STATUS OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF JAPANESE LANGUAGE IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN KENYA

Abstract

Japanese language is one of the major languages and the eighth most powerful language in the world. In Kenya, the Japanese language is taught in some universities and middle-level tertiary institutions. However, a large number of learners study the language at the basic level, and only a few of them progress to the advanced levels of the language. There is a need to establish the cause of the high rate of attrition with a view to propose remedial measures necessary for the enhancement of progression rates. In this paper, the status of the teaching and learning of the Japanese language in tertiary institutions in Kenya is investigated. The study focused mainly on instructional methods and instructional resources employed in the teaching of the language. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations. The study revealed that teachers blend Grammar Translation, Direct and Communicative Language Teaching methods during instructions. It was further seen that Kanji script is not taught in some of the institutions and that though learners are exposed to authentic listening resources, they are not exposed to authentic reading resources. In addition, the instructional resources employed in the learning of the language do not contain local cultural content and therefore, the learners are not adequately exposed to aspects of local context during instructions. Lack of emphasis on Kanji in the language curricula was identified as the main factor contributing to high dropout rates and hampering the progression of learners of the Japanese language to advanced levels.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0927/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>