Persons with Swedish as their first language often find it hard to learn subject-verb agreement when studying English. In Swedish this grammatical difficulty does not exist and it is therefore hard to introduce to learners that have Swedish as their native language.This investigation is based on the texts of 28 ninth graders of whom four were interviewed. My interest was in finding out how the students reflect on their own written work with a focus on subject-verb agreement with a particular focus on the third person singular s.My study shows that the four interviewed students claim that they never reflect on grammar in their spontaneous writing and that they never consciously try to apply rules that they have studied in school through being offered grammatical explanations. Instead they make their grammatical choices intuitively, using their procedural knowledge.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間・環境学) / 甲第23985号 / 人博第1037号 / 新制||人||244(附属図書館) / 2022||人博||1037(吉田南総合図書館) / 京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科共生人間学専攻 / (主査)准教授 金丸 敏幸, 教授 柳瀬 陽介, 教授 STEWART Timothy William, 教授 田地野 彰 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human and Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DGAM

Incorporating technology into learning has brought major benefits to learners and has greatly changed higher education. Since there is limited number of experimental research investigating the effectiveness of applying wikis, this study collected experimental data to investigate its effectiveness. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of applying wikis in terms of students' learning outcomes, to investigate the changes regarding students' attitude towards language learning, to explore the communication channels in wikis that facilitate students' interaction in the e-learning environment as well as students' experience of using wikis. Results showed that there existed statistically significant difference between the group with and without wikis, which means the group applying wikis performed better in listening and reading abilities. When compared with the non-wiki group, the wiki group had a more favorable attitude towards the class, their English ability improvement, and cooperative learning. Moreover, the students agreed that wikis helped them complete their assignment, they felt comfortable in the wiki environment, and it was easy for them to use wikis. From the experiences of using wikis shared by the students, they provided recommendations about the interface and the edit functions in the wiki environment. Their interaction with other team members and the course material increased but they expressed that the main interaction was through face-to-face and instant message software. Finally, the wiki environment allowed students to fulfill their role duties, cooperate, negotiate, manage their contribution, and modeling from each other.

Descriptive mixed-methods were employed to investigate the experiences and perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Thai students in higher education in integrating Augmented Reality technology (AR) in their reading classroom. Participants were queried on their habitual use of computers and the Internet, their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of AR, their experiences in using AR, and their reflective reports of self-efficacy in using AR in creating English vocabulary flashcards as supplemental learning resources. A questionnaire on their use of computers and the Internet was employed with 48 EFL, English-major undergraduates. Subsequently, the participants underwent the Classroom Activity Treatment which comprised 1) the Teacher Showcase, 2) the AR Computer Tutorial, and 3) the Student Showcase, respectively. Classroom observation notes were taken during the three phases. Besides, at the end of each of these three phases, a questionnaire on the acceptance and self-efficacy of AR was administered. Subsequently, 24 students participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit further insights into their perceptions of the effectiveness of AR in EFL instruction and learning. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (Vankatesh & Bala, 2008) was employed for theoretical perspective on the data. Findings revealed most participants had no prior knowledge or understanding about AR before the study. Participants reported AR as advantageous for stimulating student engagement and motivation, and for enhancing memory and memorization. AR was reported to promote learning and practicing digital literacy skills. Participants reported relatively high levels of self-efficacy in using AR, which were primarily driven by their self-satisfaction, creativity and enthusiasm, peer and teacher assistance, as well as technological training and infrastructure. Participants also reported that they would continue using AR in the future when necessary resources, time, and access were secured, for the purposes of professional productivity and development. Analysis suggested that English education curricula be improved and re-designed to integrate the implementation of AR technology to tailor the learning experiences to the students’ needs and learning styles. Professional development and training should also be provided for teachers and students to educate them in using AR in language education teaching and learning.

In order to provide equal education to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Swedish upper secondary English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, support must be provided that adapts to their strengths and needs regarding reading comprehension. Multiple studies show that many upper secondary students with ASD in Sweden do not meet the knowledge requirements for passing grades in English, and require support in reading comprehension. Through a systematic research review based on ten studies regarding reading comprehension for L2 students as well as students with ASD, this paper aims to investigate what current research says regarding how L2 students with ASD process text and also explores scaffolding tools and teaching methods used for developing reading comprehension. Further the findings are discussed in regard to the Swedish educational context. The results from the reviewed studies found four factors that can affect the reading comprehension of L2 students with ASD; namely: 1) individualistic problem-solving strategies, 2) working memory and main idea comprehension, 3) forms of scaffolding and teaching methods as well as 4) language proficiency. The discussion sheds light on how the way in which these four factors interplay when teaching reading comprehension to L2 students with ASD is relevant for teachers as it identifies the strengths of students with ASD through a resource perspective. Adaptations that could be implemented based on the results, align with Swedish policy documents. Thus, future interventional studies that combine the four factors found in the results could be significant for teachers working with EFL students with ASD.

In today’s society, neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have been researched in different areas of life. However, what has yet to be explored broadly is the correlation between the characteristics of various neurodevelopmental disorders and their possible impact on a primary school student’s language learning, speaking development, and inclusivity in the English as a Foreign language (EFL) classroom. Additionally, the term neurodiversity is introduced as a shift in viewing disorders as solely deficits, but rather from a practical aspect that should be attended to positively.  This secondary data analysis aims to focus on what particular beneficial and problematic characteristics students with NDDs might experience. As well as, how these characteristics might affect language learning and speaking development in an EFL classroom. Since neurodevelopmental disorders is an abstract term with different disorders and characteristics, this analysis chose to further research Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD). This thesis attempts to answer and observe the impact Autism Spectrum disorder characteristics have in an EFL classroom. The results will provide three key findings. The first finding presents the strengths and challenges of ASD in English language learning. The second finding analyzes useful tools to help students with communication. The third and last finding will discuss the perception regarding the disorder and its effects in the inclusive classroom. Furthermore, the correlation between the research and the Swedish school institution, its laws, its curriculum, teachers’ impact, and a useful theoretical approach can be seen. Lastly, a thorough discussion regarding bilingualism, multilingualism, and its benefits will be delved into.

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