Date of Graduation

Fall 12-15-2017

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

College/School

School of Education

Department/Program

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Brad Washington

Abstract

Japanese English language students often struggle with listening comprehension when communicating with native English speakers due to the use of reduced forms. Native speakers use contractions, reductions, elisions, and linking in casual speech which sounds unfamiliar to students who have not been exposed to reduced forms in their classrooms. In order to facilitate improved listening skills and help students with speaking fluency, reduced forms ought to be taught in English classrooms.

While the use of reduced forms by native English speakers has been recognized as a problem for English students, incorporating reduced forms instruction into an English curriculum involves overcoming a perception that it does not conform to the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach that is used in many Japanese classrooms. Reduced forms have been taught using repetition drills that do not mirror the goals of CLT which include using discourse and real-world tasks to facilitate second language learning. Hence, the goal of this project is to teach reduced forms in a way that more closely reflects CLT.

The project is a curriculum guide that presents teachers with lesson examples of digital technology based activities and classroom games. The activities and games provide students with opportunities to not only practice reduced forms, but also use/develop cooperative learning skills and be involved in social situations where they have to use real world discourse/speech in order to complete the activities and be successful during game playing.

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