Research

Selected Presentation

How and Why WordEngine Improves TOEIC and TOEFL Scores Cihi, G. (2014)
Introduces how these tests are lexically composed and reviews how WordEngine quickly fills specific lexical gaps in each learner's vocabulary. Includes score data from large-scale independent research projects and concludes with the most likely reasons why test scores go up so quickly.
1500 Words In One Year - Summary Handout Wiltshier, J. (2014)
This handout summarizes the background issues and key findings of a case study article published in the Miyagi Gakuin Women's University English Department Journal entitled, "1500 Word Vocabulary Increase in One Year Studying 10 Minutes Each Day: Is it Possible?" The full article is available on the Published Research page of this website.
WordEngine Case Studies Cihi, G. (2013)
A brief review of WordEngine's key attributes and then five case studies outlining how major schools have implemented WordEngine programs to achieve their specific goals.
TOEIC - TOEFL Vocabulary Secrets Revealed Cihi, G. (2013)
An in-depth review of how and why ETS, the maker of TOEIC and TOEFL, uses esoteric, low frequency vocabulary to create these two proficiency tests, plus advice for teachers on how best to utilize existing graded readers to help their students score higher on the tests.
WordEngine Results Summary Cihi, G. (2013)
Substantial average test score increases on TOEIC and TOEFL provide strong evidence that the direct study of high frequency vocabulary is not only the fastest way to improve test scores but also a great way to support all four core skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.
Announcement: Online Vocabulary Acquisition and Foreign Language Teaching Conference Cihi, G., Vannieu B. A presentation hosted by the School of Languages and Communication, Kobe University, Japan.
Technology offers the potential to enhance language acquisition, however, from a practical perspective what types of synergies can we look forward to between classroom and online self-study systems? As technology advances, what is the ideal role of university teachers in the twenty-first century?
Final G-Startup Presentation Cihi, G. (2011)
Lexxica won first prize in a start-up venture business competition in Beijing China. The competition was held in conjunction with a major industry conference entitled "Global Mobile Computing Conference." These are the award winning slides Lexxica's Guy Cihi presented to the competition judges and to thousands of conference attendees. A narrated version of this presentation is also available on the Word Engine Channel on YouTube.
TOEIC Vocabulary – Secrets Revealed Cihi, G., Culligan, B. (2011) Presentation given at ETJ Congress and National JALT Conference.
Detailed analysis of a 1.25 million-word TOEIC corpus consisting of actual TOEIC tests and high-quality practice tests reveals that more than one third of the high-frequency vocabulary words commonly occurring on almost every TOEIC test are not highly frequent words in a 500 million-word corpus of General English. The authors suggest that ETS, the creators of TOEIC and many other high-stakes tests, are using esoteric vocabulary to create difficult 'Items' (questions) for the purpose of facilitating more accurate scoring.
2008 ECAP Keynote Presentation - Technology and Language Learning. Online Tools for Reading Skills and Vocabulary Development Browne C. (2008)
Technology and Language Learning. Online Tools for Reading Skills and Vocabulary Development. In this keynote presentation, Dr. Browne presents research that analyzes the vocabulary difficulty of reading materials used in Japan, and introduces a variety of free online tools which can help teachers measure a student's vocabulary size, analyze the difficulty of reading materials, and teach learners important high-frequency vocabulary words.
JALT 2007 Presentation - Free Vocabulary Tests and Individualized Flashcards Browne C., Cihi G. (2007)
This PowerPoint presentation reviews some of the key facts about vocabulary and reading comprehension, and briefly reviews Lexxica's testing and teaching applications. It was presented by Browne and Cihi at the 2007 Japan Association of Language Teachers (JALT) conference in Tokyo.