Volume 4, Issue 4

issn 2185 7822volume 4, issue 4

さいたま市教育家会ジャ

ナル

I

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

さいたま市教育家会ジャーナル

The

Journal of Saitama City Educators

(JSCE)

A さいたま市教育家会 (SCE) Publication

Published in Saitama City, Japan

ISSN: 2185-7822

Volume 4, Issue 4

August 2014

Editor: John Finucane

Issue Editors: Brett Milliner and

Travis Cote

Translator: Mitsuko Imai

Proofreading: Brett Milliner and

Travis Cote

Layout: John Finucane

Find out more at:

http://www.SaitamaCityEducators.org

About the Issue Editors

Brett Milliner

[email protected]

Brett Milliner is assistant professor in

the Center for English as a Lingua Franca

(CELF) at Tamagawa University and lec-

turer in the faculty of law at Keio University.

Brett’s research interests include mo-

bile-assisted language learning (MALL),

self- access learning and student motiva-

tion. Brett is the treasurer of JALT CALL

SIG and Yokohama JALT, as well as being

a regular contribu tor to Digital Mobile

Language Learning (http://dmll.jaltcall.

org). When Brett isn’t working he can be

found surfing or moonlighting as a yoga

teacher in Kamakura.

Travis Cote

[email protected]

Travis Cote is an assistant professor in

the College of Tourism and Hospitality

Management at Tamagawa University and

a faculty member in the Center for English

as a Lingua Franca (CELF). He holds an

MA TESOL degree and his research inter-

ests include teacher induction practices,

computer-mediated language learning,

extensive reading and curriculum devel-

opment. Travis is also a contributing au-

thor to Digital Mobile Language Learning

(http://dmll.jaltcall.org).

Mitsuko Imai

[email protected]

Mitsuko Imai is an assistant professor in

the Center for English as a Lingua Franca

(CELF) at Tamagawa University. She holds

an MA TESOL degree and her research

interests include motivation, autonomy,

learning strategies and extensive reading.

Foreword

In 2013, Tamagawa University launched

a new, campus-wide English as a Lingua

Franca (ELF) program, the first of its kind

in Japan. The ELF program is designed to

enable students to effectively communi-

cate with people all over the world using

English as a lingua franca. Beginning in

2014, the Centre for English as Lingua

Franca (CELF) was established to house

the English program and a tutor service.

The Centre will serve approximately 1,800

students, all of whom will be taught by ap-

proximately 50 instructors from around

the globe. Aware of the deep-rooted, na-

tive English speaker bias and norms com-

mon not only in Japan, a conscious deci-

sion was made by Tamagawa University to

seek qualified, professional English lan-

guage teachers from outside the inner cir-

cle (Kachru, 1985) countries. The collec-

tion of articles in this journal represents

the research and work from a handful of

those ELF teachers.

It is the teachers, their personal beliefs

and principles, who determine the suc-

cess of any language program. If teach-

ers are going to hone their teaching skills,

deepen their knowledge and develop pro-

fessionally, they must receive proper sup-

port. To that end, the editors of this cur-

rent issue were involved in creating the

ELF Teacher Research Forum on January

11, 2014. The forum served as a place for

teachers to share teaching ideas, and sec-

ondly, it provided a platform to present

their professional research. In conjunc-

tion with this event, all teachers in the

ELF program were invited to share their

teaching experience and knowledge in

the form of a short article or research pa-

per. Publication in this journal represents

a chance for part-time teachers to add to

their professional resume, but more im-

portantly, this journal issue is an oppor-

tunity for ELF teachers to share ideas and

add value to our new Center for English as

a Lingua Franca (CELF).

In this issue, Dawn Lukovich introduces

repeated reading as a technique for in-

creasing students’ reading speeds and flu-

ency. Simeon Flowers begins a discussion

about how ELF teachers can effectively

incorporate role-play to expand upon

textbook material. Andy Leichsenring

considers how teachers can more ef-

fectively teach oral presentation skills.

Mika Nelson describes Speed-Pairing, a

fast-paced activity for developing speaking

fluency. And finally, Jody Yujobo intro-

duces her approach to integrating the 4Cs

of 21st Century Skills into project-based

activities in her ELF classroom.

We hope you will enjoy reading this issue

as much as we did in putting it together.

The Issue Editors

Dawn Lucovich

Repeated reading activities for fluency and

comprehension in the university ELF classroom

Page 1

Simeon Flowers

Role-Play: Going Beyond the Curriculum

Page 7

Andrew Leichsenring

Maximizing Learning Outcomes for

University-level EFL Learners doing

ICT-based Oral Presentations

Page 13

Mika Nelson

Speed Pairing—encouraging oral output

with a fluency-based speaking activity

Page 20

Yuri Jody Yujobo

Integrating the 4Cs of 21st Century Skills

into EFL Project-Based Learning activities

for beginner-level college students

Page 26

ルコヴィチ・ドン

大学のELFクラス内における流暢さ・理解力

を促す繰り返し音読アクティビティ

シメオン・フラワーズ

ロールプレイ:カリキュラムを越えて

アンドリュー・レイクセンリング

EFLの大学生におけるICTベースプレゼンテ

ーション

ネルソン・美香

スピード・ペアリング：スピーキングの流暢さ

を促すアクティビティ

祐乗坊由利・ジョディー

「 21世紀型スキル育成4Cs」の大学初級レ

ベルEFLプロジェクト・ベース・ラーニングへ

の応用

Contents

1 2

Dawn Lucovich - Repeated Reading ActivitiesRepeated reading activities for fluency and comprehension in the university ELF classroom

Dawn Lucovich

Abstract

Repeated reading (RR) has enjoyed

popularity in English-language research

contexts, but few studies have investigat-

ed the benefits of RR in university-lev-

el ELF classrooms in Japan. This article

will briefly review recent RR research, de-

scribe the use of RR in classroom settings,

and finally explore the benefits of RR to

programs, instructors, and learners.

