LANGUAGE LEARNING AND ENJOYMENT OF STEM STUDENTS STUDYING JAPANESE

Abstract

In the UK, government policy texts highlighted the notion of enjoyment in 2003 and 2008. 13 years have passed and those who received the education of learning and enjoyment in primary schools are now undergraduate students or older. Has this new generation successfully brought up with learning and enjoyment? This study investigates if the Science, Technology Engineering and Medicine (STEM) majoring undergraduate students who studied Japanese in the Institution-Wide Language Provision (IWLP) context enjoy Japanese language learning. This study is a joint research project between two British universities in London. Questionnaires were used to generate the data. The participants were STEM students who were studying Japanese in the 2015/2016 academic year. The results showed that one in five students have already interests in Japanese culture and Japan before they study, which relates to their enjoyment of language learning to motivation. Furthermore, the majority of the STEM students answered that they enjoyed Japanese language learning and their experience of flow was also confirmed. These results indicate that people’s general assumption that all learning is grim and unpleasant is not true and these assumptions can be changed, which may lead to establish language learning as a leisure activity such as games, shopping or hobbies. As an implication for the professional practices, language teachers are encouraged to be familiar with the concept of enjoyment and flow so that they can manipulate and invoke flow their students’ enjoyment.