新たなオーラル英語授業における教育的効果 : 仕事に打ち込む人物ビデオを題材に

Abstract

This study aimed to explore whether using videos that focus on professionalism and personal commitment to one's career can change attitudes toward learning and energize language learning for Japanese EFL learners. The videos used in the study were recorded from TV programs aired in Japan (and spoken in Japanese, not English). This study specifically investigates whether such materials enable Japanese college students to better describe in English their short- and long-term life goals. The study also looks into the effectiveness of using such videos for the motivation of language learning. The study involved twenty-eight freshmen in the humanities, covered a one-semester period (October 2005 to February 2006) at a national university, with thirteen weekly 90-minute class periods. Various output-focused activities (i.e., pair work, group work and presentations to the whole class) and peer evaluations were implemented in class so the students could become more accustomed to expressing critical opinions in real-life contexts. Take-home assignments that encouraged each student to engage in self-reflection on the content of the videos and then write his/her own thoughts and ideas in English were given to promote self-confidence and ready access to useful internalized language in preparation for speaking activities in the following class.