Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemStudents' experiences of the transition from bilingual to mainstream instruction( 2007)The benefits and effectiveness of bilingual programs (immersion programs) have been widely recognized world-wide. Accordingly, the number of bilingual programs has been increasing, particularly in recent years. Although a number of researchers have reported positive outcomes from bilingual programs based on measurable evidence, evaluation of bilingual programs from the students' point of view has been very limited. This study aimed to provide a greater understanding of how the Japanese-English bilingual school graduates from different cultural and language backgrounds perceive their bilingual school experience and their present mainstream secondary school program. By comparing and contrasting these two programs, the students described what they appreciated and the advantages and disadvantages of the bilingual program for them. Moreover, they also expressed their experience of transition to a mainstream secondary school. This study has identified that the different cultural and language backgrounds of the students are not a big issue for the students and they described a number of advantages of bilingual schools. However, they also identified that sometimes the varied levels of Japanese competency among the students in the bilingual programs caused a lower motivation for some students. Although none of the students had any difficulty adapting to the mainstream secondary school, they are frustrated by their present LOTE classes as the content is not at an appropriate level for them and they are often treated as a "special" person in class due to their high level of Japanese skill.
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ItemLanguage teaching reform in Japan: implications for communicative teaching implementation and practice from foreign teacher perspectives( 2004)Debate continues over to what extent Japanese language education reform has made substantive progress in its attempt at moving away from traditional grammar-translation methodology, towards a more communicative approach. Using grounded theory, this thesis aims to explore communicative language teaching (CLT) implementation and practice in Japan from the perspectives of seven resident native speaker teachers of English. The study reveals that despite renewed commitments from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakushou) towards integrating communicative practice into Japanese language education, foreign teachers generally remain skeptical that impediments between Monbukagakushou's stated aims and the reality of classroom practice, can be easily overcome. This study will investigate some of these impediments which includes: a) teachers', both native speakers and Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs), uncertainty about the actual nature of CLT, what it encompasses and how it can be adapted to Japanese learning proclivities, b) the failure of the curriculum to direct Japanese teachers' and students' attention away from preparing for discrete point examinations, towards a more integrated assessment model and c) the difficulty with which Japan's central and local bureaucratic institutions can maintain administrative consistency in developing stated educational aims into classroom reality.
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ItemJapanese volunteer in a country school: maximising the benefits( 2000)This research arose from a need to understand the experience of Japanese Native Speaker Assistant volunteers (JNSAs) in Victorian country primary schools, so as to provide data on which all participants can draw in making improvements to the conduct and outcomes of future programs. The research questions are: 1. What is the experience? 2. How could it be made more valuable for all concerned? The research is centred on four Japanese women who volunteered to work in country schools for varying lengths of stay - 6 weeks to 9 months. The schools vary in size from 20 students to over 700 students and the volunteers vary in age and experience. A qualitative research framework was adopted incorporating on-site observations, questionnaires and interviews. Outcomes show that all programs were successful but some were more successful than others. Factors facilitating success are the setting of obtainable goals, a planned and integrated program, positive support from the Principal, acceptance into an active role throughout the school, and contact with many people. Finally, and most critically, there is the need for an energetic and capable mentor whom the volunteer can depend on for guidance and friendship.