Papers by Christopher Samuell
The delivery of second language (L2) curriculum has experienced a transformation over the last se... more The delivery of second language (L2) curriculum has experienced a transformation over the last several decades as its focus has evolved from simply understanding the mechanics of an L2 to improving communicative competences. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has emerged as a prominent approach in L2 classrooms around the world, and Japan is no exception. Despite the criticisms often associated with CLT that it ignores grammatical foundations, rarely generates "realworld" output, and is not practical for various entrance exams the authors of this report argue that it can play a crucial role in the development of students' L2 abilities, especially in Japan. Using scaffolding techniques with traditional grammar translation approaches to teaching an L2, instructors are increasingly embracing elements of CLT that are required for successful crosscultural interactions and hosting major international events, such as the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Deleted Journal, Jun 13, 2024
阪南論集 社会科学編 Vol. 59 No. 1, 2023
With Globalization continuing at an ever-increasing pace, the government and universities in Japa... more With Globalization continuing at an ever-increasing pace, the government and universities in Japan are striving to find ways to foster intercultural communication in Japanese students to stay competitive and integrate into global marketplaces. To this end, many universities offer students the opportunity to participate in Study abroad (SA) programs, with the hope that participation in such programs will cultivate jinzai-or internationalized human resources capable of taking active roles in international markets. Yet, there remains little research on the efficacy of SA programs with regard to Japanese students, especially after they return to Japan. This paper proposes a study to explore how participation in an SA program affects Japanese students' linguistic ability, and if improved linguistic ability affects attitudes towards intercultural communication. The study proposes a sequential exploratory mixed method design consisting of pre-and post-departure qualitative interviews, and quantitative language tests. Through the use of a mixed methods research design, it is hoped that a study using this methodology can gain a greater insight into the student' s lived experiences, while also generating quantifiable test data to ascertain if there exists a link between students' linguistic improvements during their time on an SA program and their attitudes towards intercultural communication.
Language and Intercultural Communication
The relationship between concepts of 'native-speakerism', English language educat... more The relationship between concepts of 'native-speakerism', English language education and their effects on local stakeholders are continually evolving. As such, this paper critically analysed nativespeakerist ideologies in the Japanese EFL teaching context with the aim of illustrating the complicated nature of native-speakerism as it currently exists. The findings of the review show that native-speakerism and associated ideologies can be seen in various aspects of ELT and ELL. Private English language teaching sectors, as well as higher educational institutions appear to employ elements of nativespeakerism, such as the native-speaker fallacy, to the detriment of both native speakers and non-native speakers alike.
Language and Intercultural Communication, 2023
The relationship between concepts of 'native-speakerism', English language education and their ef... more The relationship between concepts of 'native-speakerism', English language education and their effects on local stakeholders are continually evolving. As such, this paper critically analysed nativespeakerist ideologies in the Japanese EFL teaching context with the aim of illustrating the complicated nature of native-speakerism as it currently exists. The findings of the review show that native-speakerism and associated ideologies can be seen in various aspects of ELT and ELL. Private English language teaching sectors, as well as higher educational institutions appear to employ elements of nativespeakerism, such as the native-speaker fallacy, to the detriment of both native speakers and non-native speakers alike.
Current Issues in Language Planning
The delivery of second language (L2) curriculum has experienced a transformation over the last se... more The delivery of second language (L2) curriculum has experienced a transformation over the last several decades as its focus has evolved from simply understanding the mechanics of an L2 to improving communicative competences. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has emerged as a prominent approach in L2 classrooms around the world, and Japan is no exception. Despite the criticisms often associated with CLT that it ignores grammatical foundations, rarely generates "realworld" output, and is not practical for various entrance exams the authors of this report argue that it can play a crucial role in the development of students' L2 abilities, especially in Japan. Using scaffolding techniques with traditional grammar translation approaches to teaching an L2, instructors are increasingly embracing elements of CLT that are required for successful crosscultural interactions and hosting major international events, such as the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
The impact of multimedia on our everyday lives is profound whether consuming news, watching video... more The impact of multimedia on our everyday lives is profound whether consuming news, watching video, listening to music, reading print, or being exposed to advertisements, we are continually interacting with media in one of its forms. Given such focused contact, it is apparent that media can exert an acute impact on the manner by which populations comprehend sociocultural phenomena. In
Pedagogy, Culture & Society
阪南論集, 2021
Reesor (2003) contends that "for many years, Japan has been held up as a poster child for industr... more Reesor (2003) contends that "for many years, Japan has been held up as a poster child for industrialized countries that have been largely unsuccessful in regards to English language education" (Reesor, 2003, p. 57). This claim is supported by the 2019 TOEFL iBT test and score data summary(TOEFL 2020) , which saw Japan ranked 27 th of the 29 the countries listed under the'Asia'category. Reesor(2003, p. 57)suggests that attitudinal factors affect how English is perceived in Japan; thus, attitudes towards English could be one possible reason for Japan' s difficulty with EFL learning. Therefore, this paper explored the relationship between attitudes and language learning, and how this may affect English language learning (ELL) in Japan. By carrying out a literature review on the topic of attitudes and ELL it was determined that a connection between attitudes and ELL success does exist in Japan. Several factors were identified as important in terms of the formation of attitudes towards English in Japan. These included education, English for communicative purposes, Japanese cultural factors, and goals. It was concluded that although the paper clearly demonstrates a link between attitudes towards English and ELL success in Japan, further research is needed to fully address a number of the issues raised throughout the paper.