About the Author

Dawn Lucovich is currently a doctor-

al student in Temple University’s Ph.D

Education program. She earned her

M.A. from Teachers College Columbia

University, and has served as Assistant

Manager and tutor for The Writing Center

at Teachers College Columbia University’s

Tokyo campus. [email protected].

要旨

繰り返し音読（Repeated reading , RR)は、英

語研究においては多くみられるようになった

が、日本の大学レベルにおけるELF授業内で

のRRの効果に対する研究は少ない。本稿で

は、まず近年のRRにおける先行研究を考察

し、授業中の活用法について言及する。さら

にRRがもたらすプログラム・教員・学習者へ

の効果について探求する。

Introduction

Repeated reading (RR) as a literacy

technique has its roots in literacy studies

and remedial education. Readers, read-

ing instructors, literacy specialists, and

TESOL instructors have used RR in order

to boost decoding, reading fluency, read-

ing speed, and reading comprehension.

Therrien and Kubina (2007) propose that

automatic word processing and contextu-

al linguistic effects form the theoretical

construct for the effectiveness of repeat-

ed reading. After repeatedly reading the

same text or a text with high vocabulary or

topic overlap, readers can process words at

a faster rate. Since they can process words

more quickly, readers can also devote

more cognitive resources to higher-level

reading skills, such as comprehension.

In order to gain reading fluency, the

National Reading Panel (2000) found

that guided, deliberate practice is more

effective than sustained silent reading

(SSR) or teacher-encouraged extensive

reading. In turn, this deliberate prac-

tice led to increased word recognition

and reading comprehension (National

Reading Panel, 2000).

Kostewicz (2012) identifies three consider-

ations when implementing deliberate prac-

tice: how often practice should occur, the

duration of each practice session, and how

long such practice should continue until

it is no longer as effective. Based on previ-

ous RR research, Kostewicz (2012) further

recommends that practice should occur

at a minimum: weekly, for five to ten min-

utes, and with a one-minute assessment

3 4

JSCE - Volume 4, Issue 4

(e.g. how many words can be read error-

free) during each practice session.

Before implementing RR activities, Therrien

and Kubina (2006) recommend that stu-

dents first be trained in monitoring self-

and peer oral reading, and in the giving

of feedback on word errors (e.g. “Could

you repeat that?” in the case of a mistake

or unintelligibility). Finally, the reading

should be repeated until a particular goal

is reached (e.g. the end of the text within

a time limit, a set words-per-minute rate,

reading with zero errors).

In this article, a series of scaffolded RR

activities for a single text is described.

However, the activities can be used inde-

pendently, mixed and matched, deleted

or repeated, or rearranged in any order.

In addition, instead of a single text, sev-

eral texts with high vocabulary or topic

overlap may be used. In each five to ten

minute step, readers undertake deliber-

ately-practiced, guided reading in the

form of audio-led or audio-supported read-

ing, paired/group reading, or solo reading.

Procedure

Step One: Audio-led read-along

Students should read the text along with

an audio recording (i.e. provided with the

textbook, instructor-made, or an error-

free student example). The speed of the

audio can be adjusted to be slightly slower

than the students’ reading speed, or can

be paused intermittently to allow slower

readers to catch up.

Step Two: Solo reading with delayed

corrective feedback

Students should read the text aloud

on their own, ideally recording it for fu-

ture use, and either make a note of the

reading time needed to finish the text

or mark where they were able to finish

in a set amount of reading time. It is im-

portant for each student to keep track of

their own progress after each reading ses-

sion. As the instructor circulates, they can

monitor for common errors and mistakes,

then correct and discuss them in plenary

at the end of the reading session.

Step Three: Pair/group reading with

delayed corrective feedback

Students can read in pairs/groups, either

alternating sentences or paragraphs. As

students read, their partner/group mem-

bers should monitor and give feedback at

the end of each reader’s turn (i.e. point

out and correct mispronounced, missed,

or mistaken words) and/or at the end of

the reading session (e.g. total number of

incorrectly pronounced, missed, or mis-

taken words). At the end of the reading

session, each student should make a note

of their individual errors.

Step Four: Audio-supported

solo reading with delayed

corrective feedback

Students should read the text aloud, us-

ing their previously recorded audio as a

guide. They should again make a note of

their reading time or mark where they

were able to finish. As before, the in-

structor should circulate and give correc-

tive feedback in plenary at the end of the

reading session.

Step Five: Pair/group reading with

immediate corrective feedback

Students can read in pairs/groups, either

alternating sentences or paragraphs. Both

peers and instructor should monitor and

give immediate corrective feedback (i.e.

point out and correct mispronounced,

missed, or mistaken words). At the end of

the reading session, each student should

keep track of their individual errors.

Dawn Lucovich - Repeated Reading Activities

5 6


Step Six: Solo reading with immedi-

ate corrective feedback

Students should read the text aloud on

their own, ideally recording it to com-

pare with their previous recording. They

should make a note of their third solo

reading time or mark where they were

able to finish. The instructor can give im-

mediate corrective feedback, if desired.

Students should listen to their own and/

or a peer’s audio recording and make a

note of the errors.

Step Seven: Reading assessment

Students should read the text aloud. The

instructor should note the time or where

they were able to finish and the number

or types of mistakes, and give feedback.

