Supporting Primary School Students in learning a new language at school

Research based at The University of Hong Kong, Waseda University and Seinan Gakuin University Seeks to:

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1. Support primary school students in developing critical foreign language skills

2. Develop mobile software solutions for classroom learning

3. Clarify how students might best learn a new language at school

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Current steps towards these aims:

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1. Pilot research in Japanese classrooms:

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1. Nakao, K., Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q., & Fryer, L. K. (2022, Fall). Phonemic awareness as fundamental listening skill: A cross-sectional, cohort study of elementary foreign language learners. Asia Tefl. http://dx.doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2022.19.2.13.609

2. Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q, Nakao, K., Fryer, L. K., & Shum, A. (2022) Development of a smart application for phonological testing in elementary schools: The building blocks of an adaptive test. Poster presented at the 21st International CALL Research Conference, Tokyo, Japan. July 8–10.

3.  Nakao, K., Oga-Baldwin, W. L., &  Fryer, L. K. (2024). Developing phoneme-grapheme recognition in English as a foreign language: A longitudinal study at Japanese primary school. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2024.335

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Ongoing steps towards these aims:

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1. Testing and refining Building Blocks mobile platform for assessing and support students' phonemic awareness 

-Done

2. Integrating Building Blocks mobile platform in primary school curricula for semester-long test

-Ongoing

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