This pilot study sought to reveal identity-related conceptualizations of EFL use in Japanese medi... more This pilot study sought to reveal identity-related conceptualizations of EFL use in Japanese media by employing a hermeneutic-constructivist process in which meaning emerged via the interdependence of researcher and subject. Specifically, the impetus of this small-scale qualitative inquiry was consideration of the potential negative impact of Japanese media on local ELL motivation-seeking to answer how ELT practitioners perceive comedic English use in Japanese media, and hypothesize what, if any, effect it exerts on ELL engagement rates within Japan. Research findings indicate that the majority of participants view the normalized form of EFL presented by local media as sustaining adverse effects on local perceptions of English-with the comedic usage of EFL thus recognized as potentially demotivating to local ELL participation. Nevertheless, researchers advise caution if attempting to develop the findings presented here beyond their original intention given the narrow scope of resear...
OnCUE Journal, 2020
Team-taught classes are becoming increasingly commonplace in a variety of formal learning environ... more Team-taught classes are becoming increasingly commonplace in a variety of formal learning environments throughout Japan. In fact, as of 2018, Japanese schools retained as many as 23,857 Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) to deliver English as a foreign language (EFL) content, with this number set to increase as English has become an official subject for fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students as of April 2020. It is thus paramount that both effective and ineffective team-teaching dynamics are comprehended in order to facilitate successful language acquisition at all educational levels. It is for this reason that a comprehensive review of the literature on the current situation of team teaching in Japan was carried out.
Humanities Review, 2019
The delivery of second language (L2) curriculum has experienced a transformation over the last se... more The delivery of second language (L2) curriculum has experienced a transformation over the last several decades as its focus has evolved from simply understanding the mechanics of an L2 to improving communicative competences. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has emerged as a prominent approach in L2 classrooms around the world, and Japan is no exception. Despite the criticisms often associated with CLT that it ignores grammatical foundations, rarely generates "realworld" output, and is not practical for various entrance exams the authors of this report argue that it can play a crucial role in the development of students' L2 abilities, especially in Japan. Using scaffolding techniques with traditional grammar translation approaches to teaching an L2, instructors are increasingly embracing elements of CLT that are required for successful crosscultural interactions and hosting major international events, such as the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Background of CLT
Kwansei Gakuin University Annual Research Report, 2019
This paper outlines the benefits of using authentic reading materials in English as a Foreign Lan... more This paper outlines the benefits of using authentic reading materials in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom settings. It begins by discussing the importance of the text selection process, before moving on to how schema theory can be of value in the
successful exploitation of authentic reading materials. It also provides a number of activities that may be used in conjunction with authentic reading materials, as well as justification for each activity, and instruction for teachers on how to use each activity. The authors posit that the use of authentic reading materials can lead to increased learner motivation, by facilitating successful learning experiences with materials designed for native speakers. The authenticity of the materials also provides students with the opportunity to interact with varieties of English that they may not encounter in traditional
textbooks or EFL materials.
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Papers by Christopher Samuell
successful exploitation of authentic reading materials. It also provides a number of activities that may be used in conjunction with authentic reading materials, as well as justification for each activity, and instruction for teachers on how to use each activity. The authors posit that the use of authentic reading materials can lead to increased learner motivation, by facilitating successful learning experiences with materials designed for native speakers. The authenticity of the materials also provides students with the opportunity to interact with varieties of English that they may not encounter in traditional
textbooks or EFL materials.
successful exploitation of authentic reading materials. It also provides a number of activities that may be used in conjunction with authentic reading materials, as well as justification for each activity, and instruction for teachers on how to use each activity. The authors posit that the use of authentic reading materials can lead to increased learner motivation, by facilitating successful learning experiences with materials designed for native speakers. The authenticity of the materials also provides students with the opportunity to interact with varieties of English that they may not encounter in traditional
textbooks or EFL materials.