• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.141-159
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• 2011

This study examined the effects of collocation-based instruction on L2 vocabulary acquisition and learners' interests in it. Fifty one students were randomly assigned to the experimental group (collocation-based instruction group) and to the control group. The participants' English vocabulary capacity was checked through pre and post tests, and two surveys were used to probe the learners' vocabulary learning behaviors and their interests in English vocabulary learning respectively. To better understand the participants' opinions and feelings on the collocation-based learning, follow-up interviews were also carried out. The results showed that second language (L2) learners' vocabulary capacity was significantly improved through collocation-based instruction. However, the participants' degree of interest in vocabulary learning did not reach our expectation partly because of external factors such as the Test for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and lack of familiarity of collocations. Such results indicate that the high school students' rooted perception of putting importance on test-based language learning could not be easily changed since it is closely related to their immediate needs. Based on the results, this study suggested how to implement collocations into L2 classrooms effectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.162-172
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• 2021

This paper proposes stochastic methods to find an approximate solution for the L²-Wasserstein least squares problem of Gaussian measures. The variable for the problem is in a set of positive definite matrices. The first proposed stochastic method is a type of classical stochastic gradient methods combined with projection and the second one is a type of variance reduced methods with projection. Their global convergence are analyzed by using the framework of proximal stochastic gradient methods. The convergence of the classical stochastic gradient method combined with projection is established by using diminishing learning rate rule in which the learning rate decreases as the epoch increases but that of the variance reduced method with projection can be established by using constant learning rate. The numerical results show that the present algorithms with a proper learning rate outperforms a gradient projection method.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-24
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• 2006

This study investigated differences in beliefs about English learning of 286 EFL college students and 52 English teachers in Korea. Data was collected using Horwitz's Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory and compared between students and teachers in beliefs. To address the research questions, the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics including frequencies, factor analysis, MANOVA, ANOVA, t-test, and reliability coefficients. The results showed four factors in student beliefs: Difficulty of learning English, nature of learning English, importance of correctness in learning English, and motivation and perceived importance of learning English. Clear differences were found in students and teachers' beliefs in English learning aptitude and importance of translation, error correction, and grammar rules. A few belief differences were also identified between Koreans and native-speaking English teachers related to the importance of vocabulary learning, pronunciation, and cultural knowledge. The findings of the study indicated that background variables such as gender and major field of study have an effect on student beliefs about L2 learning. The present study also provided pedagogical considerations to reduce mismatch between students and teachers beliefs and to improve the L2 planning and instruction.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.83-129
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• 2003

This study explains a cooperative project between Kangwon National University (KNU) and Waseda University(WU), so called CCDLP (Cross-Cultural Distance Learning Project). The purpose of this project is to enhance the English proficiency of students at both universities by making their learning environments enjoyable and fruitful. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the role of CCDL in the EFL classroom by discussing (1) how to create the situations where students at both universities get to know and understand each other through modern technologies, (2) how to encourage the students to work closely together VC (Video Conferencing), TeleMeet, chat systems, and e-mail, and (3) how to provide a new style of learning and teaching L2. The results from a questionnaire and a grammaticality judgment test show that students have a sense of satisfaction and achievement in the English proficiency at the end of the project. The result of this project will be of great importance for future works in the use of communication systems in L2 learning and teaching.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.213-241
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• 2003

As an attempt to characterize the English test section of CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) and to get some suggestions, this study raised the research questions, as 'What are the main factors that affect students' English test scores in CSAT, and how big influences do they have?' It has been hypothesized that among main factors are the L1 competence, represented by the Korean test scores in CSAT, background knowledge or intelligence, represented by the "total" scores in CSAT, and the two types of L2 knowledge (vocabulary and grammar on one hand and prosody m the other hand), measured by the test devised specially for this study. The individual effect of the L2 vocabulary and grammar (one kind of L2 knowledge) was 70%, that of background knowledge or intelligence 61%, that of the L1 competence 50%, and that of the L2 prosody knowledge (the other kind of L2 knowledge) 32%. According to the stepwise regression, the whole effect of these four factors was 74%. The findings suggest that first, although CSAT is based on the top-down model of comprehension, the bottom-up model of learning should be more emphasized in our English class. Also, since background knowledge or intelligence is the second most influential factor, the top-down model of learning that helps students learn to understand by activating their various schemata must also be very effective.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.269-277
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• 2008

