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Seminar Theme:

Learning for Study Abroad And Your Future Contribution to Society

Profile:

Stuart Warrington, Ed.D., has over 20 years of experience teaching the English language to mostly university students. He has been at NUCB since 2014 and previously taught in Japanese universities in Tokyo and Niigata-ken. Before that, he taught in English language institutes in Seoul, South Korea and Calgary, Canada. His research interests and areas of expertise lie in professionalism, professionalisation and professional development in English language teaching, self-access for English language learning, and critical approaches to English language teaching. Stuart holds a B.A. in Psychology (University of Manitoba), a Certificate in TESOL (Canadian Global TESOL Training Institute), a Master of Education in TESL (University of Calgary), a TESL Professional Certificate - Standard 3 (TESL Canada Federation) and a Doctorate of Education in TESOL (University of Exeter, UK). He is the Head of the Self-Access Centre Committee and the International Affairs Committee at NUCB and is actively involved in research, publishing papers and presenting at a English language teaching and learning conferences.

To enrol in this seminar, students have to meet the following criteria:

1. Have a TOEIC score of 500 or above

2. Have to take Academic Literacy 1 & 2

3. Pass an interview in English

4. Be interested in long-term study abroad

5. Be interested in learning only in English and using only English

6. Be willing and open to learning inside and outside the classroom

7. Be interested in and open to cultural diversity and equality

8. Be open to different ways of thinking and acting

9. Be interested in and willing to be self-critical as a means to change yourself for the better

10. Be interested in and willing to apply what you learn to society for the betterment of society

Class Policy

Students are encouraged to attend classes regularly, communicate in English and make every effort to work well in pairs, groups, and class tasks INSIDE and OUTSIDE of Class. Students cannot miss more than 5 classes over two terms (= 1 semester). Students are expected to hand in homework on time and meet submission deadlines for each seminar and each part of the thesis (dissertation), with the major goal of completing a 4000 word thesis in English over 3 years inclusive of:

* An Original Research Project
* No Plagiarism of Ideas, Images or Words
* Use of Cited Sources with In-text-Citations and References
* Use 5 Books and Internet Articles (unlimited)


Grading Policy

*Participation: 30% Written Work: 50% Portfolio: 20%

*Seminar 1: Self-Discovery Assignments; Participation; Portfolio

*Seminar 2: Participation; Completion of Introduction; Portfolio

*Seminar 3: Participation; Completion of Literature Review; Portfolio

*Seminar 4: Participation; Completion of Methodology; Portfolio

*Seminar 5: Participation; Completion of Findings & Discussion; Portfolio

*Seminar 6: Participation; Fixing of Overall Thesis Language and Content; Portfolio


Objectives

1. New Learning Skills:

*how to self-reflect and be self-reflexive
*how to explore and develop strengths/improve weaknesses in learning
*how to visualise thinking through concepts (ideas) and propositions (connections)
*how to write better and more effectively in English
*how to avoid plagiarism through paraphrasing, in-text citation and referencing
*how to develop time-management and organizational skills
*how to develop self-management and goal setting skills through motivational pathway and agency thinking
*how to explore and develop employability skills
*how to do research in English
*how to make important knowledge and value claims

2. New Technology Skills:

*how to use information and communication technology (ICT) in English to create, find and learn
information in English

Examples:

*Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
*CiteThisForMe.com
*Padlet
*Kahoot!
*Databases: Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic Search, CIINI, National Diet Library, etc.


Learning Outcomes

*Increase Vocabulary (e.g. Academic Word List: 570 most common words used in higher education)
*Increase understanding of English Usage and Academic Literacy
*Increase public speaking skills in English (speech contest; seminar progress report presentation; seminar
graduate presentation)
*Increase TOEIC score to increase employability
*Increase personal, social, and decisional capital to increase employability
*Increase technology skills in English – learn to use different apps and programs; search engine skills; in-text citation and referencing software


Research Content

Depending on the research question, each student will be engaged in one or more of the following kinds of research:

1. Qualitative Research - Research to understand people's thoughts, feelings and opinions about something

Example Methods:

