In this month’s issue . . .
Welcome to the March/April 2017 issue of TLT. I hope that those of you on holiday are enjoying the time off and that everyone is ready for another academic year. To begin this issue, I would like to introduce myself. I have been involved with TLT for some time, first as a copy editor and then as My Share column editor. I have now left My Share in Steven Asquith’s capable hands and I will once again work with Phil as TLT co-editor. I have enjoyed the experience of working on TLT to date and I sincerely hope that I can continue to help, in some small way, to ensure that TLT maintains its high standards.
I live and work in Nagoya, a lovely city and a place I have come to call home. I return to my other home, Scotland, during the summer months as my company, McLellan International, in addition to publishing textbooks, sets up study programs for Japanese students at several universities there. At the moment, I am also working on assessment software with a colleague, and I run Chubu branch of the Japan Scotland Association.
But I digress....
In this issue we have two fascinating Feature Articles. In the first, Textbooks or E-Learning? Learners’ Preferences and Motivations in a Japanese EFL Classroom, Kazunari Shimada explores student satisfaction with each type of learning material and concludes that using a wide variety of learning materials seems to be the best way to achieve maximum student motivation.
In the second article, The Effect of Communication Strategies on Learners’ Speaking Ability in Task-Based Language Teaching, Yoshiko Kozawa examines the applications of prefabricated patterns of communication strategies (PPCS) over the course of one semester on twenty-four Japanese female nursing students.
In Readers’ Forum this issue Simon Bibby and Anna Husson Isozaki interview Amos Paran, a specialist in L2 reading and literature in language teaching. Julyan Nutt writes an interesting article on Interview Testing, and discusses his findings on how repetition and increased contact with a variety of teachers helped improve student language retention and reduced their anxiety.
As ever, we have some excellent ideas for teachers in My Share, and the other articles in the Praxis section contain a cornucopia of information on the latest technological advances for the classroom, and materials and useful advice to help deal with any and all classroom challenges.
Lastly, I would like to end by reiterating my gratitude for being offered the role of TLT co-editor, and I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a fun-filled and satisfying start to the new semester. Before that, don’t forget to enjoy the blossoms. I know I will!!
Gerry McLellan, TLT Coeditor
TLTの2017年3/4月号へようこそ。休暇中の方は休暇を満喫され、また新学期への準備を皆様は万全にしている事と思います。まず自己紹介ですが、私はTLTの原稿整理編集者として、さらにMy Share コラム編集者として、以前から本誌の編集に携わってきました。本号からMy Shareコラムは有能なSteven Asquithに任せて、私自身はPhil と共にTLTの共同編集者を務めることになりました。これまでのTLTでの経験は楽しいものでした。引き続き本誌の高度な質を維持するために、微力ながら貢献したいと願っています。
私は今や「故郷」と呼ぶようになった美しい街、名古屋に住んでいます。夏の間はもうひとつの故郷スコットランドに帰り、テキスト出版や現地の大学での日本人学生の学習プログラムに関わっています。また同僚と評価ソフトウェア開発をしたり、日本スコットランド交流協会中部支部の運営も行っています。話が少々逸れてしまいました。
今月号は2本のFeature Articleを掲載しています。まずKazunari Shimadaが、 Textbooks or E-Learning? Learners’ Preferences and Motivations in a Japanese EFL Classroomで、様々な学習教材への学生の満足度を探求し、多種多様な教材を使うことが学生の動機を最大化するのに役立つと論じています。
2番目のFeature ArticleではYoshiko Kozawaが、The Effect of Communication Strategies on Learners’ Speaking Ability in Task-Based Language Teaching で、半年間に渡るタスク中心の言語指導コースにおける日本人看護学生24名の定型表現 (PPCS) の適用を検証します。
今回のReaders’ForumではSimon Bibbyと Anna Husson Isozakiが、言語教育におけるL2 readingとliteratureの専門家であるAmos Paranにインタビューしています。次にJulyan Nutt がインタビュー形式の試験に関する記事で、様々な教員との交流と繰り返し学習が、どのように学生の言語記憶力と不安解消に役立つかを述べています。
いつものようにMy Shareでは指導者への素晴らしいアイデアが掲載され、Praxisの他の記事でも、授業の最新技術の進歩に関する豊富な情報、役立つ教材や授業中の難題解決への助言が満載です。
最後にもう一度、TLT共同編集者としての機会をいただいたことに感謝申しあげます。皆さんの新学期が楽しく満足できるスタートとなることを願っています。その前に桜の花を満喫することもどうぞお忘れなく！
Gerry McLellan, TLT Coeditor
