275 research outputs found
An investigation of Japanese educational cultural impact on Japanese language learning in an international context
No full textprovided qualitative data. There was no statistically significant difference between the two teaching methods regarding attainment in the two assignments. However, Japanisation was associated with significantly improved results in the Reading and Writing Test, compared with CLT. These results seem to suggest that embedding elements of Japanisation and Japanese educational culture into the teaching of Japanese to non-Japanese speakers in British language classrooms might possibly enhance students’ learning of reading and writing skills. This study also presents possibilities as to how the Japanese educational cultural method of teaching could be incorporated into the teaching of Japanese to non-Japanese speakers. In addition, this study indicates that language teachers facing a multicultural classroom might consider the international students’ educational cultural expectations and needs in learning. Those who develop the teaching curriculum are encouraged at a strategic level to examine other educational cultures and teaching practices from non-Anglophone countries and assess how they may be combined with CLT to reflect the new international characteristics of teaching and learning environments
Junko Go : all about... blooming
No full textPublished to accompany the exhibition held at Gallery 101, Melbourne, 25 February to 14 March 2009.Artist: Junko Go
Catalogue essay by Malcolm Bywaters
Junko Koshino's hybrid artwork
No full textThe article proposes a look at the avant-garde practice in the field of fashion of the Japanese designer Junko Koshino, placing her artwork in the context of contemporary aesthetics. The author argues that the basic property of Koshino's works is hybridity and shows how and in what fields this quality is constituted
Cultural influences in a multicultural academic workplace
No full textThis study investigates if there are any cultural influences on language teaching staff in a multicultural British
university language centre operating overseas. Language teaching staff who work at British universities in the UK
usually involve only two cultures (British and their mother tongue culture). If non-native nationals are involved in
two cultures, it is expected that they would conform to the host country’s culture. Language teaching staff in this
study involve at least three cultures, that is, British, their mother tongue culture and the host country’s culture. In
the case of the involvement of the three cultures, where do the majority of non-native nationals conform to in a
multicultural workplace in the host country? Is it the institution’s country’s culture where they are based in their
educational operation or the host country’s culture? This study looks at individual value orientation in decisionmaking
and problem-solving. Discourse analysis of e-mails between 20/10/2013 and 20/01/2014 was used to
focus on two main language staff (French and Japanese). The results showed that teaching staff in the multicultural
workplace seemed to alter and replace their own value orientations on a mix and match basis, which may influence
their preferred culture. It is also suggested that cultural acquisition could occur regardless of the establishment of
one’s cultural preference
A case study of Japanese language teaching in a multicultural learning environment
No full textThe increasing number of international students, whose teaching and learning practices are very different from the UK, is studying in the U.K. This study poses the question of whether Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is still the most effective and appropriate approach in today’s multicultural society regardless of cultural differences. The Japanese teaching method (Japanisation) was presented as an alternative teaching method to CLT, and the study investigates any impacts on multicultural students in Japanese language teaching at a university in the south of England.
The study was conducted for one semester using two groups (total of 34 students) in 2009/2010. Two teaching methods, Japanisation and CLT, were applied. The concept of Japanisation is drawn from the study of Japanese car manufacturing industries and transferred to the language teaching context. Three tests which provided quantitative data to generate data.
The quantitative results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two teaching methods regarding the attainment in the first two tests. However, Japanisation was associated with significantly higher results in the final test, compared with CLT.
The implication of this study is embedding elements of Japanisation and Japanese educational culture in the Japanese language teaching will possibly enhance students’ learning of reading and writing skills. Those who develop the teaching curriculum are encouraged at a strategic level to examine other educational cultures and teaching practices from non-Anglophone countries and assess how they may be combined with CLT to reflect new international characteristics of teaching and learning environments
Are international students’ preferred pedagogy influenced by their educational culture?
