Contact Details
| Organization: | Asia Institute |
| Position: | LECTURER IN JAPANESE |
| Email: | |
| Homepage: | https://ive.themis.unimelb.edu.au/,DanaInfo=www.asiainstitute.unimelb.edu.au+people/staff/machida.html |
| Work: | 8344 8108 |
| Fax: | 9349 4870 |
| Room: | 216 |
| Level: | 02 |
| Building: | Sidney Myer Asia Centre |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
My research projects are mostly in the area of second language learning and teaching. I am interested in how adult learners develop their second language in classroom situations in response to the way the language is taught in class. Therefore, I’m primarily interested in interlanguage - learners’ second language development from their first language and culture. My learner subjects are mainly English speaking and Chinese speaking Japanese learners.
An aspect of learner language in which I have been particularly interested is its systematicity (regularity) or the mechanisms underlying second language comprehension and use. In this regard, I have explored how English speaking intermediate learners of Japanese write their essays in Japanese using error analysis and exploring their strategy use.
More recently, I’m working on student comprehension of Japanese text. One project has explored differences between Chinese- and non-Chinese (English speaking) background intermediate learners’ reading comprehension. Currently I’m working on text comprehension by English speaking advanced learners. In this project their vocabulary knowledge before reading text and their recall of the text in quantity and depth are being examined.
Another aspect of second language learning is affective factors. I have explored relationships among learners’ motivation, anxiety and their performance in oral examinations at the beginners’ level.
I’m also interested in methodologies used in the second language classroom to promote learning. I’m especially interested in developing methodology for collaborative learning and for reading in the current cognitive, post-communicative paradigm. I have explored computer assisted group project activities. In this research I examined the first implementation of the activities in a large cohort (over 100) to find out what factors affected their learning through the activities. I’m currently working on another project on collaborative work. In this project, the focus is on how to manage the collaborative work: how to form groups; mode of instruction; how to monitor the progress of the work; how to promote higher thinking, etc. Another methodology I’ve been exploring is ‘act of translating’ as a teaching methodology. According to the current cognitive view, translation can be a powerful tool to teach second language. I’d like to research effective use of ‘act of translating’ in- and out of class.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Key Words | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|---|
| Second Language Development, Language & Cognition, Education | Interlanguage (learner language), text comprehension, Second Language pedagogy | Japan, Australia |
Languages
Languages
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Japanese | Speak, Read & Write |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts & Diploma of Education | Kumamoto University | 01-Mar-1976 | |
| Master of Education | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 01-May-1988 | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | The University of Queensland | 01-Feb-1996 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | JALT | 01-Jan-1980 | 31-Dec-1986 | |
| Member | AAAL | 01-Jan-1996 | ||
| Member | ALI | 01-Jan-1996 | 31-Dec-2001 | |
| Member | ALAA | 01-Jan-1996 | ||
| Member | JSC | 01-Jan-1998 | ||
| Member | JLTAV | 01-Jan-1997 | ||
| Member | JSAA | 01-Jan-1999 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Curriculum Studies: Other Soc Scs, Humanities & Arts Edu (CURRICULUM STUDIES) (330205)
- Teacher Education: Secondary (PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS) (330303)
- Teacher Education: Higher Education (PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS) (330305)
- Personality, Abilities and Assessment (PSYCHOLOGY) (380104)
- Applied Linguistics and Educational Linguistics (LINGUISTICS) (380201)
- Discourse and Pragmatics (LINGUISTICS) (380203)
- Language in Culture and Society (Sociolinguistics) (LINGUISTICS) (380205)
- Ling. Structures (incl Gram, Phonology, Lexicon, Semantic) (LINGUISTICS) (380207)
- Ling. Processes (incl Speech Production & Comprehension) (COGNITIVE SCIENCE) (380302)
- Japanese (LANGUAGE STUDIES) (420113)
- Japanese (LITERATURE STUDIES) (420212)
- Cultural Studies not elsewhere classified (CULTURAL STUDIES) (420399)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.