Postgraduate Supervision by Natsuko Shintani
I'm interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:
Instructed Second Language Acquisit... more I'm interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:
Instructed Second Language Acquisition
Task-based Language Teaching
Focus on Form
Corrective Feedback on L2 writing
Meta-analysis
Books by Natsuko Shintani
Edited Volumes by Natsuko Shintani
Papers by Natsuko Shintani
Incidental grammar acquisition involves the learners “picking-up” a grammatical feature while the... more Incidental grammar acquisition involves the learners “picking-up” a grammatical feature while their primary focus is on some other aspect of language – either message content or some other language feature that is taught directly. This article reports a study of children’s incidental grammar acquisition of two grammatical features––plural -s and copula be––in two different types of instruction––focus on form (FonF) and focus on forms (FonFs). The two grammatical features were not directly taught but opportunities for learning them occurred in the classroom interactions. Thirty young, beginner Japanese learners were divided into two groups (FonF and FonFs) and received nine repeated lessons over five weeks. The study examined the learners’ acquisition of the two structures as measured by tests and sought explanations for the results in terms of the differences in the interactions that arose in the two instructional contexts and, in particular, the opportunities for attending to the two grammatical features in these interactions. The children in the FonF classroom demonstrated acquisition of plural -s but not of copula be. Neither structure was acquired by the children in the FonFs classroom. Analysis of the classroom interactions showed that there was a functional need to attend to plural-s (but not copula be) only in the FonF classroom.
A question commonly raised by teachers is the extent to which task-based language teaching (TBLT)... more A question commonly raised by teachers is the extent to which task-based language teaching (TBLT) is suitable for young beginners, but to date, very little research has examined how TBLT can be implemented with complete beginners. The purpose of this article is to document my attempt to introduce a task-based approach in order to see if such an approach was viable for young Japanese learners of English, who were complete beginners. I first describe the tasks I developed and then report on how I implemented them with 15 six-year-old children who had no prior knowledge of English. I then focus on the interactions that arose during the repeated performance of the tasks by considering (1) the learners' voluntary production and (2) their comprehension of the teacher's input. I shall demonstrate that task-based teaching was possible with these complete beginners and that they continued to be engaged actively when the tasks were repeated. I conclude by discussing a number of general principles arising out of my study that could be useful in guiding teachers when implementing input-based tasks with young beginner learners
The study compared the effects of two types of form-focused written feedback – direct corrective ... more The study compared the effects of two types of form-focused written feedback – direct corrective feedback (DCF) and metalinguistic explanation (ME) given to the whole class – on Japanese university students’ accuracy of use of two grammatical structures: indefinite article and the hypothetical conditional. Both types of feedback were given with and without an opportunity to rewrite. Accuracy of use was measured in new pieces of writing. The feedback led to increased accuracy for the hypothetical conditional but not for the indefinite article. The effectiveness of the DCF proved longer lasting than the ME. Also, providing opportunity for revision enhanced the effect of the feedback. Overall, DCF followed by revision proved the most effective type of feedback. The results suggest that when form-focused written feedback is directed at two features that vary in saliency and complexity, learners are likely to focus on the structure that contributes more to the “global” meaning of the text. The results also indicate that directly correcting the errors learners make with respect to a complex syntactical structure is more beneficial than giving them a metalinguistic explanation.
Language Teaching Research, Jan 1, 2011
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Postgraduate Supervision by Natsuko Shintani
Instructed Second Language Acquisition
Task-based Language Teaching
Focus on Form
Corrective Feedback on L2 writing
Meta-analysis
Books by Natsuko Shintani
Edited Volumes by Natsuko Shintani
Papers by Natsuko Shintani
Instructed Second Language Acquisition
Task-based Language Teaching
Focus on Form
Corrective Feedback on L2 writing
Meta-analysis
This symposium includes four talks. The first paper evaluate the role of language aptitude as a predictor of the effects of L2 instruction in the literature by using a comprehensive meta-analysis. The paper report the comparison of the 16 aptitude tests from various aspects. It identified a number of issues that previous aptitude research contained, such as the test bias, the knowledge the tests measured. The paper call to cross-validate and update existing aptitude measures. The next two papers report empirical studies that examined two aspects of aptitude, i.e., language analytical ability and working memory.
The fourth talk provide a new theoretical insight of language aptitude by suggesting the shift from cognitive to perceptual abilities. The paper provides evidence from two different learning contexts showing that the LLAMA aptitude test (Meara, 2005), largely based on the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT; Carroll & Sapon, 1959), moderates learning under explicit feedback conditions in an instructed context, as well as L2 attainment in a naturalistic context when the L2 outcome measure allows controlled use of L2 knowledge. We will then discuss new aptitude constructs in the domain of implicit learning processes and provide evidence showing that IDs in this area are related to L2 attainment in a naturalistic context when the L2 outcome measure focuses on meaning and requires automatic use of L2 knowledge. We will conclude by suggesting a research program that investigates the predictive validity of implicit language aptitudes for learning under implicit learning conditions in instructed settings.
I will first examine the goal of TBLT by contrasting it with the goal of present-practice-produce (PPP) where grammar explanation is given followed by production practice activities. I will draw on research that has investigated the relationship between implicit/ explicit learning and implicit/ explicit knowledge to argue that is better able to develop students’ communicative skills. I will then examine two major issues surrounding TBLT in Japan: institutional issues and teacher issues. Institutional issues include the existing linguistic syllabuses, the examination system, and the large, teacher-centred classroom. Teacher issues include teachers’ knowledge and skills and their willingness to innovate in teaching. I will conclude with some suggestions for implementing TBLT in the English classroom in Japan.