Interviews, Focus Groups, Naturalistic Observation, Ethnography, Case Study, Record Keeping


2. Quantitative Research - Research involving the use of a hypothesis (a prediction or theory) in association with numbers (figures) to understand a situation, the relationship between things, or the impact of something

Example Methods:

Surveys, Correlational Research (Quantitative Observation and Archived Data), and Experimental Research


3. Mixed-Method Research - The use of both Qualitative and Quantitative Methods to understand something

Seminar 1 (2nd Year Semester 1): 

Preparing to study abroad and write a thesis - motivational, language and organizational preparation for study abroad and thesis writing; how to choose a thesis topic; how to write a research question


Seminar 2 (2nd Year Semester 2):

Writing the Introduction section of your thesis - explaining what your whole thesis is about and introducing the parts of your thesis; introduction to plagiarism, and the importance of in-text citation and referencing (500 words)


Seminar 3 (3rd Year Semester 1):

Writing the Literature Review section of your thesis - explaining the background/history on your thesis topic to update the reader (1500 words)


Seminar 4 (3rd Year Semester 2):

Writing the Methodology section of your thesis - explaining how you will do your research, why you will do it this way and the processes (steps) involved (500 words)


Seminar 5 (4th Year Semester 1):

Writing the Findings & Discussion sections of your thesis – explaining the results of your research and discussing what they mean (1500 words)


Seminar 6 (4th Year Semester 2):

Checking your thesis - Fixing language, organisational and content errors in your thesis

Class Research Activities.

My current students are engaged in research on the following topics:

The Impact of AI on Japanese Public Service, Poverty in Japan and The Philippines, Food Waste, Food Shortage and Overpopulation, Tourism in the Japanese Countryside, Improving Japanese Cybersecurity, Pronunciation Differences between Dutch and English, The Impact of Covid-19 on In-flight Service, The Impact of Covid-19 on the TV Viewing Habits of Japanese Youth, Improving Public Service for Foreigners in Japan, Racism in the US, Use of Gamification in the English Language Classroom, Why Japanese University Students Struggle to Speak English, The Impact of Japanese Education on Japanese Learner Identity, Exploring How Japanese Customer Service can be Improved, The Impact of Urbanization on Japanese Identity


Student Seminar Progress Report Presentation Themes

My students have presented their thesis progress on the following themes:

* Poverty in Japan and The Philippines
* The Future of AI in Japanese Public Service
* Why Japanese Struggle to Speak English?
* The Impact of Covid-19 on the TV Viewing Habits of Japanese Youth
* The Impact of Victorian Wedding Dresses on 21st Century Wedding Fashion
* Stress in the Hospitality Industry
* The Difference between Japanese and American Comics
* The Impact of Speaking Portuguese on Relationships with Japanese Students
* Gender Discrimination in the Hospitality Industry

Graduate Report Presentation Themes

My students have presented their complete thesis on the following themes:

* How Sweden can Improve the Japanese Welfare System
* How Japanese Students Can Learn to Speak English
* The Language Identity of Nikkei Brazilians raised in Japan
* Corporate Social Responsibility for a Greener Japan
* The Problem of Mangrove Depletion in The Philippines

I have successfully supervised seminar students who now work and use in English in the following employment sectors:

* Logistics
* Trade
* English Language Teaching
* Non-Governmental Organizations
* Tourism
* Hospitality
* Food & Beverage
* Banking
* Marketing
* Management
* IT / ICT
* Customer Service
* Public Service
* Online Shopping
* Fashion

* Seminar Progress Report Presentation

* Speech Contest

* Seminar Graduate Report Presentations

If you are interested in joining my seminar and feel you meet the enrolment requirements, please make an appointment with me for either a face-to-face or Zoom interview. I am available at the following times:

Term 3:

Wednesdays -> 9:20 - 11:00

Thursdays -> 09:20 -12:50

Fridays -> 09:20 -12:50


Term 4:

Tuesdays -> 13:50 - 17:20

Wednesdays -> 9:20 - 11:00

Thursdays -> 09:20 - 12:50

Fridays -> 09:20 - 12:50