Writing is one of the most challenging and neglected areas of English education in Japan, particularly with regard to developing critical argument and establishing writer identity. This problem requires exploration into English writing classrooms in Japan in order to uncover the problems students face in their practice with these features of writing, and to discuss possible solutions. The purpose of this study was to find out what one Japanese university’s approaches were to English writing. This was achieved through classroom observations, interviews with students and teachers, and an analysis of students’ written texts. It was found that students worked diligently with what was given to them in class, although most of them felt it was not enough, while the teachers felt uncertain about what to give their students. The analysis of the students’ texts revealed that students were able to apply newly acquired skills, but were limited by only superficial understanding of the techniques.
목차
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Critical Argument Writer Identity Socio-cultural Awareness LITERATURE REVIEW METHOD Participants Data Collection The Lessons on Critical Argument and Writer Identity RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Observations Interviews Text Analysis CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH THE AUTHOR REFERENCES
The goals of Asia TEFL are to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among persons concerned with the teaching and learning of English in Asia. In order to accomplish this, Asia TEFL will pursue the following goals:
1. To link ELT professionals in joint research on issues and concerns regarding English teaching and learning in the Asian context.
2. To publish an academic journal, The Asia TEFL Journal, as an internationally recognized journal in the field of English language teaching.
3. To host conferences and seminars addressing important issues concerning ELT in Asia.
4. To develop proficiency guidelines and assessment methods designed for the needs of the Asian context.
5. To develop programs for Asian learners and teachers of English to build their English language proficiency and cultural understanding and provide them with the skills required to be efficient English teaching professionals.