Papers by Irina Zaykovskaya
What does it mean to be human in a profession that requires you to innovate by listening, contemp... more What does it mean to be human in a profession that requires you to innovate by listening, contemplating, and transforming contemporary and past ideas? How does one define and strive for success in such a demanding profession while maintaining a sense of self? Those new to academia – either as students or emerging professionals – will inevitably encounter these questions in some form. While some have a support system to answer such questions, many others struggle to navigate the labyrinth of academia. Having a mentor to provide advice and support is crucial in helping us avoid this labyrinth’s dead ends and pitfalls, so that the goals we aspire to can be achieved. The 2019 Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) was hosted by Michigan State University (MSU). With the support of the co-chairs of the event, Caitlin Cornell and Matt Kessler, we inaugurated the mentor lunch session, in which 17 faculty members and 17 students participated. The goal of the program was twofold: 1) to connect...
Dr. Kimi Nakatsukasa was born in Kyoto, Japan, and she completed her bachelor’s degree at Sophia ... more Dr. Kimi Nakatsukasa was born in Kyoto, Japan, and she completed her bachelor’s degree at Sophia University in Japan. In 2006, she completed her Master’s degree at Georgetown University. She joined the Second Language Studies program at Michigan State University in 2006, and completed her doctorate, entitled Efficacy of gestures and recasts on the acquisition of L2 grammar , in 2013 under the supervision of Shawn Loewen; Susan Gass, Debra Hardison and Paula Winke also served on her dissertation committee. Her dissertation was one of the few studies to combine nonverbal behavior with corrective feedback research, and she pushed the boundaries even further by designing a quasi-experimental study that investigated the effectiveness of combining gestures with oral corrective feedback on English past tense and locative preposition. After completing her doctoral degree, Kimi worked as an assistant professor at Texas Tech University from 2013 until the time of her death. Kimi’s interest in...
Multifunctionality in English
MSU Working Papers in Second Language Studies, 2019
Foreword What does it mean to be human in a profession that requires you to innovate by listening... more Foreword What does it mean to be human in a profession that requires you to innovate by listening, contemplating, and transforming contemporary and past ideas? How does one define and strive for success in such a demanding profession while maintaining a sense of self? Those new to academia-either as students or emerging professionals-will inevitably encounter these questions in some form. While some have a support system to answer such questions, many others struggle to navigate the labyrinth of academia. Having a mentor to provide advice and support is crucial in helping us avoid this labyrinth's dead ends and pitfalls, so that the goals we aspire to can be achieved. The 2019 Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) was hosted by Michigan State University (MSU). With the support of the co-chairs of the event, Caitlin Cornell and Matt Kessler, we inaugurated the mentor lunch session, in which 17 faculty members and 17 students participated. The goal of the program was twofold: 1) to connect mentors and mentees with similar research interests, and 2) to strongly encourage mentors and mentees to not only discuss research but also to help foster the growth of the SLA community by assisting students in their integration into it. The second part entailed mentoring individuals with regard to such things as the development of their professional identities, as well as advising them on ways to support, grow and care for their personal self. In essence, our goal was to acknowledge, support, celebrate and develop emerging members of the community by focusing not only on the scholarly but on their human side, as well. The event was a success, even though only 17 of the 40-plus students were able to participate in this session. As such, we asked a few mentors to answer questions on topics ranging from searching for a job to finding a work-life balance to having a family while maintaining an academic career. We hope this compilation will unveil at least some of the mysteries of academia for those who are currently, or will soon, navigate the labyrinth. We would like to warmly express our gratitude to the mentors who took the time to meet and share their valuable insights with us and our readers.
Second language learners' beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes about themselves as learners and th... more Second language learners' beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes about themselves as learners and their language learning process have been studied extensively (Wesely, 2012). The relationship between learner beliefs and study abroad (SA) experiences, however, has primarily been investigated in terms of what effects SA might have on learner beliefs (Amuzie & Winke, 2009; Kaypak & Ortaçtepe, 2014; Tanaka & Ellis, 2003). Notably absent is an examination of the impact of learner beliefs on actual SA experiences, and all of these studies investigated learners of English. Applying case study methodology (Duff, 2014) and drawing upon data from in-depth interviews and reflections, we investigated the beliefs of an American college learner of Russian and the ways in which they affected his SA experience. Our analysis revealed that the learner's pre-existing beliefs about language, language learning, target language, and the target language community/culture contributed positively to his SA in Russia. His positive attitudes towards the target language and community kept him motivated and helped him recognize and overcome culture shock. For example, his pre-SA belief that the immersion setting facilitated the usage of the target language prompted him to seek and seize opportunities for communication, as well use his whole linguistic and cultural repertoire.
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Papers by Irina Zaykovskaya