Weaving Curricular Standards into the Language Classroom: An Action Research Study

Abstract

Absteact.This action research study examines the perspectives and voices of students in a post‐secondary Japanese class through an authentic project — a pen pal letter exchange. The project's effects on student motivation and learning are analyzed through the lens of the five goals of the national standards: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. The study describes how a project‐based unit with a focus on meaning can promote the developmental and creative aspects of second language acquisition. Moreover, it illustrates how a classroom activity can embody the national standards in a way that is relevant and meaningful for students acquiring language and cultural literacy skills in a second language.