出版物 ｜Sophia Linguistica
Shinichi Izumi Daisuke Miura Saori Machida
This study leads on from previous studies that focused on language-learning beliefs,
learning strategies, and confidence of Japanese university-level EFL students with
different learning backgrounds and language proficiencies (Izumi, Shiwaku, & Okuda,
2011; Ogawa & Izumi, 2015). Using Likert-scale questionnaires, the studies uncovered,
among other things, the importance of beliefs in and uses of experiential learning in
fostering greater confidence in learners’ English abilities. Stimulated by these findings,
the present study shifts attention from students to EFL teachers, who were once English
learners themselves, and investigates the relationships between their prior learning
experiences, L2-learning beliefs, current teaching practices, and confidence in their
L2 abilities. The major findings of the study are as follows: (1) In learning English,
teachers without overseas experience (–OE) used analytic learning more often than
experiential learning, while teachers with overseas experience (+OE) used both analytic
and experiential learning equally; (2) Teachers’ teaching practices closely paralleled the
results of their learning experience, as –OE teachers engaged in analytic teaching more
than experiential teaching, while +OE teachers engaged in both types of teaching more or
less equally; (3) Irrespective of overseas experience, teachers with greater confidence and
more experiential learning experiences tended to engage in more experiential teaching,
while teachers with less confidence and less experiential learning tended to resort to more
analytic teaching; (4) Experiential learning was more strongly and more widely related
to confidence in the teachers’ English abilities than was analytic learning. Overall, these
results indicate the relevance of the teachers’ learning experiences, beliefs, and confidence
in shaping their teaching practices, highlighting the importance of experiential learning
in fostering teachers’ L2 confidence and promoting active use of experiential teaching in
balance with analytic teaching.