Conclusion

If as little as five to ten minutes per week

is spent on RR, students should be able

to progress in oral reading fluency, word

recognition, and reading comprehen-

sion. When combined with corrective

feedback, progress tracking in the form

of reading time/completed text, error

tracking, and one-minute assessments,

students will be able to see firsthand the

positive effects of RR on oral reading flu-

ency and reading comprehension.

Future RR research might examine wheth-

er immediate or delayed corrective feed-

back is more effective, which repeated

reading steps are the most effective, which

ordering of steps is the most effective, or

the difference (if any) of using a single text

vs. a text with high vocabulary overlap vs. a

text with the same/similar topic.

References

Kostewicz, D. E. (2012). Implementing systematic practice to build reading fluency via repeated

readings. The New England Reading Association Journal, 47(2), 80-81.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the

scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Washington,

D.C.: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Therrien, W. J., & Kubina, R. M., Jr. (2007). The importance of context in repeated reading.

Reading Improvement,44(4), 179-188.

Therrien, W. J., & Kubina, R. M., Jr. (2006). Developing reading fluency with repeated reading.

Intervention in School and Clinic, 41(3), 156-160.

7 8

Role-Play: Going Beyond the Curriculum

Simeon Flowers

Abstract

This essay seeks to provide a basic guide

for introducing role-play into the class-

room. It is directed toward language

teachers. It is by no means comprehen-

sive, but hopes to spark interest in the use

of role-play, and inspire further research

into proper application.

About the Author

Simeon Flowers has an educational back-

ground which includes drama study. His

pedagogical interests lie in collaborative

learning, project oriented learning, and

the drama method. As a language teach-

er, he has been using drama techniques

in the classroom since 2004.

要旨

本稿は、語学教師に向けたもので、授業にお

いてロールプレイを導入するための基本的な

ガイドである。包括的ではなく、ロールプレイ

を活用することへの関心を高め、今後のさら

なる研究、そして実践的応用へと繋げること

を目的とする。

Introduction

As teachers, we have all faced situations

where we must teach curriculum that is

not of our own design. At times this can

dampen our motivation for creative lesson

planning. This essay briefly describes role-

play in a language-learning context, and

provides a basic outline for implementing

role-play as an extension of institutionally

devised course material. Role-play comes

under the umbrella of the drama method:

a method which, when properly conduct-

ed provides many benefits including in-

creased cognitive engagement, increased

motivation, and increased confidence

(Daily, 2009; Dougill, 1987; Maley & Duff,

2005; Nolan & Patterson, 2000). Through

a little creative adaptation, role-play can

be included in a course agenda as a fluen-

cy exercise. The environment of role-play

is low-risk compared with the real-life sit-

uation it simulates which helps bridge the

gap between classroom learning and real-

life application.

Connecting to Course Objectives

Even when we have no control over the

course material we are using, we can de-

vise role-plays that connect to course ma-

terial. A list of required vocabulary may

be your starting place, or certain gram-

mar objectives. Perhaps content cov-

ered in a reading exercise is your inspi-

ration. Whatever the jumping-off point,

there are a few things to consider:

1. Will my role-play simulate a realistic sce-

nario providing practical experience?

2. Are there clear objectives for the

participants of the role-play?

3. How can I maximize student interac-

tion with the course material

through role-play?

Simeon Flowers - Role-Play

9 10


Deciding on a Scenario

A scenario is the larger environment in

which the role-play takes place. I believe

real life examples provide the best details

for role-play as they contain natural moti-

vations for the characters. Imagine trying

to create the dynamics of a political con-

flict without a real life political conflict to

imitate. Model United Nations is a role-

play which could not function without

real-world political problems for its par-

ticipants to solve. Even on a small scale,

role-play works best when the scenario it

simulates is taken from real life. The more

realistic the scenario, the more practical

the experience students can gain from

the activity.

Selecting Roles for a Role-Play

Effective role-play requires clear objec-

tives for its participants. The goal of us-

ing role-play in a language-learning en-

vironment is to increase communicative

ability. Roles should be accompanied

by clear objectives that require verbal

communication to achieve, and the objec-

tives should be juxtaposed so that nego-

tiation must take place. As an example,

take a salesperson and a potential cus-

tomer. The salesperson wants to sell their

product and make a profit while the cus-

tomer wants to purchase their shopping

list and still have money left over. This

simple principle of juxtaposed objec-

tives creates the motivation for the char-

acters of the role-play. It also contributes

to a game-like environment. This game-

like environment helps contribute to the

learning process by increasing student

motivation and directing the communica-

tive creativity of the participants.

Generating Materials

Generating materials for a role-play is

a major consideration. While there are

some excellent third-party simulations

which can be purchased for education-

al use, the likelihood of them matching

our course objectives is small. Therefore,

it may be necessary to create one’s own

materials. The advantage of teacher-

created materials is that they can be tai-

lored to specifically match course objec-

tives. The disadvantage is that they can

be quite time-consuming to make. An

interesting alternative is student-generat-

ed materials. Where applicable, student-

generated materials can contribute to the

learning process by providing an added

level of engagement. The very act of cre-

ating the materials requires reflection on

the issues which have inspired the role-

play to begin with.

Conducting the Role-Play Activity

If properly planned, the role-play itself

requires minimal teacher input. Before

the role-play, teacher duties include set-

ting up the room in a way that contrib-

utes to the activity, or dividing roles so

that a balance of power is maintained. If

students are creating their own materi-

als, you might provide a basic outline to

guide the language focus. However, to

maintain the student-centered aspect of

the activity, much of the details should be

left up to the students.

During the role-play itself, a timer might

be used to contribute to the game-like

factor of the activity and to help create a

sense of urgency which pushes the activity

along. Language issues will arise during

the activity, but this is good. For students

to discover their own weaknesses within

a communicative context creates a soft

sponge for them to absorb needed lin-

guistic items when later presented. Note

can be taken of frequent problem areas

to address at a later date; however, dur-

ing the activity it is important not to

point out mistakes, or provide too much

assistance. Role-play is a fluency activity;

reaching one’s objectives is the goal, and

communication in the target language

is the tool—focus should remain on the

goal, not the tool.

Simeon Flowers - Role-Play

11 12


Post role-play reflection contributes to the

learning process significantly by helping

to highlight important features of the ac-

tivity. Students can reflect on the variety

of ways their goals could be achieved or

even reflect on cultural issues. However,

focus should remain global: “How best

can I achieve my goal?” is a better ques-

tion for students to reflect on than “Was

my subject-verb agreement perfect?”

Conclusions

Role-play can be used to extend class-

room learning. Realistic scenarios provide

a background and context for creating the

juxtaposed objectives which fuel the activ-

ity. Material creation and post-activity re-

flection increases student engagement. As

a fluency exercise, role-play contributes to

a paradigm shift from form to function.

Properly devised role-play can be an excit-

ing and creative way for students to devel-

op useful communication skills.

References

Daily, M. I. (2009). Acting out: A one-year drama class to increase participation. The

Language Teacher, 33(12), 7-11.

Dougill, J. (1987). Drama Activities for Language Learning. London: Macmillan.

Maley, A., & Duff, A. (2005). Drama Techniques: A resource book of communication activities for

language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nolan, R. E., & Patterson, R. B. (2000). Curtains, lights: Using skits to teach English to

Spanish speaking adolescents and adults. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 44(1), 6-15.

13 14

Maximizing Learning Outcomes for University-level ELF Learners doing ICT-based Oral Presentations

Andrew Leichsenring

Abstract

Oral presentations are a common form

of summative assessment in tertiary level

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) syl-

labi. There will be an array of teaching

and learning elements to be considered

by a teacher in their set-up and execution

of an ICT-based oral presentation activity

that goes beyond having students stand

in front of a class group and talk about

a subject. Teaching effective oral pre-

sentation skills to university-level learn-

ers requires an understanding of how to

maximize learning opportunities to per-

suasively convey a message orally and vi-

sually to an audience.

要旨

オーラルプレゼンテーションは、高等教育の

EFLシラバスにおいて総括的評価の一項目

としてよく用いられる。そのプレゼンテーシ

ョンの形式として、視聴覚的なPowerPoint

などの Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) がよく利用される。しか

し、第二言語を学習している学生にとっては、

クラスの前に立ち発表をするというタスクだ

けでも挑戦的であるが、ICTsを同時に準備・

実行することは、更なる要素が加わることにな

る。つまり、教員にとって指導すべき教育的・

学習的要素が増えると言える。大学生のプレ

ゼンテーションは、聴衆に口頭だけでなく視

覚的にも説得力を持って伝えることが要求さ

れる。教員はそれを指導する為に、学習をどう

広げられるかを理解することが重要である。

本稿では、高等教育でのPowerPointを活用し

たプレゼンテーションによる学習成果を効率

化させる為の主な要素を見出し、討論する。

About the Author

Andrew has been teaching for 18 years

in Australia, Japan and South Korea. He

is a qualified Elementary School teach-

er and is in his second decade of teach-

ing at the tertiary level. His research inter-

ests include: Constructivist Learning; L2

Learning Anxieties; Professional Learning

Communities; Sociocultural Learning;

Student Learning Outcomes; and Teacher

Education. Currently, he is completing a

Doctor of Philosophy in Education and en-

joys bettering his teaching practice and en-

gaging in Education Research.

Introduction

The maximization of learning outcomes

from doing an ICT-based (Information

and Communication Technologies) oral

presentation is strongly influenced by

both an EFL teacher’s facilitation of a

presentation activity and the learners’ un-

derstanding of the presenter’s role. This

article identifies and details key consid-

erations which can make the journey of

doing an oral presentation a richer and

more effective learning experience for

teacher and learner alike.

Teacher Expectations

A presentation activity can be a valu-

able learning experience for learners

and their teacher has a significant role to

play in achieving this end. Presentation

activities require a soundly structured

and defined set-up in order for learners

to gain maximum learning advantage.

Andrew Leichsenring - Maximizing Learning Outcomes

15 16


Presentations provide an opportunity for

learners to construct information and

then communicate that information to an

audience. It is important for a teacher to

be clear about what is to be conveyed to

the learners about assessment, structural

requirements, and skills to be developed

and mastered by the learners. Guiding

questions can assist a teacher in organiz-

ing his/her expectations for the facilita-

tion of a presentation activity, some sug-

gestions include:

• What is the purpose of the presenta-

tion (informative, demonstrative, or

persuasive)?

• What do I want my students to learn

from doing a presentation?

• How can I best prepare my students

to present?

• Do the presentation evaluation crite-

ria match what is to be learned?

• Is each presentation to be done indi-

vidually or in a group?

Pre-activity reflection can be used by a

teacher as a mechanism to support stu-

dent learning when preparing for and ex-

ecuting a presentation.

Interactivity in an ICT-based

Oral Presentation

ICTs can be used to either transmit in-

formation in virtually a stand-alone mode

or as an interactive aid for a presenter in

order to convey information and respond

to an audience. In the case of the latter,

the role of a presenter may be thought

of as a facilitator and, in part, a conduit

for the flow of information between the

ICT-based media and an audience. Using

a PowerPoint slide presentation as one ex-

ample of an ICT, a teacher can illustrate

how an audience may view a presenter,

and we can think about the relation-

ship between a presenter, an audience,

and ICT-based media as taking place via

a flow of information, as suggested in

Figure 1. Characteristically in this flow of

information, a presenter can be viewed as

a facilitator of how an audience relates to

information being shared through ICT-

based media. At times, an audience may

focus on a presenter or the slides but not

on both at the same time. Looking at

Figure 1, a presenter can use ICT-based

media to maximize his/her communica-

tion with an audience. The audience re-

ceives information from the presenter’s

spoken communication and/or the slides.

The audience members process the infor-

mation and react. The presenter then ob-

serves any audience reactions and has the

option to gauge appropriate responses,

such as, providing more detail, clarify-

ing what has been said, inviting questions

from the audience, or moving on to the

next part of the presentation. By viewing

themselves as facilitators and conduits of

a flow of information, presenters can uti-

lize ICTs to a great advantage in reaching

their audience.

Figure 1: Information Flow

Learner expectations about doing pre-

sentations can be shaped by past ex-

periences of presenting or an absence

thereof. Learners may have varied per-

ceptions based on these experiences or

a lack of them. Consequently, they may

have worries about presenting in front

of an audience. Anxieties may relate to

language, performance, social consid-

erations or other issues. In the case of

using an L2, language anxiety can af-

fect EFL learners when performing oral

tasks. When EFL learners perform oral

tasks, language anxiety issues arise as a

result of communication apprehension,


Presenter ICT-basedcontent

Audience

17 18


social evaluation, and competition among

learners (Cutrone, 2009; Hounsell &

McCune, 2003). Furthermore, learner ex-

periences of doing oral presentations can

be influenced, specifically, by (Hounsell

& McCune, 2003):

• prior experiences of presenting;

• teacher’s guidance and support;

• learners’ experiences of giving pre-

sentations and managing post-talk

questions, comments and discussion;

• teacher’s feedback;

• and learning from other learners’

presentations.

However, through a teacher’s facilitation

of effective preparation, practice, and

feedback, many anxieties that influence a

learner’s perception and performance of

presenting can be managed.

Teacher Modeling

Once the basic framework for the pre-

sentation activity has been set-up, then

the next step could be for the teacher to

lead by example and show the learners

how to conduct their presentation. If the

teacher is confident that his/her learn-

ers are capable of performing based on

their experiences of doing presentations

and/or their sound oral proficiency in us-

ing English, then perhaps this step can

be passed over. However, the teacher still

needs to brief his/her learners careful-

ly about key presentation points such as

timing, structure, tips on using graphics,

and core skills. Additionally, core skills

can be practiced in classroom-based in-

formal mini-activities. Honing presenta-

tion specifics such as eye contact, posture,

gestures, volume and voice inflections,

among others, can be done during class

time with feedback provided by the teach-

er or other learners.

Summative Assessment

Assessment criteria needs to be formu-

lated and communicated to learners at the

beginning of a presentation activity. As

evidenced in Table 1, this evaluation sheet

guides teaching and learning objectives for

a presentation activity. The establishment of

clear assessment guidelines prior to learn-

ers preparing for their presentations en-

ables the teacher to provide pre- and post-

presentation feedback more effectively.

Feedback could be delivered in

the form of constructive commentary in

either paired or group settings. It can be

advantageous to utilize the same struc-

ture and the same or similar skills catego-

ries so that learners can easily understand

the evaluation criteria the next time they

perform a presentation in class.

Summary

There is a range of teaching and learn-

ing elements that require a teacher’s

careful consideration for the set-up and

execution of an oral presentation activity.

The presenter’s role in maximizing the

interactivity of the information flow from

ICT-based media to an audience in oral

presentations is also significant.

Name: Topic: Score total:0 = poor1 = average2 = success

Comments

Comments & Timing

Posture Visual Aids Eye Contact GesturesVolume & Inflection

Questions & Answers

0 1 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 0 1 2

Table 1: Evaluation sheet


19 20

References

Cutrone, P. (2009). Overcoming Japanese EFL Leaner’s Fear of Speaking. University of Reading

Language Studies Working Papers, 1, 55-63.

Hounsell, D. & McCune, V. (2003). Students’ experiences of learning to present. In Rust,

C., ed. Improving Student Learning Theory and Practice – Ten Years On. Proceedings of the

Tenth International Symposium on Improving Student Learning, Brussels, 2002.

Oxford: CSLD.

Speed Pairing—encouraging oral output with a fluency-based speaking activity

Mika Nelson

Abstract

Speed Pairing (SP) is a fluency-building

speaking activity that I have created. How

to conduct the survey, the pros and cons

of the activity, and the positive feedback

from survey results taken by students are

discussed in this article. This activity has

proven to be successful in a Japanese lan-

guage classroom context, where the fear

of making mistakes causes difficulty in

the students’ performance of oral fluency.

About the author

Mika Nelson is a Japanese-American

bilingual, born in the US and raised in

Japan. Mika has always been fascinated

with language and culture. She has trav-

eled to over 15 countries and has lived

in Japan, the US, France, and Korea.

Teaching is her passion and it gives her

much joy to help students broaden their

opportunities in life through English.

要旨

スピード・ペアリングは著者が生み出した流

暢に英語を話せる様になる為のアクティビテ

ィである。本稿では教師がどのように授業で

このアクティビティを行うかの説明、スピー

ド・ペアリングの長所と短所、さらに学生アン

ケートでの肯定的な結果を考察する。日本で

は言語の誤りを恐れるせいで流暢に英語を話

す事が難しいと思われている中、成功率が高

いと思われるアクティビティを紹介する。

21 22


Introduction

Encouraging oral fluency in a language

classroom is a challenge for language ed-

ucators in Japan. In this article, I would

like to explore an activity that I have cre-

ated, Speed Pairing. This paper will ex-

plain how to conduct the activity, weigh

the pros and cons, discuss why I believe it

works, and review feedback from students

concerning this activity.

Speed Pairing (SP), as its name suggests,

is an activity where students pair up, per-

form a speaking activity, quickly switch

partners to pair up with another student,

and then repeat the process a number of

times. This results in students being able

to fluently produce oral output by the end

of the activity.

Speed Pairing: the Process

Let’s look at how to conduct SP. First,

students are handed questions for a spe-

cific topic, and are allowed time to qui-

etly write down their answers individually.

For advanced-level students, this first step

of writing down answers may be skipped.

After everybody has written down their

answers, with possible follow-up ques-

tions, students are then seated next to

each other in pairs. If there is an odd

number of students, one student may pair

up with the teacher, or one group can al-

ways have three students.

Second, you set a time limit for the pairs

to ask and answer their questions. The

ideal time for the first few tries is two

minutes. Third, after the time has run

out, you ask the students to switch part-

ners. The teacher then directs half of the

students to move one seat away, resulting

in everybody with a new partner. This is

repeated until students have come full

circle. The time allotted for each pair

should gradually be reduced, with the last

pair being roughly one minute. Reducing

the time allotted for each pair is impor-

tant for fluency because as each student

practices asking and answering the same

questions repeatedly, they should be able

to increase oral output with fluency and

decrease the time they spend thinking

of what to say. By the end, students have

had many chances to practice asking and

answering their questions and should be

able to fluently talk about the topic.

Speed Pairing: the Pros and Cons

There are many pros for this activity. The

most obvious is that students have the op-

portunity to talk to most students in the

class in a stress-free environment, creat-

ing a positive and friendly atmosphere.

Since the classroom is fairly loud during

this activity, students are not so worried

about making mistakes and feeling em-

barrassed. Also, with a time limit, stu-

dents are encouraged to focus on fluency

and are forced to produce output quickly.

With repetition, students gradually ask

and answer questions with increasing

ease after each switch. Students are also

able to ask confirmation questions to

their partners if they are not sure about

something concerning the activity or if

they do not understand the initial ques-

tions in the handout, but were reluctant

to ask the teacher in class. Lastly, the act

of standing up, sitting down, and interact-

ing with different students in a short peri-

od of time generally helps students enjoy

class. Positive experiences by students in

the classroom are connected to motiva-

tion (Dörnyei, 2001).

There are, however, some cons to this ac-

tivity. The most notable is that some stu-

dents strongly dislike switching seats be-

cause it is too much trouble to stand up

and sit down every minute or so. Also,

depending on the layout and size of the

classroom, it may be difficult for students

to move around freely and quickly.

Mika Nelson - Speed Pairing

23 24


Student Feedback

In my experience, SP has worked suc-

cessfully with all proficiency levels. The

language in this activity can be tightly

controlled for lower proficiency levels,

and can be uncontrolled and open for

elaboration for higher proficiency levels.

With this high level of interaction, stu-

dents tend to become friendlier and gen-

erally more helpful with each other even

in activities not related to SP, according to

my own personal observations.

In the fall semester of 2013, I asked a to-

tal of 148 students to participate in a sur-

vey about SP. First- and second-year stu-

dents answered questions on a 5-point

scale. Table 1 shows some of the results

from the survey.

Students were also encouraged to com-

ment about SP, and 30 students (20%)

wrote specifically that they enjoyed talk-

ing to many students that they otherwise

wouldn’t have had the opportunity to talk

to, and 2) 5 students (3%) wrote it was tir-

ing switching seats.

Conclusions

In a country such as Japan, where fear

of making mistakes plays a dominant role

in preventing fluency (Cutrone, 2009),

Speed Pairing is an activity that has prov-

en to be successful in my experience.

Generally speaking, most students enjoyed

Speed Pairing; students felt they were

able to speak English more fluently by the

end of the activity; and, students wanted

the class to have Speed Pairing activities

more regularly. The pros exceedingly out-

weighed the cons, and in my opinion, a

foreign language classroom with happy

students who are willing to speak is the

ultimate goal for any speaking class.

Table 1

Results of the Speed Pairing Survey

Survey Statement Average Score

Speed Pairing is fun. 4.3

I was able to use English without worrying about being judged by others.

4.0

It was fun talking to many classmates. 4.1

Repetition was tiring. 2.5

I didn’t like switching seats so often. 2.6

Note: 1 = I completely disagree; 2 = I disagree; 3 = I neither agree or disagree; 4 = I agree; 5 = I totally agree

Mika Nelson - Speed Pairing

25 26

References

Cutrone, P. (2009). Overcoming Japanese EFL Learners’ Fear of Speaking. Language Studies

Working Papers, 1, 55-63. Retrieved from

http://naosite.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10069/28554/1/LSWP_1_55.pdf

Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Integrating the 4Cs of 21st Century Skills into EFL Project-Based Learning activities for beginner level college students

Yuri Jody Yujobo

Abstract

This paper focuses on the integration of

the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning Skills

(collaboration, critical thinking, creativity,

communication) with EFL project-based

learning (PBL) approaches to beginner

proficiency level students in Japanese uni-

versities. The 4Cs are the essential skills

for deeper levels of thinking and produc-

es self-directed learners. American K-12

education reform advocates the impor-

tance of the 4Cs for 21st century success

in college, life, and work. Although this is

a U.S. based cross-curricular K-12 frame-

work, through PBL, it will prepare Japa-

nese students to successfully face English

higher education coursework and help

them to succeed beyond the classroom.

要旨

社会的適応能力の重要性は米国における教

育改革の中心にある。その中で、21世紀型ス

キルの「4Cs」が特に教育改革で注目されて

いる。4Csのスキルはクリティカルシンキング

（批判的思考力）、クリエイティビティ（創造

性）、コミュニケーション能力とコラボレーシ

ョンの能力で構成されている。これらのスキ

ルは全科目に亘り、一人一人の考える力と自

発的に学ぶ力を高め、大学、日常生活、将来

の仕事に大きく役立つと言われている。まだ

4Csを本格的に取り入れているEFLプログラ

ムが少なく、なじみが薄いことから、本稿で

は、大学一年生初級レベルの授業において

4Csをプロジェクト・べース・ラーニングの学

生中心型スタイルに上手く取り込む方法を紹

介する。

27 28


About

Yuri Jody Yujobo joined the teaching staff

at Tamagawa University in 2013. Prior to

teaching university students, she focused

on corporate English training while work-

ing as an HRD program coordinator at

Fuji Xerox Learning Institute. She man-

aged and taught intercultural communi-

cations, business English programs and

study/work abroad programs. She later

moved to California to teach literacy to

ESL children and also lived in Sydney,

Australia before returning to Japan to

teach EFL. Her research interests include

project-based learning, service-learning,

studying abroad, and teaching the 4Cs.

Introduction

Integrating collaboration, critical think-

ing, creativity, and communication, known

as the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning (Part-

nership for 21st Century Skills, 2007) into

Japanese higher education derives from

the teacher’s mission to prepare students

with transferable skills beyond the class-

room. This comes timely as Japan’s Minis-

try of Education, Culture, Sports, Science

and Technology (MEXT) made revisions

to the English expression objectives in

the Course of Study Guidelines for Senior

High Schools which reads: “To further en-

hance students’ abilities to evaluate facts,

opinions from multiple perspectives and

communicate through reasoning and a

range of expressions, while fostering a

positive attitude toward communication

through the English language” (MEXT,

2009). This is aligned with the 4Cs of 21st

Century Learning framework as current

U.S. senior high school graduates are by-

products of the 2009 grassroots initiative

designed to create a set of core education

standards (Paine & Schleicher, 2011) ad-

opted by 45 states as the Common Core

State Standards (CCSS).

In order to foster the 4Cs of 21st Century

Learning skills into Japanese EFL higher

learning, three key questions need to be

addressed. First, what is the relevance of

the K-12 focused standards of the CCSS

and 21st Century Learning Skills to EFL

classes in Japan? Second, what is an ef-

fective approach to teach the 4Cs in EFL

classes? Third, what level of English profi-

ciency would benefit most from the 4Cs?

CCSS and 21st Century

Learning Skills

Research on CCSS and the 4Cs of 21st

Learning Skills is still limited in Japan.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

(2011), a coalition of top businesses, edu-

cation policy makers, NPO’s, and advo-

cates for “student readiness in the high-

skill and workforce-ready curricula, offers

tools to support education leaders in

implementing CCSS within P21’s compre-

hensive framework”.

Although CCSS is an American-based

K-12 framework, it is relevant to Japanese

higher education because the Common

Core State Standards Initiative (2012)

acknowledges English language learners

(ELL) and sets the same high expecta-

tions in the areas of speaking, listening,

reading, and writing, which are the foun-

dation for any creative and purposeful

expression in language. This in turn al-

lows students to negotiate in situations

outside of academic settings so they are

able to participate on equal footing with

native English speakers in all aspects of

social, economic, and civic endeavors.

EFL educators in Japan need to help their

students develop the 4Cs skills in order to

equip them with the tools needed in glob-

al higher education.

Yuri Jody Yujobo - Integrating the 4C’s

29 30


PBL Implementation

Project-based learning (PBL) and tech-

nology has transformed classroom learn-

ing style. “The landscape of American

education in the 21st century is rapidly

changing from a traditional, fact-based

curriculum to a project-based learning

environment as students go through an

extended process of inquiry in response

to a complex question, problem, or chal-

lenge” (Holden, 2011). PBL functions as a

“bridge between using English in class in

real-life situations and support the frame-

work that focus on a deep understanding

of the Common Core”, (Buck Institute of

Education, n.d).

An EFL textbook can be used as a spring-

board to identify topic areas, student in-

terests, and issues. “The curriculum is not

textbook-driven, but is thematic, project-

based and integrated. Skills and content

are not taught as an end in themselves,

but students learn them through their re-

search and application in their projects”

(21st Century Schools, n.d). This is an ex-

ample of a PBL for a chapter on “future

energy sources” decided on by student

input: Our team will invent a concept for

a university-wide transportation system

that runs on alternative energy sources.

The class is divided into small teams and

uses the Internet for research and then

consolidates their individual findings to

generate creativity and testing of ideas

through problem-solving to deeper lev-

els of critical thinking. Students “learn

that they need skills to plan, organize,

negotiate, make their points, and arrive

at a consensus about issues…who will be

responsible for each task, and how infor-

mation will be researched and presented”

(Moss & Van Duzer, 1998, p.1). Finally,

each team prepares a final presentation

and is assessed from several angles includ-

ing teacher-evaluation, peer-evaluation,

and self-reflection.

