Papers by Atsumi Yamaguchi
The purpose of advising in language learning is to help learners to think more deeply about the l... more The purpose of advising in language learning is to help learners to think more deeply about the language learning process in order to become more autonomous language learners (Carson & Mynard, 2012). The advising process is negotiated through dialogue between a learner and an advisor and this interaction can often be facilitated by the use of various tools. In this paper, the authors who are all (past or present) learning advisors (LAs) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan, begin by briefly outlining an underpinning theoretical framework for advising in language learning. The theoretical framework draws on both constructivist and sociocultural viewpoints. The authors then describe various tools that can be employed to facilitate the reflective processes.
Corpus linguistics has established that language is highly patterned. The use of patterned langua... more Corpus linguistics has established that language is highly patterned. The use of patterned language has been linked to processing advantages with respect to listening and reading, which has implications for perceptions of fluency. The last twenty years has seen an increase in the integration of corpus-based language learning, or data-driven learning (DDL), as a supporting feature in teaching English as a foreign / second language (EFL/ESL). Most research has investigated student attitudes towards DDL as a tool to facilitate writing. Other studies, though notably fewer, have taken a quantitative perspective of the efficacy of DDL as a tool to facilitate the inductive learning of grammar rules. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to present an EFL curriculum designed around DDL with the aim of improving spoken fluency; (2) to gauge how effective students were in employing newly discovered phrases in an appropriate manner; and (3) to investigate student attitudes toward such an approach to language learning. Student attitudes were investigated via a questionnaire and then triangulated through interviews and student logs. The findings indicate that students believe DDL to be a useful and effective tool in the classroom. However, students do note some difficulties related to DDL, such as encountering unfamiliar vocabulary and cutoff concordance lines. Finally, questions are raised as to the students' ability to embed learned phrases in a pragmatically appropriate way.
In this article, we report on an investigation into how the design of self-access center (SAC) en... more In this article, we report on an investigation into how the design of self-access center (SAC) environments affect student use at a university in Japan. After a description of the context, we review relevant literature on self- access centers and their relationship to learner autonomy and learning environments, and principles of environmental design drawn from other disciplines. We describe three deliberate changes made to SAC furniture arrangements and resultant student behaviors. At the end of the paper, we suggest some ways that practitioners and researchers can approach the design of SAC environments.
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Papers by Atsumi Yamaguchi