教員紹介ページへ

Faculty: International Studies

Seminar theme:

Researching about learning - an approach to applied linguistics

Profile:

Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (Ph.D) has almost 20 years of experience teaching English in England, new Zealand, and South Korea. She worked in Japan fifteen years ago before returning to work at NUCB in 2020. Her main research interests are Second Language (L2) Listening, Language Learning Strategies, and Curriculum Development. She aims to broaden our understanding of how to use listening theories more practically in learning. She is also interested in developing materials for learners to improve their listening both in and out of the classroom. Her research has appeared in the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, Korea TESOL Journal, and LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network. She is also the coordinator of the JALT Listening SIG. Naheen holds a B.A (Hons) in Journalism and media Studies, a Certificate in TESOL (Trinity London, UK), a diploma in TESOL (Trinity London, UK) a Master of Arts in Communication (University of Leeds, UK) and a Master of Arts in TESOL (Sheffield Hallam University, UK). She also holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand).

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

1. Have an interest in education.

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

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

4. Be interested in working in groups.

5. Be able to undertake independent study.

This course directly aligns with NUCB's mission statement to “educate innovative and ethical leaders who possess a ‘Frontier Spiritʼ and to create knowledge that advances business and society." In this course, students will gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to communicate about global issues and "bridge the gap between New Asia and the rest of the world.”
Throughout the seminar courses (seminar 1-6), students will be able to develop research skills necessary to conduct a research project. The aim of this seminar is to help students to find an appropriate research topic, do a small research experiment, and write a 4,000 word thesis step by step.
SEMINAR 1 is the first course in the seminar sequence. In SEMINAR 1-6, students will:

This seminar will examine main issues and extant research in applied linguistics and theoretical perspectives.

-Deepen their understanding of the English language
-Enhance their ability to express themselves and make advanced argumentation in English
-Develop the necessary skills to conduct a research project
-Produce a thesis in English

The aim of SEMINAR 1 is to:

-Help students identify their interests and academic strengths and weaknesses
-Guide students to focus their ideas and choose an appropriate research topic for their thesis
-Learn foundational writing and research skills
-Acquire academic vocabulary for use in the thesis

The aim of SEMINAR 2 is to:

-Guide students in the writing of the INTRODUCTION section of their thesis
-Practice strong academic writing, research, and editing skills
-Apply knowledge of academic vocabulary
-Begin the literature review section of the thesis

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. FINALIZE their research topic
2. Draft, edit, and complete a FINAL version of their thesis INTRODUCTION
3. Practice using the library and internet to conduct research
4. Understand the format and function of the LITERATURE REVIEW section of the thesis
5. Continue developing academic writing skills in English
6. Apply knowledge of their expanding academic English vocabulary
7. Give a presentation on their thesis progress

This course will be taught using lectures, small and large group discussion, peer review, and presentations.

Students should be prepared to spend approximately 1-2 hours preparing and completing homework BEFORE each weekly class meeting.

Students should be prepared to utilize the Central Information Center (library) to aide them in conducting their research.

To be successful in class, students must complete the required weekly assignments, come to class prepared, and be ACTIVE participants in class.

The teacher will provide oral and written feedback on all assignments, either online (Google classroom) or in class.

Seminar 1 (2nd Year Semester 1):

- Prepare a topic about learning/education
- Academic Vocabulary
- Thinking about a research question
- Introduction to referencing


Seminar 2 (2nd Year Semester 2):

- Write the introduction of your thesis
- Explain the different sections of your thesis
- Understanding plagiarism
- Use in-text citation and referencing

Seminar 3 (3rd Year Semester 1):

- Write the literature review
- Research and explain the background and history of your topic
- Check referencing


Seminar 4 (3rd Year Semester 2):

- Write the methodology
- Explain how you will do your research
- Present a step-by-step process of what you did

Seminar 5 (4th Year Semester 1):

- Write the findings
- Write the discussion
- Explain the results
- Discuss the meaning of the results

Seminar 6 (4th Year Semester 2):

- Check the thesis draft
- Revise the thesis draft
- Submit the final thesis

Applied linguistics

- understanding teaching approaches
- theories of teaching
- conducting research with teachers and learners
- quantitative and qualitative research methods

Research interests:
- Second Language (L2) Listening,
- Language Learning Strategies,
- Curriculum Development.

If you are interested in any of these topics or any other part of education, then this seminar can help you to develop, research and write about a topic of your interest,

Speech Contest

Please email if you would like to request a meeting to discuss the course further (naheen_madarbakus-ring@nucba.ac.jp)