Gene Thompson is an Associate Professor of Language and Communication at the College of Business, Rikkyo University, Japan. He researches teacher and learner cognitions about language learning with specific interests in self-efficacy for language learning and teaching, English medium instruction, and teaching English as an international language.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2019
English medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon in higher education contexts across the ... more English medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon in higher education contexts across the globe, and EMI programs are expanding rapidly in Japan as part of their internationalization efforts. This paper explores the relationship between student self-beliefs and their success in an EMI course within a bilingual business program. It analyzed direct measures of content course and preparatory course performances, proficiency, and questionnaire data from 139 students completing an English-mediated International Business course at a university in Japan. These data were supplemented by interviews with seven students. Multiple linear regression analysis found L2 proficiency, preparatory course performance, and self-efficacy to predict success in the EMI course. Our qualitative findings support these results, indicating that students with stronger efficacy put forth more effort and see course activities as development opportunities. These findings highlight the need for efficacy development opportunities for students entering EMI study.
This study explored the foreign language teaching efficacy beliefs of Japanese high school Englis... more This study explored the foreign language teaching efficacy beliefs of Japanese high school English teachers. The study provides a teacher efficacy scale designed for the Japanese context, which could also be used or adapted for similar contexts in the wider East Asian area. Data were drawn from an online survey of 141 participants. Exploratory factor analysis identified five dimensions of latent teacher efficacy beliefs, including individual and collaborative dimensions, and some specific to the Japanese context, such as efficacy for helping students achieve entrance success. Findings also indicate that some dimensions of foreign language teaching efficacy, such as efficacy for using the L2, are generalizable to wider field.
This study examined the academic self-efficacy beliefs of second year university students majorin... more This study examined the academic self-efficacy beliefs of second year university students majoring in International Business at a university in Japan. In the program, students start English medium instruction (EMI) from their third year, and complete EAP and ESP courses in their first and second years as part of a preparatory program. Students’ perceptions of their capabilities to carry out academic tasks for studying business in English were investigated to evaluate students’ confidence for carrying out key program objectives. Exploratory factor analysis identified four latent constructs of academic self-efficacy beliefs that corresponded to four different usage situations, where student efficacy was significantly weaker for one dimension of activity related to spontaneous language use in oral presentation question and answer time. Analysis of interviews with four students identified student perceptions of task difficulty and a lack of practice opportunities to be the primary reasons for weaker student confidence. Findings indicate that students heavily attend to past experience in the assessment of their efficacy beliefs and provide insights into relatively simple affordances for classroom and activity management that may enhance the development of learner efficacy towards EAP activities in preparatory programs.
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching , 2017
How can Japanese teachers of English go about introducing more communicative activities suitable ... more How can Japanese teachers of English go about introducing more communicative activities suitable for their contexts? This article discusses an attempt by a high school teacher to implement communicative language teaching (CLT) in her classes while responding to institutional pressure to use yakudoku (a traditional grammar translation methodology) and focus on test and exam preparation. The article explains how the teacher, working with a mentor, rearranged the format of her classes to encourage more interactive activities, with translation activities used as review to prepare students for tests. This paper introduces the changes made over two cycles of the project, and suggests implications from the project which could be tested in other contexts, such as using outside mentors to help teachers to innovate, and focusing training experiences on getting teachers to experiment with CLT in their contexts.
This paper charts the development of a small departmental writing center at a university in Japan... more This paper charts the development of a small departmental writing center at a university in Japan. The paper discusses the results from two semesters of an ongoing action research project focused on improving the usage of the center. Faced with significant constraints and decreasing usage, the project used student survey data collected at the end of each semester to drive developments to the center. This led to a shift from using a face-to-face peer model for the writing center, to organizing it as an online writing lab. The article demonstrates the potential benefits of moving online for centers facing significant constraints, and the importance of using data for decision making in driving center development.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2019
English medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon in higher education contexts across the ... more English medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon in higher education contexts across the globe, and EMI programs are expanding rapidly in Japan as part of their internationalization efforts. This paper explores the relationship between student self-beliefs and their success in an EMI course within a bilingual business program. It analyzed direct measures of content course and preparatory course performances, proficiency, and questionnaire data from 139 students completing an English-mediated International Business course at a university in Japan. These data were supplemented by interviews with seven students. Multiple linear regression analysis found L2 proficiency, preparatory course performance, and self-efficacy to predict success in the EMI course. Our qualitative findings support these results, indicating that students with stronger efficacy put forth more effort and see course activities as development opportunities. These findings highlight the need for efficacy development opportunities for students entering EMI study.
This study explored the foreign language teaching efficacy beliefs of Japanese high school Englis... more This study explored the foreign language teaching efficacy beliefs of Japanese high school English teachers. The study provides a teacher efficacy scale designed for the Japanese context, which could also be used or adapted for similar contexts in the wider East Asian area. Data were drawn from an online survey of 141 participants. Exploratory factor analysis identified five dimensions of latent teacher efficacy beliefs, including individual and collaborative dimensions, and some specific to the Japanese context, such as efficacy for helping students achieve entrance success. Findings also indicate that some dimensions of foreign language teaching efficacy, such as efficacy for using the L2, are generalizable to wider field.
This study examined the academic self-efficacy beliefs of second year university students majorin... more This study examined the academic self-efficacy beliefs of second year university students majoring in International Business at a university in Japan. In the program, students start English medium instruction (EMI) from their third year, and complete EAP and ESP courses in their first and second years as part of a preparatory program. Students’ perceptions of their capabilities to carry out academic tasks for studying business in English were investigated to evaluate students’ confidence for carrying out key program objectives. Exploratory factor analysis identified four latent constructs of academic self-efficacy beliefs that corresponded to four different usage situations, where student efficacy was significantly weaker for one dimension of activity related to spontaneous language use in oral presentation question and answer time. Analysis of interviews with four students identified student perceptions of task difficulty and a lack of practice opportunities to be the primary reasons for weaker student confidence. Findings indicate that students heavily attend to past experience in the assessment of their efficacy beliefs and provide insights into relatively simple affordances for classroom and activity management that may enhance the development of learner efficacy towards EAP activities in preparatory programs.
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching , 2017
How can Japanese teachers of English go about introducing more communicative activities suitable ... more How can Japanese teachers of English go about introducing more communicative activities suitable for their contexts? This article discusses an attempt by a high school teacher to implement communicative language teaching (CLT) in her classes while responding to institutional pressure to use yakudoku (a traditional grammar translation methodology) and focus on test and exam preparation. The article explains how the teacher, working with a mentor, rearranged the format of her classes to encourage more interactive activities, with translation activities used as review to prepare students for tests. This paper introduces the changes made over two cycles of the project, and suggests implications from the project which could be tested in other contexts, such as using outside mentors to help teachers to innovate, and focusing training experiences on getting teachers to experiment with CLT in their contexts.
This paper charts the development of a small departmental writing center at a university in Japan... more This paper charts the development of a small departmental writing center at a university in Japan. The paper discusses the results from two semesters of an ongoing action research project focused on improving the usage of the center. Faced with significant constraints and decreasing usage, the project used student survey data collected at the end of each semester to drive developments to the center. This led to a shift from using a face-to-face peer model for the writing center, to organizing it as an online writing lab. The article demonstrates the potential benefits of moving online for centers facing significant constraints, and the importance of using data for decision making in driving center development.
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