No full textThe increasing number of international students is studying at British universities. This study investigates multicultural students’ preferences on teaching and learning which was conducted at a university in the South of England during 2009/2010 academic year. In the literature review, the framework used in this study is explained. The study sample was 34 students who were studying Japanese as a non-credit module. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected using questionnaires. The results showed that some students’ preferred pedagogy appeared to be altered and influenced by British educational culture regardless of students’ previous educational culture. In addition, the sample participants’ preferred pedagogy are identified into given categories based on the framework of the study. Those who are in the teaching profession are encouraged to take into consideration of the educational cultures and teaching and learning practices from non-Anglophone countries.Keywords: culture, globalisation, higher education, Japanese language teaching, multicultural, power distance index (PDI), uncertainty avoidance index (UAI)
Academic infractions of assessed work in Japanese langauge
No full textGoogle Translate (GT) is a free on-line translation tool and accessible to anyone including students who study languages.Before the advent of GT, dictionaries have been used by language learners, which have only receptive translation function.Unlike dictionaries, GT has two translation functions: receptive and productive. This productive function of GT has beenincreasingly creating problems in university language assessment and language teachers with students’ cheating, plagiarismor academic infractions. The purpose of this article is to find evidence that GT has a causal effect of students’ cheating,plagiarism or academic infractions. In addition, how coherence also seems to be associated with academic infraction isdiscussed before the methodology. The study investigated the formative Japanese coursework essay writings of threestudents who have studied Japanese for 1 year but with no basic understanding or knowledge of the Japanese language at auniversity of South of England. It is concluded that all the three students were suspected of committing plagiarism in spite ofteacher’s warning of plagiarism. The implications of this study are directed at institutions, teachers and students. Institutionsshould review the information gap between the websites which are written for students and the university’s officialpublished website statement on plagiarism. Institutions may also need to mention GT specifically in the plagiarismdocumentation. Institutions may also consider adopting an additional coversheet system to use as students’ declaration ofplagiarism. Language teacher should be familiar with the differences between plagiarism vs. cheatings, plagiarism vs.academic infractions/offences and the components of academic infractions of the university they work. Students shouldsubmit their own work, not using GT or copying and pasting translated sentences from websites.
Keywords: Google Translate (GT), plagiarisms, higher education, Japanese langauge teaching.</jats:p
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Culture and Pedagogy of MEQs
No full textIt is claimed that MEQ is multidimensional and it is complex to agree on what those dimensions are and how they interrelate. The main objective of this study is to investigate the culture and Pedagogy of MEQs. Using four dimensions of cultural framework, the underlying pedagogies for the MEQ was identified. The results of the literature reviews show that the cultures of the MEQ are individualist, weak uncertainty avoidance and small power distance, which indicates the Western concept. It has also uncovered that MEQs interrelates to the concept of motivation and enjoyment. The recommendation is for university to have a permanent MEQ staff to give staff development opportunity on the MEQ pedagogy and culture to improve their quality assurance and accountability. It is also recommended to create MEQ software which incorporates additional quantitative data such as class attendance rates and other descriptive statistics which describe the class (i.e. minimum, maximum and average) to minimise the bias effect of the teaching staff and students and increase validity and reliability of MEQs. This paper may be of use for MEQ designers, teaching staff, quality assurance staff, student experience staff, HR staff and executive board members
COMPARISON OF JAPANESE LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA OF A STEM AND A NON-STEM UNIVERSITY IN THE UK
No full textThis study compares a STEM and a non-STEM British university’s Japanese marking criteria using two cultural concepts as a framework. There are movements in language teaching to focus on teaching specific purposes. The findings show that the two types of assessment criteria, simple and detailed assessment criteria exist, which were under the influence of these two cultural concepts. Language teachers who use simple assessment criteria grade students’ work more objectively using quantitative method, whereas those who use detailed assessment criteria grade more subjectively. Language teachers who use detailed assessment criteria may have less workload marking and grading than those who use simple assessment. However, the grading quality of those who use detailed assessment criteria may not be as consistent as that of those who use simple assessment. In addition, the emphasis on either creativity or accuracy is related to simple or detailed assessment criteria. It is recommended to incorporate some aspects of simple assessment criteria to improve the consistency of the grading if an institution uses detailed assessment. If an institution uses simple assessment criteria, it is recommended to incorporate the clarity aspect of detailed assessment criteri
Re-examine Lou Go Phenomenon in Japan
No full textThis study is to re-examine the language phenomenon which occurred in Japan. Japan had undergone a linguist phenomenon called Lou Go (‘Lou language’) between 2006 and 2007. Lou Go had been analysed its basic grammar rule and the use of vocabulary when it was in trend. However, the analysis was not linguistically studied and its implication was unknown. The objective of this study is to investigate Lou Go from linguistic perspectives and consider its implications. The research method of Lou Go’s characteristics was analysed using a Lou Go text and Katakana (English borrowing words) text both quantitatively and qualitatively. Two key findings were observed. The first was that the use of English borrowing words and relexification of the word class were different, although both Lou Go and Katakana texts seems to share similarities. The relexification of Katakana text used only pronouns or nouns while Lou Go text consisted of relexification of nouns, verbs and adjectives. The second finding was that Lou Go users were usually Japanese native speakers and they did conscious code-switching which means they intentionally chose to replace certain Japanese nouns, verbs and adjectives into English. From these results, it may be possible to conclude that Lou Go was not an extension of existing Katakana and that Lou Go was not an alternative name of foreigners’ Japanese. Implication of Lou Go phenomenon is that its success may be due to a combination of globalisation and Japanese educational policy at the right time and the right place.</jats:p
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