Faculty Publications and Conference Presentations

To cater for diverse learning needs of the advanced learners, the researchers proposed a short course design with the integration of ChatGPT and project-based learning (PBL). In the curriculum, we pre suppose that students are the owner of the learning, deciding their learning outcomes and project topic; teachers act as a guide, facilitator and monitor, solving student’s questions, providing learning conditions, materials and supervision for proceeding students’ project and their language enhancement; while ChatGPT plays as a teaching assistant providing course materials aligned with students’ project topics, an Exploratorium for students to search and comprehensive the recourse needed for their project, and a personal tutor providing feedbacks on their language expression (Liang & Luo, 2024). After the first-round course offering, we found that the pedagogy teachers adopted is the key to the successful implementation of the curriculum. Pedagogy is the combination of teaching methods (what instructors do), learning activities (what instructors ask their students to do), and learning assessments (the assignments, projects, or tasks that measure student learning). In this study, we will focus on the teaching methods adopted and utilization of Chat GPT, therefore the research questions are 1. What are the teaching methods considering the utilization of chat GPT, design of teaching activities? 2. Why teachers adopt these teaching methods? 3. What are the students' perceptions of these teaching methods? 4. What are the teachers’ perceptions of these teaching methods?

<p>The inherent semantic relatedness and closeness of near-synonyms pose difficulties to second language (L2) learners in comprehending and applying lexical knowledge in real situations. Previous studies have shown a sophisticated corpus-based method of distinguishing Chinese near-synonyms from a more ‘theoretical-based’ approach, the application of corpora in learning near-synonyms in an L2 classroom, however, is underexplored. This study reports both the ‘theoretical-based’ and ‘pedagogical-application’ of using corpora in studying ‘business’ related near-synonyms, and a significant gap between the ‘theory’ and the ‘application’ is identified. Our findings not only affirm the ‘theoretical-based’ method in capturing subtle nuances of near-synonyms but suggest implications of ‘pedagogical-application’ in teaching and learning near-synonyms with corpora.</p>

Recently, the development of AI and ChatGPT has been progressing rapidly, leading to increased utilization in the field of education. ChatGPT, known for its flexibility and interactive capabilities, has emerged as a promising tool for supporting educational activities. In fact, there have been reports of practical implementations of ChatGPT in education, with many of them focusing on English language teaching. From an educational perspective, there is a relatively limited number of practical examples showcasing the application of ChatGPT in third language education, particularly in the context of Japanese language instruction. <br/>In this presentation, I will report on the practical application of Chatbots in a Beginner Japanese University Course. The goal has been to effectively utilize Chatbots to make Japanese language learning easier, or to enhance learning effectiveness based on individual needs. I have been monitoring students' usage practices and the content of their interactions.<br/> Based on the monitoring of student engagement with the Chatbot, the following areas were found to be beneficial: <br/>1)Hiragana and Katakana Learning, 2) Translation English into Japanese including word lookup, sentence lookup, Anime Japanese meaning lookup. 3) Research on Japanese Culture, etc.<br/>According to students’ comment, they found the Chatbot's interactive approach enjoyable. They appreciated the Chatbot's ability to provide support and teach in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, and Romaji. <br/>Overall, this presentation will demonstrate the effectiveness of Chatbots as educational tools in a Beginner Japanese University Course. The findings highlight the positive impact of interactive learning, comprehensive language support, and the incorporation of cultural resources. These contributions pave the way for further advancements in Japanese language education and the integration of AI technologies in the classroom in Japanese Course.<br/>