Speaker
Description
This session reports on eight years of survey data into Japanese university students’ perceptions of their strongest English skill and their preferred learning styles. Over 1300 university students were surveyed about their strongest English language skill and how they most effectively learn. The results of this longitudinal study will be presented, and attendees will learn how this study’s findings will help them address students’ perceived strengths, weaknesses, and learning preferences in their language classrooms.
Short summary
This session reports on eight years of survey data into Japanese university students’ perceptions of their strongest English skill and their preferred learning styles. 334 university students were surveyed about their strongest English language skill and how they most effectively learn. The results of this longitudinal study will be presented, and attendees will learn how this study’s findings will help them address students’ perceived strengths, weaknesses, and learning preferences in their language classrooms.
Keywords
learning style preferences
EFL Skills
Japanese university students
Abstract
This session reports on eight years of survey data into Japanese university students’ perceptions of their strongest English skill and learning preferences. 334 students in public and private universities were surveyed about their strongest English language skill and through what method they most effectively learn new things: by reading about how, by doing it themselves, or by watching others do something. The results of this longitudinal study will be presented with an explanation of how the findings fit with existing literature in the field of EFL education in Japan. Regarding the English skill strength perceptions, Koizumi et al. (2022) showed uneven skill strengths in Japanese university student English proficiency and this study aligns with their findings. Kito and Hamada (2008) also explored Japanese students’ perceptions of their English skills and found that speaking was associated with the least positive feelings—a point countered by this study. Kito and Hamada also suggested how English skill perceptions can be leveraged to improve student motivation to learn English—something that could also be understood from this study’s findings. Learning style preference findings will be discussed along the lines of previous studies’ findings and suggestions (Boland et al., 2011; Hayashi & Cherry, 2004; Hyland, 1994). Attendees will discuss this study’s findings while considering their own experiences and will consider how this study’s findings will help them address students’ perceived strengths, weaknesses, and learning preferences in their language classrooms with suggestions gleaned from the literature (Leis & Dean, in press; O’Sullivan et al., 2022).
References
Boland, G., Sugahara, S., Opdecam, E., & Everaert, P. (2011). The impact of cultural factors on students’ learning style preferences: A global comparison between Japan, Australia and Belgium. Asian Review of Accounting, 19(3), 243-265. https://doi.org/10.1108/13217341111185155
Hayashi, M., & Cherry, D. (2004). Japanese students’ learning style preferences in the EFL classroom. Bulletin of Hokuriku University, 28, 83-93. https://www.hokuriku-u.ac.jp/about/campus/libraryDATA/kiyo28/mirai3.pdf
Hyland, K. (1994). The learning styles of Japanese students. JALT Journal, 16(1), 55-74. https://jalt-publications.org/sites/default/files/pdf/jalt_journal/jj-16.1.pdf
Kito, K., & Hamada, Y. (2008). Japanese high school students’ emotional ratings of the four skills: A first step towards strength-based education. Divergence and Convergence, Educating with Integrity: Proceedings of the 7th Annual JALT Pan-SIG Conference, pp. 8-18. https://pansig.org/publications/pansig/2008/HTML/KiHa.htm
Koizumi, R., Agawa, T., Asano, K., & In’nami, Y. (2022). Skill profiles of Japanese English learners and reasons for uneven patterns. Language Testing in Asia, 12(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00203-3
Leis, A., & Dean, D. (in press). Motivation and linguistic self-confidence across language skills in Japanese university EFL learners.
O’Sullivan, B., Motteram, J., Skipsey, R., & Dunlea, J. (2022). The importance of the four skills in the Japanese context. British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.jp/sites/default/files/importance_of_four_skills_japanese_context.pdf
Special scheduling requests
I am co-presenting with Steven MacWhinnie, so if our presentation and this one are both selected, please don't schedule us for the same or adjoining timeslots unless it's in the same room. Thank you.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | Japanese University Students’ Perceptions of their Best English Skills |