@article{oai:nagasaki-u.repo.nii.ac.jp:00028032,
 author = {Cutrone, Pino and Collins, William and Nishikawa, Mikako and Datzman, Brien},
 journal = {多文化社会研究, Journal of Global Humanities and Social Sciences, Nagasaki University},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {This exploratory study is designed to shed light on the perceptions and experiences of a group of first-year Japanese EFL university students taking part in a Reading and Discussion course with two goals in mind: 1) to measure the effects of instruction on learners’ confidence to speak in English and 2) to provide university course planners with assessment information that can help them develop practices to improve their ability to teach a specific reading and discussion course in the future. To this end, three online questionnaires were distributed to a cohort of 104 first-year Japanese EFL university students belonging to the School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences at Nagasaki University. The first questionnaire, which was designed to measure students’ confidence to perform speaking tasks over time, was distributed at the start of the semester and again at the end of the semester four months later. The second and third questionnaires, which were designed to assess students’ satisfaction with the course and the coursebook, were administered only at the end of the course. The findings indicate that students’ selfconfidence in performing oral tasks in English greatly improved across the board over the course of the semester. Moreover, the students expressed a high level of satisfaction with the course and the coursebook. Additionally, the three instructors of the Reading and Discussion I course provided their impressions of the course and where they think they can improve. Some of their suggestions included implementing more up to date materials and providing students with more communication opportunities. The authors discuss the implications of these findings and offer some suggestions moving forward. First and foremost, the authors stress the importance of monitoring students’ perceptions throughout a course. In addition, course planners should always strive to use materials that are up-todate and relevant to their students. Finally, instructors need to make concerted efforts to choose materials that best adhere to the specific needs and proficiency levels of the students in their contexts., 多文化社会研究, 9, pp.1-29; 2023},
 pages = {1--29},
 title = {Examining Japanese EFL University Students’ Speaking Self-Confidence and Perceptions of Satisfaction in a Reading and Discussion Course},
 volume = {9},
 year = {2023}
}