CHIKAKO NISHIGAKI (NATIONAL CHIBA UNIVERSITY)
CHIKA IKEDA (Aichi Prefectural University)
PICHINART KUMPAWAN (Phiriyalai School Phrae)
KIITO SHIBA (Chiba University)

EMPOWERING ENGLISH LEARNING: INNOVATIVE DDL (DATA-DRIVEN LEARNING) WEB APPLICATIONS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS : METHODOLOGIES AND TEACHING APPROACHES

This workshop introduces a pioneering data-driven learning (DDL) application designed for both secondary and elementary education. DDL leverages text databases (corpora) and corpus analysis tools (concordancers) to facilitate exploratory and student-centered English learning. Meta-analyses confirm its effectiveness, and its global adoption is expanding. For secondary education, the application features a tailored "Pedagogical English Corpus" composed of short, standalone sentences. It includes a user-friendly concordancer that operates with simple clicks. All sentences are audible, enhancing accessibility. Additionally, the application incorporates English quizzes involving word ordering to diagnose grammatical skills, making grammar learning both enjoyable and integrated. The elementary version focuses on developing phonological awareness, a critical skill for learning to read and write. This involves cultivating sensitivity to the sound structures of language, particularly the internal phonological structure of words - such as segmenting a word into phonemes or recognizing a sound in the initial position. This application systematically introduces DDL educational principles and builds a solid foundation in English proficiency. During the workshop, demonstrations of these applications will be provided, along with discussions on their use in educational settings and at home. We will also share insights into the observed educational impacts of their usage. Participants will learn how these tools can enhance both individual and collaborative learning experiences and facilitate opportunities for standalone and peer-to-peer education. This innovative application is free, requires no registration, and allows unrestricted use of its copyright-free English sentences.

Chikako Nishigaki is a professor at the Faculty of Education at National Chiba University, Japan. She teaches TESOL to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. Her research currently focuses on the pedagogical applications of corpus linguistics. She has authored government-authorized textbooks for junior high and elementary school students.

Chika Ikeda, PhD in ELT and Applied Linguistics Her interests include early L2 literacy development, curriculum and material development especially at the primary- and secondary-level EFL teaching, and EFL assessment. Her recent research focuses on the development of phonological awareness in the process of learning to read in EFL.

Pichinart Kumpawan is an English language teacher. She’s currently teaching at a government secondary school in Phrae province, Thailand. She obtained master’s degrees in TEFL from Chulalongkorn university, Thailand. Her field of interests includes methodologies and teaching approaches, language learning and technology, and second language acquisition.

Kiito Shiba is a part-time teacher at Junior High School Affiliated with Chiba University Faculty of Education. He is currently a master's degree student at Chiba University. His field of interest includes motivation, engagement, reflection, and lesson improvement.