Speakers
Description
Can English strategically support third-language learning? Drawing on recent CLIL and translanguaging research, this presentation reports empirical findings from a semester-long university study in Japan examining proxy-language use and vocabulary retention. Beyond the data, participants will leave with ready-to-use classroom tools: etymology sheets, inference quizzes, and “Detective Cognate” games that systematically build cross-linguistic awareness. Join us to discover how structured language comparison can strengthen retention, spelling accuracy, and learner autonomy across English, French, and Japanese.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Research in CLIL and translanguaging (Itoi & Mizukura, 2024) supports the use of English as a proxy when teaching a third language (L3), such as French to Japanese learners. If applied judiciously, English can scaffold learners’ comprehension (Macaro et al., 2018; Shiotsu, 2010). Additionally, structural and lexical similarities between English and certain European languages may promote vocabulary retention in both the target and intermediary languages via cognates and cross-linguistic influence (Otwinowska, 2024). Despite these theoretical advantages, systematic empirical research measuring the impact on vocabulary retention remains limited. This presentation explores the issue and provides educators with concrete teaching tools.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This study investigates the extent to which systematic reference to a proxy language influences vocabulary retention in a target language. It specifically examines learners’ ability to infer meaning through affixation and shared lexical roots across the proxy and target languages. In addition, the study explores whether such cross-linguistic comparison affects spelling accuracy in both languages, thereby assessing potential reciprocal benefits of structured proxy-language use.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
Conducted across two Japanese universities over one semester, it involves approximately 130 participants across four groups: two beginner French classes and four first-year intermediate English classes, each split into a tested group (vocabulary activities referencing the proxy language) and a control group (activities without such references). Vocabulary retention is measured through three tests: picture-to-spelling, spelling-to-picture, and inferring the meaning of an unfamiliar target-language word from lexical derivation.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Although we anticipate students trained in cross-linguistic connections to outperform control groups on vocabulary retention and inference tasks, the primary value of this study lies in the pedagogical process rather than the results. In this presentation, we will describe our experimental design and show participants how to transform the tasks we used to test the impact of translanguaging into interactive activities. They include etymology sheets presenting shared roots, A1-level French forms, and B1+ English derivatives, as well as games such as “Detective Cognate,” which encourage learners to reactivate familiar vocabulary and enable Japanese students to infer unfamiliar words more efficiently.
Abstract section 5: References
Itoi, K., & Mizukura, R. (2024). Experience of Japanese exchange students in EMI programmes: Benefits and issues of translanguaging. International Journal of Multilingualism, 21(3), 1434-1453.
Macaro, E., Curie, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden, J. (2018). English medium instruction in universities: A rapidly growing global phenomenon. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 38, 1-24.
Otwinowska, A. (2024). Cross-linguistic influence and language co-activation in acquiring L3 words: What empirical evidence do we have so far?. Second Language Research, 40(3), 765-783.
Shiotsu, T. (2010). Components of L2 reading: Linguistic and processing factors in the reading test performances of Japanese EFL learners. Reading in a Foreign Language, 22(1), 1-26.
| Title | Cross-Linguistic Scaffolding in Japanese L3 Classes |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |