- Classes
- Discussion, Writing, Reading, Communication, Interactive English
- Area of Study
- 英語教育
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1
授業紹介
Discussion
Students in my Discussion class do a lot of thinking and speaking. We discuss issues related to culture, identity, values and social problems. Our class is connected with a college in New York, and so each student has a partner in the USA. Students make a video of themselves speaking English and Japanese, and then exchange videos with their partner. Their partner in the USA also speaks English and Japanese. In this way, students can learn real, practical English, and also make a friend overseas.
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2
研究紹介
Assessment
I have been researching assessment for the past few years. I’m interested in the question, “How can tests improve student learning?” Very often, students study just so that they can pass a test. This is called JUKEN EIGO in Japanese. But I hope to make tests more practical and more connected to the real world, so that by studying for a test, you are actually learning useful skills that can be applied in daily life and work. I think it’s very effective to assess English ability by performance tasks (such as role plays, presentations, portfolios, etc.) rather than paper-and-pencil tests.
Column
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I started studying Japanese when I was in high school, because I thought that Japan was so cool. I loved ninjas and sushi and manga and Japanese pop culture. I did a homestay in Tokyo for 2 months, and it was a wonderful experience for me. It was so exciting to actually use the language I learned in school, and to communicate with people in Japanese. Even now, I am still studying Japanese. Recently I’ve been using a flashcard app on my iPhone to learn kanji. I really recommend flashcard apps as a good way to study. Now I know about 2000 kanji.
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I was born in Australia, and I grew up in Melbourne. Melbourne is the most liveable city in the world, because it has so many parks, a beautiful beach, fashionable cafes and lots of art and culture. When I was 18 years old, I went backpacking through Asia and Europe, and visited about 20 countries. It was a wonderful experience. Backpacking is a great way to learn about yourself, as well as experience different cultures and different ways of thinking. I encourage all university students to travel and see the world. After you graduate from university and get a job, you probably won’t have a chance to go travelling for a long time. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.