Volume 1 Issue 2, October 2006
Error Analysis of High School Student Essays
Asako Kato, Michael K. Leung
Abstract:
The teaching of effective writing skills has often been neglected in Japanese high school curriculums despite the fact that the Ministry of Education places an emphasis on writing as an important productive skill. To what extent can high school students “write” essays in English? This paper focuses on prominent errors found in high school students’ essays submitted to an annual writing contest in Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan. The paper also explores ways to effectively teach and learn writing in Japan.
Attitudinal and Motivational Differences Among Japanese Junior High School Students Towards English Education in Japan
Michael K. Leung
Abstract:
This study examines attitudes and motivation and its role in the study of English in the Japanese junior high school EFL setting. Using extensive qualitative and statistical quantitative data analysis, the author attempts to gauge attitudinal and motivational trends among junior high school students towards English education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the primary sources of motivation for students, and whether there would be changes in these attitudes and motivations towards English education as they progressed from their first-year to third-year of study.