In-House Journal Papers by Carey Finn
New Directions in Teaching and Learning English Discussion, Volume 2 , 2014
Using notes kept as part of a teaching journal, this short paper looks at a significantly and exc... more Using notes kept as part of a teaching journal, this short paper looks at a significantly and exceptionally "troublesome" English discussion class-one that was markedly different from the instructor's other classes. After highlighting the connection between classroom management, discipline and teacher stress, the paper outlines the major issues that arose in the class and the impact they had on both the instructor and students over the course of a semester. Then, considering ideas of group cohesion, individual stresses, motivation and different learning techniques, the paper examines possible reasons for the problems, which were largely behavioural. The instructor's responses and attempted remedial actions, and the results thereof, are detailed. Potential solutions are then explored, taking various classroom management and discipline strategies into account.
New Directions in Teaching and Learning English Discussion, Volume 3, 2015
The teaching of critical thinking skills in the EFL context is a controversial issue. Many instru... more The teaching of critical thinking skills in the EFL context is a controversial issue. Many instructors oppose the idea on the grounds that such skills are not necessary in foreign or second language classrooms. Others disagree, arguing that critical thinking is an integral part of communication and learning. A source of consternation is the frequency with which university students in freshman English discussion classes fail to critically engage with the topics and content of the lessons. Drawing on theories of critical pedagogy and guided by principles of meaningful learning and learner autonomy, I explore simple activities that show promise in remedying the above and can be performed within the limitations of a unified curriculum. I detail the logic, structure and adaptability of these activities after discussing teaching principles and situating my study within the relevant literature and existing research on the development of critical thinking skills in the EFL field.
Conference Proceedings by Carey Finn
The Asian Conference on Media & Mass Communication 2015 Official Conference Proceedings, 2015
This paper presents the preliminary findings of a study into the reporting of the 2011 Fukushima ... more This paper presents the preliminary findings of a study into the reporting of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan's two major English-language newspapers. Coverage in the print editions of The Japan Times and The Daily Yomiuri (now The Japan News) between 11 March and 12 May 2011 was examined to determine, primarily, whether it could be said to have been alarming, reassuring, or relatively balanced and neutral. This assessment was undertaken in response to conflicting criticisms that the media was sensationalizing the nuclear crisis while the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the utility in charge of the Fukushima nuclear plant, were downplaying the severity of the situation. A mixed-method content analysis, with both a quantitative coding component and a qualitative critical discourse analysis component, was used in the study and data meeting and going beyond the primary research objective were obtained. This paper focuses on findings pertaining to the framing of the nuclear crisis, use of sources, keywords, representation of the energy and political authorities involved, and the reporting of radiation information in the two newspapers. The implications of the findings fall beyond the scope of this cursory working paper, but a call is made for further analysis and research.
Learner Development Across Borders: Reports From the LD SIG Forum, in JALT Conference Proceedings - JALT2014.
A short paper based on a presentation I gave at the Learner Development Special Interest Group Fo... more A short paper based on a presentation I gave at the Learner Development Special Interest Group Forum at the JALT 2014 International Conference.
The paper discusses how certain types of photographs can be used to challenge gender, racial and other stereotypes and lead into discussions or other communicative activities in language classrooms.
Journal Papers by Carey Finn
In this paper, based on a presentation given at the JALT PANSIG Conference in Kobe, Japan, in May... more In this paper, based on a presentation given at the JALT PANSIG Conference in Kobe, Japan, in May 2015, I outline my simple three-pronged strategy for developing critical thinking skills in EFL oral communication classes. The approach, which I have found to be effective in first-year university discussion classes, involves: defining the parameters of the type of communication expected in the class; the use of argument mapping techniques to structure ideas and address issues of logic; and the deployment of strategic questions.
*The research in this paper was first published in my Anarchy in EFL paper (also available on my Academia page).
Book Reviews by Carey Finn
Journal and Proceedings of the Gender Awareness in Language Education Special Interest Group, Vol. 13, 2021
Please note: Due to technical difficulties, I have uploaded the pre-print draft. It is identical ... more Please note: Due to technical difficulties, I have uploaded the pre-print draft. It is identical to the final, published paper.
Described in its back-cover blurb as groundbreaking, this book shines a light on the experiences and perspectives of women in a wide variety of Buddhist communities and societies around the world and across the centuries. In doing so, Buddhist Feminisms and Femininities seeks to expand the reader’s understanding of feminism - and indeed, what it means to be female.
Thesis Chapters by Carey Finn
Masters Dissertation, 2016
This study uses a mixed-method approach to analyse the coverage of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear cri... more This study uses a mixed-method approach to analyse the coverage of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan’s two major English-language newspapers – The Japan Times and The Daily Yomiuri. Quantitative coding is combined with critical discourse analysis to determine whether the coverage was, overall, predominantly alarming, reassuring, or relatively balanced and neutral. This is done to ascertain whether the newspapers were sensationalising the crisis, echoing the official government and industry communication thereof, or reporting in a critical, responsible manner as the fourth estate. To answer the research question, key aspects of the coverage like foci, framing, sources, narratives, actors and agency, and criticisms are closely examined. It is revealed that the coverage was neither predominantly alarming nor reassuring, but was problematic in other ways. The implications of the complex findings,
both for the Japanese media industry and international disaster reporting, are discussed. The study is situated in a broad literature framework that draws on agenda setting theory, research about the roles and responsibilities of the media, the field of risk communication and the reporting of radiation events in history.
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In-House Journal Papers by Carey Finn
Conference Proceedings by Carey Finn
The paper discusses how certain types of photographs can be used to challenge gender, racial and other stereotypes and lead into discussions or other communicative activities in language classrooms.
Journal Papers by Carey Finn
*The research in this paper was first published in my Anarchy in EFL paper (also available on my Academia page).
Book Reviews by Carey Finn
Described in its back-cover blurb as groundbreaking, this book shines a light on the experiences and perspectives of women in a wide variety of Buddhist communities and societies around the world and across the centuries. In doing so, Buddhist Feminisms and Femininities seeks to expand the reader’s understanding of feminism - and indeed, what it means to be female.
Thesis Chapters by Carey Finn
both for the Japanese media industry and international disaster reporting, are discussed. The study is situated in a broad literature framework that draws on agenda setting theory, research about the roles and responsibilities of the media, the field of risk communication and the reporting of radiation events in history.
The paper discusses how certain types of photographs can be used to challenge gender, racial and other stereotypes and lead into discussions or other communicative activities in language classrooms.
*The research in this paper was first published in my Anarchy in EFL paper (also available on my Academia page).
Described in its back-cover blurb as groundbreaking, this book shines a light on the experiences and perspectives of women in a wide variety of Buddhist communities and societies around the world and across the centuries. In doing so, Buddhist Feminisms and Femininities seeks to expand the reader’s understanding of feminism - and indeed, what it means to be female.
both for the Japanese media industry and international disaster reporting, are discussed. The study is situated in a broad literature framework that draws on agenda setting theory, research about the roles and responsibilities of the media, the field of risk communication and the reporting of radiation events in history.