An exploration of on-task language policy and student satisfaction

Abstract

In this study, 94 university freshmen undertook an authentic, experientially driven media production project at a Japanese university which promotes a target language (TL)-only classroom language policy. The project was staged across six 90-minute lessons and sought to promote culturally and socially relevant task-based activities grounded in the belief that authentic learning can only occur through tasks that result in achievement which is significant and meaningful rather than that which is trivial or useless (Newmann and Wehlage 1993). The project manipulated the on-task language policy of the students by assigning 47 of the students to work under strict TL-only policy whilst the other 47 students were permitted to use both the TL and the native language. General student satisfaction and the specific attributions of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the project under both language conditions were recorded through a questionnaire and analysed in relation to attitudes toward the optimal language-learning environment.