Evaluation on How Take-home Writing Assignments Influence Non-English Major Learners' Language Learning Progress

• 陳 淑茹

  金沢工業大学

抄録

This paper analyzes the results of how a series of take-home writing assignments influence non-English major learners' English learning progress at the end of one school term; the result can be either students are making progress in their English learning, getting worse, or staying the same as the beginning of the school term. In addition to examining the results of the study, this study is also partially designed to check whether this so-called "low-motivation" student group possibly gets comfortable and thus gets used to writing in English through continuous writing practice or not. The results show there is a little but not significant improvement in the participants' language learning progress. The cause for the result is very likely caused by students' heavy school workload which causes them to want to decide what subjects they need to pay more attention to. This paper also discusses reasons why Japanese university students are usually not "so attracted" to English learning. The results find this phenomenon is caused by the lack of practical use in learners' daily lives. As most English instructors have known, almost all students have taken a continuous six-year English program, in junior high and high school, prior to their enrollment at universities. In spite of this learning background, most university students are still doing poorly at English. This situation is particularly true for those who major in subjects other than English language or literature. The participants in this study are either technical or scientific majors and their attitudes toward English are usually negative. A potential future study direction, in accordance with fostering students' English-learning motivation and building up their English-learning confidence, is also suggested in the conclusion section of this paper.

収録刊行物

• KIT progress : 工学教育研究

  KIT progress : 工学教育研究 16 19-31, 2009-03-01

  金沢工業大学

キーワード

• Take-home writing assignments
• evaluation
• learning progress
• non-English major learners
• low-motivation

詳細情報

• CRID: 1570291227644272000
• NII論文ID: 110007004231
• NII書誌ID: AA11215988
• ISSN: 13421662
• 本文言語コード: en
• データソース種別:
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