This paper proposes a necessary and sufficient condition of convergence in the $L_2$-norm sense for a feedback-based iterative learning control (ILC) system including a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) linear time-invariant (LTI) plant. It is shown that the convergence conditions for a nominal plant and an uncertain plant are equal to the nominal performance condition and the robust performance condition in the feedback control theory, respectively. Moreover, no additional effort is required to design an iterative learning controller because the performance weighting matrix is used as an iterative learning controller. By proving that the least upper bound of the $L_2$-norm of the remaining tracking error is less than that of the initial tracking error, this paper shows that the iterative learning controller combined with the feedback controller is more effective to reduce the tracking error than only the feedback controller. The validity of the proposed method is verified through computer simulations.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.211-231
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• 2007

Communication anxiety (CA) in L2 has been identified as one of the important predictors of determining success in the attainment of L2 communication competence. L2 professionals have attempted to explicate its nature in L2, but seemingly failed to achieve the goal. This is probably because they have tended to rely on studies dependent on the use of surveys, which are usually constructed on the basis of their own perspectives rather than L2 students' on CA. To solve this problem, some L2 professionals have utilized diverse research methods that can gather opinions directly from L2 students who are the main constituent in L2 learning; regretfully, they have barely listened to L2 students' voices about controlling CA in L2. This descriptive study explored the nature of CA and the way of controlling it by analyzing data from 57 Korean EFL undergraduates who voluntarily responded to the oral interview questions. The findings of this study pointed out that CA in L2 negatively influenced L2 performance. However, it seemed to have the potential to promote L2 learning. Provided are some important implications that can assist L2 teachers to help their students control CA by maximizing the positive nature of CA.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 2000.07a
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• pp.96-104
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• 2000

The Bodysonic system was invented on the basis of 'Bone Conduction Theory,' which states that people feel sounds with their whole body. The Bodysonic system is used for L2 (English) learning at Aichi Women's Junior College. In recent years we have developed some unique methodology related to use of the Bodysonic system. In Japan it is difficult for adult L2 learners to acquire the prosody of a foreign language. A language laboratory using the Bodysonic system has been suggested as one way to eradicate such adult L2 problems. The Bodysonic system changes sounds into vibrations. It makes it easy for learners to acquire the prosody of a foreign language because humans can convey information, through their tactile organs. In addition, this system was originally designed to make people relax, so it can also help minimize learner anxiety. The effect of Bodysonic vibrations on language learning has already been proven by some experiments. The Bodysonic system appears to be an ideal teaching method for adult to learn a foreign language.

• Asia Pacific Journal of Corpus Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.41-55
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• 2023

In data-driven learning (DDL), learners explore a corpus to understand vocabulary and grammar. Although many studies have emphasized the role of DDL in second language (L2) acquisition, L2 light verbs have been largely under-explored. To bridge this gap, this study focused on the learning outcomes of L2 light verbs among 29 intermediate-level Japanese university students. The research zeroed in on six prevalent light verbs in English: "make," "do," "take," "have," "give," and "get." Over nine weeks, the participants engaged with verb-noun collocations using worksheets that juxtaposed Japanese translations of the target collocations with their English equivalents, with the verbs omitted. With the aid of Wordbanks Online, they filled in the blanks and constructed accurate sentences. Before this activity, a 20-minute tutorial was given to the participants on how to interpret the concordance lines. The effectiveness of the DDL method was evaluated using pre-tests, immediate post-tests, and delayed post-tests. The results showed that DDL significantly improved the participants' knowledge of the target collocations of light verbs and nouns; the post-test and delayed post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores. The results showed that, overall, DDL contributed to memorizing the collocations of light verbs and nouns; however, DDL had different effects on the memorization of collocations across different light verbs. The extent of work on the worksheet is not the only factor in its retention, and observing concordance lines may promote learners' memorization of light-verb collocations.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.5
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• pp.103-122
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• 1999

In this paper, I will argue that in teaching L2, it is important to take a holistic teaching method considering various learning styles of the learners and the nature of L2 learning. Under the situation that most of the school education is centered on the left brain activity, learners with the right brain preference tend to get only to the lower proficiency than they really can. To prove this, I conducted a experiment on two classes of high school students. I decided the hemispheric preference of each students using HMI (hemispheric mode indicator) Then I compared the hemispheric preferences of students with their scores in English tests. The students with right hemispheric preference show significantly lower scores than the ones with left preference. It is implied that the current English education should adapted to address various learning and cognitive styles and whole-brain L2 teaching method should replace the left-centered instruction in the learning environment.