Books on study skills

When it comes to completing research dissertation as post-grad research students with non-Engish background, we share common problems. One of them is "isolation"!!! It is hard to obtain appropriate resources for us to reslove the issues we face, particularly when we are so isolated. So I hope the following information would be of some assistance.

I would like to share with you today is some references on study skills for post graduate research students.


1. For general information for post grad students

Cryer, P. (2000). The research student's guide to success. Berkshire, UK. Open University Press.

This book gives you a wide range of information for post grad sutdnets, such as time management, positive interaction with a supervisor, expectations of PG studnets and research student life.

2. For successful academic writing

Craswell, G. (2005). Writing for Academic Success: Apostgraduate guide. London, UK. SAGE Pubications Ltd.

If you would like to get a broad, comprehensive perspective on general requirements for any writing activities including concept map, brain storming technique, semester assignement and written exams, THESIS, presentation and publications like journal articles and books, I would recommend this reference to you.

3. For research and thesis writing

Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., & Tight, M. (2006). How to Research. Berkshire, UK. Open University Press.

Biggam, J. (2008). Succeeding with your Master's Dissertation: A step-by-step handbook. Berkshire, UK. Open Univesity Press.

As a non-native speaker of English, these two are extremely handy references. Explanations are thorough and clear!

I recommend these references to research students with no English speaking background. Good luck!

家庭と仕事と大学院の勉強と付き合いの両立

只今、論文の進度が極めて遅い。所謂スランプ期だと感じるが、ここでだらけると一向に進まなくなるので、無理して少しずつ進行させている。可也の量を書き上げても、論理がずれて来始めたり、纏まりが無くなったり、いい例やＱｕｏｔｅが使えず、言いたい事が希薄になったりする。

４回目の書き直しのTheoretical Frameworkの最初の部分
Cognitive approach has made a vital contribution to the research fields of SLA, particularly in unveiling individual learner’s process of acquisition of a target language. In the 1980s one of the significant research focusing on input effect on SLA was Krashen’s input hypothesis (1985). McLaughlin extended his information processing paradigm from psycholinguistic perspective by using concepts of “automatic processing”(1987, p. 134) and “controlled processing”(1987, p. 135). Swain also claimed the importance of output to SLA in her initial output hypothesis (Swain, 1985) to further develop a model of SLA. The further elaborated output hypothesis explains 3 functions of output, “noticing/ triggering”, “hypothesis-testing function” and “meta-linguistic function” (Swain, 1995, pp. 133-134).

Based on these fundamental findings of SLA from cognitive and intra-psychological perspective, research on pedagogy, especially exploring complexity of collaborative dialogues in a formal setting, require further theoretical framework...

というようにCognitive TheoryとSociocultural Theoryの違いを論理的に証明し、STを当方のリサーチのコンセプチュアル・フレームワークとしたいと結び付けたいわけだが…。外国語を含む第二言語習得に、学習者の認知メカニズムを解明することは大切なことではあるが、学習者・個人としての認知メカニズムの他に、他者との対話のメカニズムも解明しないと、多様化された学習の場での、広い意味での外国語・第二言語学習を解明することは難しい。

現在、Swain教授やOhta 教授やLantolf 教授の文献を再読しているところだ。