Papers by Sachiko Nakamura
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Springer eBooks, 2019
This chapter simultaneously functions as a summary of the contents of the book and as a practical... more This chapter simultaneously functions as a summary of the contents of the book and as a practical guide for educators looking to implement their own future innovations. Drawing on the lessons of the various initiatives described and discussed in the book, both the successful and the not-so-successful, the chapter identifies common concerns informing and shaping innovation. The chapter firstly demonstrates the importance of contextual concerns in both initiating and inhibiting innovation, before going on to discuss the temporal dimension to innovation and the need for innovators to be aware of the demands of the system within which they are innovating. The chapter ends by emphasizing the importance of dialogue to any innovative project.
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Language Teaching Research, 2021
This article recounts my experience in enhancing my students’ boredom regulation by designing, im... more This article recounts my experience in enhancing my students’ boredom regulation by designing, implementing, and evaluating a strategy instruction project. The project was undertaken with 25 Thai university students enrolled in my English oral communication course for 15 weeks. The project began with exploring how and why my students experienced boredom in my classroom and their habitual boredom coping strategies while examining and modifying the initial design of my strategy instruction. Between weeks 8 and 12, I implemented five boredom regulation strategy sessions by using reappraisals and boredom coping as key components. Students engaged in guided practice, developed their own boredom regulation strategy toolkit, shared their ideas with peers, and reflected on their strategy use. Triangulating data from whole-class surveys, focus group interviews, and the toolkits, I illustrate the positive impact of the project shown on my students’ boredom regulation and on my teacher-researc...
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Innovation in Language Teaching and Learning, 2019
In addition to introducing the various contributions to the book, this chapter also discusses som... more In addition to introducing the various contributions to the book, this chapter also discusses some of the core themes informing the book. The chapter provides a platform for the subsequent contributions to the book by establishing what is meant by the term ‘innovation’ and highlighting why innovation is so important for effective educational practice. In contrast to much of the literature relating to English education in Japan, the chapter adopts an optimistic, positive outlook, arguing that the various contributions to the book indicate an active, energetic environment. The chapter concludes that this openness to innovation and dialogue is likely to inspire future innovative practice.
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The Routledge Handbook of the Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching, 2021
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System, 2021
Abstract This classroom-based study investigated the antecedents of boredom among Thai university... more Abstract This classroom-based study investigated the antecedents of boredom among Thai university students enrolled in an English oral communication course. The primary data collection tool was a whole-class survey (n = 25) eliciting the learners’ boredom experiences in a particular class over the course of seven weeks. Concurrently, focus group interviews (n = 5) were conducted five times to gain in-depth views about boredom and its antecedents in the L2 learning context in general, as well as the learners’ boredom experiences in the class. A modified version of constant comparative analysis of the survey data yielded nine thematic factors as the antecedents of boredom, which were supported by the interview findings. Activity mismatch, lack of comprehension, insufficient L2 skills, task difficulty, input overload, and lack of ideas were shown to create conditions under which internal learner factors and external classroom factors were ill-balanced or mismatched, resulting in the emergence of boredom. Learners’ physical fatigue, unfavorable appraisals of classroom tasks, and negative behaviors of classmates were also identified as the antecedents of boredom. Adopting a situated approach to exploring L2 learners’ boredom, this study sheds light on the context-dependent view of how and why learners experience boredom through an emic perspective.
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Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2020
This study examined the effect of choice on EFL learners’ task engagement. Twenty-four Thai unive... more This study examined the effect of choice on EFL learners’ task engagement. Twenty-four Thai university students completed two opinion-gap tasks. In one, they discussed and agreed on three items among given options (+constraint). In the other, they discussed and agreed on three items among the options they generated (−constraint). Spoken interaction and questionnaires were analyzed for behavioral (time on task, words produced, turns), cognitive (negotiation of meaning and form, self-repairs), social (overlaps and turn completion, backchannels), and emotional engagement (anxiety, enjoyment), based on Philp and Duchesne’s multifaceted model. The −constraint task had positive effects on all the cognitive engagement measures, but only one of the behavioral measures (turns) and one of the social measures (overlaps). Learners reported higher anxiety and enjoyment in the −constraint task. The findings highlight the interrelated multidimensional nature of learner task engagement while sugges...
