Paul Raine

Keio University

Vocableveltest.org is a testing platform on which users can create on- line self-marking meaning-recall (reading or listening) and form-recall (typing) tests that address a number of limitations of the existing vocabulary level tests and vocabulary size tests. A major limitation of many existing vocabulary tests is the written receptive meaning-rec...

Many language teachers are already familiar with TED Talks (www.ted.com); a wide range of freely available video presentations given by expert speakers on a variety of topics. However, it is not a simple task to find a TED Talk of an appropriate speed or linguistic level for English language learners of a certain level, or to develop supplementary...

Recent advances in AI and neural machine learning have drastically improved the accuracy of automatic speech recognition (ASR) technologies. Consequently, ASR tools have been gaining headway in language learning environments. The present study seeks to investigate the relationship between students’ standardized language test scores, their speaking...

Sentence translation activities have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with a number of hugely successful language learning websites adopting translation as their pedagogical basis. This paper introduces Sentence Builder, a web-based tool that utilizes the Tatoeba sentence database and Web 2.0 technologies to generate effective and e...

In the 21st century, there is a near ubiquity of web-connected devices amongst language learners, and the considerable success of mass market web-based language learning applications shows a strong demand for such tools. Where does this leave EFL educators wanting to tap into the global trend, and create their own innovative web applications for le...

Apps 4 EFL (www.apps4efl.com) is a Web Based Language Learning (WBLL) platform wholly developed by the author. It uses Creative Commons Data in conjunction with open web technologies to deliver engaging and effective English language learning activities. This paper discusses the types of data utilized by Apps 4 EFL, and gives details about some of...

In this paper, we describe the functionality of Real Time and its implications for language learning at institutions of higher education. As a new feature of the Apps 4 EFL Web-based Language Learning (WBLL) platform, Real Time offers teachers and students the possibility to engage in synchronous learning on PC or mobile devices such as smartphones...

This paper explores the idea of adopting a participation point system (PPS) in order to encourage more proactive learning behaviors. It is argued that proactive learning is both necessary and desirable when considering the logistics of Japanese university classrooms, conditions established by Communicative Language Teaching, and expectations of Wes...

The benefits and drawbacks of four systems for conveying or denoting the sounds of the English language are evaluated, namely: the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), pronunciation respelling, katakana, and recorded audio samples. The results of a survey designed to reveal which of these systems were most favored by Japanese university learners...

This study investigated the effectiveness of subtitled, authentic videos as tools for incidentally increasing depth of vocabulary knowledge. Low-intermediate level Japanese learners of English were shown authentic videos, subtitled in four different modes (intralingual, interlingual, dual, and no subtitles). A Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) test...