University Faculty Members' Perspectives on English Language Demands in Content Courses and a Reform of University Entrance Examinations in Japan: A Needs Analysis

Autor/in	Sawaki, Yasuyo
Titel	University Faculty Members' Perspectives on English Language Demands in Content Courses and a Reform of University Entrance Examinations in Japan: A Needs Analysis
Quelle	In: Language Testing in Asia, 7 (2017), Artikel 13 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Sawaki, Yasuyo)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2229-0443
DOI	10.1186/s40468-017-0043-2
Schlagwörter	College Faculty; Teacher Attitudes; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Foreign Countries; Course Content; English for Academic Purposes; Educational Change; Language Tests; College Entrance Examinations; Mathematics Teachers; Science Teachers; Private Colleges; College Admission; Undergraduate Students; Language Skills; Language Proficiency; Japan (Tokyo) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Fakultät; Lehrerverhalten; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Ausland; Kursprogramm; Bildungsreform; Language test; Sprachtest; Aufnahmeprüfung; Mathematics; Teacher; Teachers; Mathematik; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Science; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Privathochschule; Hochschulzugang; Hochschulzulassung; Zulassung; Language skill; Sprachkompetenz; Language skills
Abstract	Background: This small-scale needs analysis study examined content course faculty members' perspectives on English language demands in their courses and their perceptions of the introduction of four-skill English language assessment for university entrance examinations currently being planned as part of a major English education reform in Japan. Methods: This author conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with six faculty members in mathematics and earth sciences at a private university in Tokyo to examine (1) the use of L1 and L2 as well as language use activities involving reading, listening, speaking, and writing in English in content courses they were teaching or had taught previously and (2) their perceptions of four-skill English language assessment for student admission. Results: A qualitative analysis of interview results showed various similarities between the two disciplines, concerning the perceived importance of reading ability for satisfactory completion of content courses as opposed to minimal involvement of language use tasks requiring listening, speaking and writing at the undergraduate-level course work, followed by an expansion of advanced academic English demands at the graduate level encompassing all four skills. Moreover, the participants generally supported the proposal to introduce four-skill English language assessment to university entrance examinations in the country. Conclusion: Despite the fairly imbalanced representation of the four skills in the content courses taught by the participants, their views were generally consistent with the proposed direction for the on-going reform of English language assessment for university admission in Japan. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01