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Epistemic curiosity is an emotion described as a desire for knowledge. While research in educatio... more Epistemic curiosity is an emotion described as a desire for knowledge. While research in educational fields has increasingly highlighted the important role that epistemic curiosity plays in learning, there is little empirical evidence to help understand this emotion in the L2 learning context. This classroom-based study investigated the antecedents of epistemic curiosity among 25 Thai university students studying in an English oral communication course. Using a whole-class survey and focus group interview, we recursively asked the students to describe a time in class when they experienced epistemic curiosity and the reasons behind it. A modified version of constant comparative analysis suggested six thematic factors as the antecedents of epistemic curiosity, three groups of underlying desires behind its manifestation, and positive affect linked to its experience. It also emerged from the analysis that certain types of classroom activities were associated with epistemic curiosity. Ut...
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International Journal of Applied Linguistics
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Digital storytelling (i.e., telling stories through digital media) has been increasingly recogniz... more Digital storytelling (i.e., telling stories through digital media) has been increasingly recognized as an effective medium to develop students’ knowledge and skills to organize and communicate ideas. In this practical article I describe an overview of digital storytelling, its affordances for language learning, and specific examples and online tools to illustrate how teachers without specialized technical skills can implement digital storytelling in the classroom.
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Learners' attributions have received increasing attention in second/foreign language (L2) learnin... more Learners' attributions have received increasing attention in second/foreign language (L2) learning. Studies have shown that how learners attribute their performance influences not only their self-efficacy, motivation, and goal attainment but also their emotions (Hsieh, 2012; Hsieh & Kang, 2010; Hsieh & Shal-lert, 2008; Weiner, 2000, 2014). This exploratory study investigated how Japa-nese adult learners of L2 English attributed changes in their L2 learning attitudes and motivation through a 10-week TOEIC preparation program. It also examined emotions expressed in their attributional statements and the differences between learners with lower and higher L2 proficiency. A content analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses suggested eight attributional categories: perceived L2 improvement, enjoyment, positive feelings, increased L2 exposure, realization of L2 needs and importance, effective L2 instruction, and praise from the teacher for positive changes in attitudes and/or motivation and perceived inefficient L2 skills for negative changes in attitudes and/or motivation. Enjoyment was an emotion the most frequently mentioned by both groups while other emotions, such as joy, happiness, and disappointment, were expressed only by the beginner learners. These results offer important implications for L2 pedagogy and prospects for further research in the area.
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The test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is an English-language proficiency te... more The test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is an English-language proficiency test developed by Educational Testing Services (ETS). Since it was first administered in Japan in 1979, an increasing number of schools and companies have been adopting TOEIC scores as a measure of English ability for various purposes such as crediting, grading, and hiring. Accordingly, the need for students to obtain higher scores is on the rise. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the TOEIC test such as its history and score use as well as changes in the test format effective May 29, 2016. Followed by a discussion of reliability, validity, and washback of the TOEIC test, several pedagogical suggestions are offered.
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Written corrective feedback (WCF) is an instructional strategy used to help second/ foreign langu... more Written corrective feedback (WCF) is an instructional strategy used to help second/ foreign language (L2) learners improve their writing effectiveness. Teachers can design and provide WCF across a number of dimensions such as focus (e.g. grammar, organization, content), type (e.g. direct correction, reformulation, comment), and tone (e.g. negative, positive). This article provides a comprehensive overview of WCF, its typology, research methodologies and findings, as well as learners' and teachers' perceptions of its use and benefits. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for L2 writing pedagogy, followed by practical recommendations on the effective utilization of WCF in the classroom and suggestions for practitioners in conducting WCF research.
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Language Teaching Research, 2017
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Books by Sachiko Nakamura
This book is written for teachers, practitioners, and researchers, who are interested in developi... more This book is written for teachers, practitioners, and researchers, who are interested in developing their knowledge about emotions and learning about ways of helping their learners to cultivate positive and cope with negative emotions. The book covers the topics of emotions, emotion regulation, strategies, and instruction. Each topic is discussed in the subsequent chapters, beginning with a concise summary of theories and research in the fields of psychology, education, and language learning. This is followed by its practical applications in the classroom, with suggestions and ideas based on research as well as reports from teachers in a wide range of contexts. Teachers’ vignettes give readers an opportunity to compare their experiences with others. A practical guide with detailed steps for implementing strategy instruction in emotion regulation is provided at the end.
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Papers by Sachiko Nakamura
Books by Sachiko Nakamura