Starting PBL early

An EFL project of this caliber may seem

too challenging for first year, lower profi-

ciency levels and intentionally delayed un-

til further development of language skills.

However, these students actually benefit

more due to their timely need for college

readiness skills, motivation, and the col-

laborative nature of PBL, which leads to

the “development of skills even among

learners of low levels of language profi-

ciency” (Moss & Van Duzer, 1998, p.2).

This is because, as Wrigley (1998) points

out, at “all proficiency levels, every aspect

of project-based learning feeds into what

Krashen has called the language acquisi-

tion device, the ability of the brain to ac-

quire a second language through mean-

ingful input and expression”. Finally, a

study by Bagheri, Ali, Abdulla and Daud

(2013) concluded that PBL, as opposed

to traditional classroom style, naturally

increases students’ motivation to learn

and that the process of PBL paves the way

for development of self-directed learning

skills among learners in higher education

contexts. Opportunities to transfer these

essential learning skills should not be

postponed any further.

Conclusion

Although MEXT made promising shifts

toward implementing deeper thinking

and radical reform to communicative ap-

proaches for senior high school, change

will be slow. The “Ministry has attempted

to implement communicative approaches

over the last two decades. It appears to be

difficult for the Ministry to change its poli-

cies promptly and implement them. There

remains a big gap between the stated poli-

cies and what is actually done in the class-

room” (Tahira, 2012, p.3). Therefore, uni-

versity teachers should not wait until senior

high school graduates are delivered to

the university doorstep. In light of the re-

search findings in CCSS, and the benefits

of incorporating the 4Cs of 21st Century

Learning into EFL curricula, teachers can

Yuri Jody Yujobo - Integrating the 4C’s

31 32 33

References

make monumental differences preparing

Japanese university students to successful-

ly face rigorous higher education English

coursework, life challenges and prepare

them with 21st century skills to enter the

globally competitive workforce.

Bagheri, M., Ali, W.Z.W., Abdullah, M.C.B., & Daud, S.M. (2013). Effects of Project-based

Learning Strategy on Self-directed Learning Skills of Educational Technology Students. Con-

temporary Educational Technology, 4(1). Retrieved from

http://www.cedtech.net/articles/41/412.pdf

Buck Institute of Education (BIE) (n.d.). Project Based Learning for the 21st Century.

Retrieved from http://www.bie.org/about/

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative. (2012). Application of Common Core State Stan-

dards for English Language Learners. Retrieved from

http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards

Holden, E. (2011). Mineola High School Principal Discusses Project Based Learning. Mineola

American. Retrieved from

http://www.antonnews.com/mineolaamerican/68-mineolanews/19931-mineola-high-school-

principal-discusses-project-based-learning.html

MEXT. (2009). Koutougakkou gakushu shidou yoryo gaikokugo [Study of course guidelines for

foreign languages in senior high schools; English version]. Retrieved from

http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/new-cs/youryou/eiyaku/__icsFiles/afield-

file/2012/10/24/1298353_3.pdf

Moss, D., & Van Duzer, C. (1998). Project-Based Learning for Adult English Language Learn-

ers. ERIC Digest, ED427556. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED427556

From the Editor

A Chara

Issue 4 marks an exciting evolution for

JSCE. In Volume 1, as Editor, I provided

content for each issue as well as recruit-

ing potential Contributors. In Volume 2,

we expanded our pool of Contributors

through joining events with other organi-

zations. In Volume 3, those relationships

led to truly collaborative issues, with Issue

Editors controlling the timescales and

workflow for their issue. In Volume 4, we

can see previous Issue Editors as evange-

lists for JSCE.

Issue 4, was conceived by Brett Milliner,

in association with Travis Cote, Mitsuko

Imai and the other Contributors. They

formed a working group to achieve a pro-

fessional goal. JSCE simply provided a

forum for their work. My sincere thanks

to Brett, Travis, Mitsuko, Dawn, Simeon,

Andrew, Mika and Yuri for a great issue.

Le Méas

We want your contribution

さいたま市教育家会ジャーナル ( JSCE) is

primarily a forum for professional develop-

ment. Our goal is to help serious (but not

solemn) like-minded people to form work-

ing groups to achieve professional goals.

We do not have a paid membership model.

We also welcome opportunities to collabo-

rate with groups or organizations. If you

have a specific goal, such as finding a uni-

versity teaching position, we want to work

with you to help you achieve it. If you have

a more general interest in professional de-

velopment we want to provide you with var-

ied opportunities. If you have an idea for a

project we want to get involved. We think

that by working together, under the aegis

of an organization, we benefit each other

by association.

To find out more, or get involved, please

contact John at:

[email protected]

Paine, S.L., & Schleicher, A. (2011). What the U.S. can learn from the world’s most successful

education reform efforts [Policy paper]. Retrieved from

http://www.mcgrawhillresearchfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/pisa-intl-

competitiveness.pdf

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2011). P21 common core toolkit: A Guide to aligning the

common core state standards with the framework for 21st century skills. Retrieved from

http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21CommonCoreToolkit.pdf

Tahira, M. (2012). Behind MEXT’s new Course of Study Guidelines. The Language Teacher,

36(3). Retrieved from

http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/articles/1527-behind-mexts-new-course-study-guidelines

21st Century Schools. (n.d). What is 21st Century Education? Retrieved from

http://www.21stcentury schools.com/what is 21st century education.htm

Wrigley, H.S. (1998). Knowledge in Action: The Promise of Project-Based Learning. Focus on

Basics. National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, 2(D). Retrieved from

http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=384.html

Documents

Volume 4, Issue 4