classroom-based research

Classroom-Based Explicit Instruction of Formulaic Sequences: Effects on Japanese EFL Learners’ Speaking Performance

This classroom-based study investigates whether explicit instruction in formulaic sequences (FSs) enhances Japanese EFL learners’ speaking performance. Over a 15-week semester, first-year university students were divided into an experimental group (English B), which received structured FS instruction using model scripts, visual highlighting, guided rehearsal, and weekly short written tests, and a control group (English A), which followed the regular curriculum without script-based FS instruction.

Reflections on the Exploration Phase of an EAR Project on Teaching Speaking

This article offers a reflective account of the exploration phase completed for an Exploratory Action Research project on teaching speaking. It was completed over a 6-month period, with the help of a critical friend. The focus of this article is the thought process that the teacher-researcher went through while engaged in the exploration, as well as the way that collaboration with a critical friend pushed the exploration forward.