STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES ON THE LEARNING PROCESS OF ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES (ENGLISH AND JAPANESE) IN A BILINGUAL PUBLIC SCHOOL IN MANAUS

Abstract

This study aimed to explore elementary school students' perspectives regarding their bilingual learning experiences in a public state school in Manaus, Brazil offering instruction in Portuguese and Japanese. An online questionnaire assessing perceptions of language learning was administered to 165 students in grades 8 and 9, ranging in age from 12 to 14 years old, without distinguishing gender. Data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed through the theoretical lens of several prominent frameworks in the field, including those proposed by Ferreira and Araújo (2021), Cook (2011), Dornyei (2005), Fan and Chen (2011), Gao (2019), Lazar (2007), Locke (1997), Norton and Toohey (2011), Krashen (2011), and Peng and Woodrow (2010). Findings suggest language teaching in this setting could benefit from promoting holistic exposure to the target language by integrating formal and informal learning opportunities that combine linguistic knowledge development with listening, reading comprehension, and cultural immersion. This study provides initial insights into learner perspectives to inform the design of empirically-supported bilingual education programs.