Faculty Members

Organization for Fundamental Education

Key words
Pronunciation & phonology, teaching with technology, academic and second language motivation, implicit grammar instruction, World Englishes

Doctor of Education / Associate Professor

Bradford Lee

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawai’i at Hilo
Master of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
Doctor of Education in TESOL, Graduate School of Education, Anaheim University

Professional Background

English language instructor, United Friendship Organization Academy
Adjunct Lecturer, Jin-Ai Women’s College
Tenured Assistant Professor / Lecturer, Fukui University of Technology

Consultations, Lectures, and Collaborative Research Themes

Speak like a Native (6.8.2019); The English Acquisition Process (7.20.2016);
Roles of auditory processing in pronunciation development (ongoing project)

Main research themes and their characteristics

「The effects of perception- vs. production-based pronunciation instruction」


 While research has shown that provision of explicit pronunciation instruction (PI) is facilitative of various aspects of second language (L2) speech learning, a growing number of scholars have begun to examine which type of instruction can best impact on acquisition. In the current study, we explored the effects of perception- vs. production-based methods of PI among tertiary-level Japanese students of English. Participants (N=115) received two weeks of instruction on either segmental or suprasegmental features of English, using either a perception- or a productionbased method, with progress assessed in a pre/post/delayed posttest study design. Although all four treatment groups demonstrated major gains in pronunciation accuracy, performance varied considerably across groups and over time. A close examination of our findings suggested that perception-based training may be the more effective training method across both segmental and suprasegmental features.

「Smartphone tapping vs. handwriting: A comparison of writing medium」


 Mobile-learning (m-learning), or mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), has been the object of a great deal of research over the last twenty year. However, empirical work in this area has largely failed to produce generalizable conclusions due to variation in methodology, target feature, and task-type. As schools in Japan begin to join the growing number of classrooms worldwide using mobile-based assignments, this study examined how Japanese EFL students’ writing task production differed depending on writing medium (i.e., handwritten on paper vs. tapped on a smartphone). Writing samples were collected from N=1,449 participants, divided into smartphoneor paper-based groups, across a spectrum of English proficiencies. Handwritten submissions were found to be significantly longer than those composed on a smartphone (p<.001, d=.54), with differences being more pronounced for learners of higher proficiency. These results indicate that care must be taken in designing m-learning activities, and that students must be given adequate training in input-skill (i.e., tapping) and time to acclimate before using such tasks for high-stakes assessments.

Major academic publications

1. Lee, B. J. (2020). Smartphone tapping vs. handwriting: A comparison of writing medium. EuroCALL Review, 28(1), 15-25. https://doi.org/10.4995/eurocall.2020.12036

2. Lee, B., Plonsky, L., & Saito, K. (2020). The effects of perception- vs. production-based pronunciation instruction. System, 88(102185), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2019.102185

3. Lee, B. J. (2020). Enhancing listening comprehension through kinesthetic rhythm training. RELC Journal (Online First), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220941302

4. Lee, B. J. (in press). The effects of proficiency and input enhancement technique on noticing. System.
*This research was supported by the Kanai Education Institution [Support for Early-Career Researchers 2018]