Satoshi Yamagata

Satoshi Yamagata

Department of Linguistics and Communication
Doctoral researcher

Contact details

PhD title: Evaluating the effects of semantic transparency and the timing of explicit instruction on learning verb-noun collocations in the Japanese EFL context
SupervisorsDr Gareth Carrol (Lead Supervisor) and Dr Crayton Walker (Co-Supervisor)
PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics (Distance Learning)

Qualifications

  • PSC in TEFL (2014) University of Victoria, Canada
  • MEd English Education (2015) Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan
  • BA Human Welfare Studies (2013) Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

Biography

Satoshi Yamagata is an English language teacher at Kansai University Dai-Ichi Senior High School/Dai-Ichi Junior High School, in Japan. His research interest falls into the areas of L2 vocabulary learning with the aid of cognitive linguistics and psychology. He is currently working on researching multi-word expressions having figurative meanings, such as collocations and phrasal verbs.

Teaching

  • 2014.4. - 2015.3. Teaching Assistant at Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan
  • 2013.4. - 2015.3. Tutor for international students at Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan
  • 2015.4. - 2016.3. English Language Teacher (Full-time) at Masago Junior High School, Nishinomiya City Board of Education, Japan
  • 2016.4. - Current English Language Teacher (Full-time) at Kansai University Dai-Ichi Senior High School / Dai-Ichi Junior High School, Japan

Research

Research suggests that the adequate use of lexical phrases (e.g., phrasal verbs and collocations) helps L2 learners become competent not only in speech but also in writing skills. Despite the importance of these phrases, they are widely recognized as a major source of confusion for L2 learners. Considering how the learning of such lexical phrases can be facilitated is a valuable question to address. To this end, for the past few years, I have been working primarily on exploring how practice opportunities for given collocations should be distributed for efficient learning to take place. Based on findings of the existing studies, my PhD study will further look at how collocational items should be ordered in learning material by manipulating factors including semantic transparency level and the timing of explicit instruction.

Other activities

  • 2018.6.-2022.6. Treasurer of Kansai English Language Education Society (KELES)
  • 2023.6.-Present. Secretary of Kansai English Language Education Society (KELES)

Reviewer of scientific journals:

  • 2018-2022: Studies in English Language Teaching (SELT)
  • 2022-Present: The Journal of Asia TEFL
  • 2023-Present: Reading in a Foreign Language
  • 2023-Present: TESOL Journal
  • 2023-Present: International Review of Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching (IRAL)

Presentations

  • Satoshi Yamagata, Tatsuya Nakata, & James Rogers. Effects of spacing and massing on the acquisition of verb-noun collocations: From item learning and system learning perspectives. The 30th Conference of the European Second Language Association (EuroSLA). The University of Barcelona, Spain [Zoom] (02/07/2021)
  • Satoshi Yamagata. Learning verb-noun collocations using gap-fill and textual enhancement reading aloud exercises ALANZ/ALAA/ALTAANZ Conference 2017 (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand) 28/11/2017
  • Satoshi Yamagata. Raising Japanese junior high school students’ grammatical awareness through dictoglosses. The 14th Asia TEFL and 11th FEELTA International Conference. Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia (01/07/2016)
  • Satoshi Yamagata & Haruyo Yoshida. Image-based basic verb learning through collaborative or teacher-centered approach. 35th Thailand TESOL International Conference 2015. The Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand (31/01/2015)
  • Satoshi Yamagata & Haruyo Yoshida. Incidental English phrasal-verb learning through a card game: A case study on Japanese EFL graduate students. 12th Asia TEFL and 23rd MELTA International Conference, Borneo Convention Centre, Kuching, Malaysia (29/08/2014)

Memberships

  • BAAL, the UK
  • KELES, Japan
  • LET Kansai, Japan
  • Asia TEFL

Publications

  • Yamagata, S., Nakata, T., & Rogers, J. (2023b). Effects of distributed practice on the acquisition of verb-noun collocations. TESOL Journal, Early View. DOI: 10.1002/tesj.767. 
  • Yamagata, S., Nakata, T., & Rogers, J. (2023a). Effects of distributed practice on the acquisition of verb-noun collocations. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45, 291−317.
  • Yamagata, S. (2018). Comparing core-image-based basic verb learning in EFL junior high school: Learner-centered and teacher-centered approaches. Language Teaching Research, 22, 65−93.
  • Yamagata, S., & Yoshida, H. (2014). A comparative study of explicit instruction and incidental card-game learning toward picture-elucidated phrasal-verb acquisition. Proceedings of ASIA TEFL 2014, 888−895
  • Yamagata, S., & Yoshida, H. (2015). image-based basic verb learning through learner-centred and teacher-centred approaches −A case study on Japanese EFL junior high school students. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5,  679−687.