。此外,这种阅读量必须持续数年(第50页)。据西泽等人。(2010年),在四年内阅读超过300,000个单词的学生,其TOEIC得分显着提高。在梅森(Mason and Krashen)的研究中,虽然未报告所读单词的数量,但参与者在十五周的学期中平均阅读了30本书。参与者本研究的参与者由48名经济学专业的一年级学生组成,并在东京的日本私立大学就读了EGP课程。这些学生按班级分为两组。五名学生因为在考试前或考试后缺席而被排除在数据分析之外。在其余的43名学生中,男生40名,女学生3名。所有专业的一年级学生都必须参加一年级普通英语课程和英语会话课程。进入大学后,他们立即将TEAP(学术目的英语考试)作为分班考试,分为三个不同级别的EGP课程。他们的TEAP分数从40到83分不等,低于CEFR的A1水平。因此,它们被置于最低级别的EGP类中。在英语阅读方面,许多学生感到动力不足。他们甚至连最简单的分级读者也都难以理解故事,并且很难通过在线理解测验。在英语阅读方面,许多学生感到动力不足。他们甚至连最简单的分级读者也都难以理解故事,并且很难通过在线理解测验。在英语阅读方面,许多学生感到动力不足。他们甚至连最简单的分级读者也都难以理解故事,并且很难通过在线理解测验。
更新日期:2018-03-01
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