Japanese Learners Research Articles

The Effects of Self-Directed Perception Training on Japanese Noun Accent by American Learners of Japanese

The Effects of Self-Directed Perception Training on Japanese Noun Accent by American Learners of Japanese

Fostering Inclusive Learning and 21st‐Century Skills: Creating Translanguaging Spaces in University Content and Language Integrated Learning Courses

ABSTRACTContent and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an innovative educational approach applicable to diverse settings. CLIL promotes 21st‐century skills, including logical and critical thinking, problem‐solving, creativity, collaboration, and cross‐cultural awareness. In Asia, particularly Japan, CLIL has predominantly focused on English language acquisition, often overshadowing its broader goal of developing other skills. Accordingly, a new language course has been developed to enhance both language proficiency and 21st‐century skills among Japanese and English learners at an international university in Japan. This study presents findings from a larger case study that examines student and teacher experiences within the new CLIL framework, leveraging translanguaging pedagogy. Analyzing student reflections and interviews, this study highlights the role of translanguaging in enhancing 21st‐century skills such as leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration, particularly in group projects. However, deeply ingrained monolingual beliefs pose challenges to students fully embracing translanguaging methods, despite their educational value. This study provides insights for educators and policymakers advocating innovative language programs, particularly in fostering global citizenship and diverse skillsets essential in contemporary contexts. It also highlights the importance of integrating language learning with broader skill development in multicultural educational environments.

Effectiveness of Content-Based Instruction (CBI) Model Based on Multimedia Presentations for Improving the Japanese Language Learning Outcomes of STIKES Bethesda Tomohon Students

This research aims to examine students' learning outcomes using the Content-Based Instruction (CBI) model facilitated by Multimedia Presentations, and to assess the efficiency of this approach in enhancing students' proficiency in Japanese. This study's background indicates that numerous students struggle with learning Japanese due to pedagogical approaches that prioritize memory and are predominantly traditional in nature. This research employs a pre-experimental design utilizing an Intact-Group Comparison methodology. Data acquisition Observation and test administration (Pretest-Posttest). Statistical analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistics. Forty pupils from STIKES BETHESDA were sampled. This study demonstrates that the Content-Based Instruction (CBI) learning approach utilizing Multimedia Presentations enhances Japanese language proficiency among students. The result is that the Content-Based Instruction (CBI) paradigm utilizing Multimedia Presentations is demonstrably beneficial in enhancing students' Japanese language learning outcomes.

Incorporating online writing resources into self‐regulated learning strategy‐based instruction: An intervention study

AbstractBackgroundWhile self‐regulated learning (SRL) strategy‐based writing instruction has been proposed in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, there is insufficient evidence with Japanese EFL learners and little discussion on incorporating online resources into SRL strategy‐based writing instruction, despite the availability of various online platforms.ObjectivesThis study proposed an SRL strategy‐based instruction for technology‐assisted writing and explored its immediate and sustained impacts on Japanese tertiary EFL learners' writing performance, reported use of SRL strategies, self‐efficacy beliefs and perceived acceptance of technology.MethodsThe research design used was a pre‐experimental pre‐test, post‐test and delayed post‐test design with a quantitative approach using convenience sampling. Participants were 44 students enrolled in an academic writing course at a Japanese university. Over an 8‐week period, these students received SRL strategy‐based writing instruction supported by online writing resources. The research instruments included writing tests and questionnaires assessing SRL strategies, self‐efficacy and technology acceptance at the beginning of the intervention (Time 1), immediately after the intervention (Time 2) and 1 month after the intervention (Time 3). The data analysis techniques involved ANOVA, post‐hoc tests, and examination of the effect sizes.Results and ConclusionThe results showed statistically significant improvements in students' writing performance, SRL strategy use, self‐efficacy and technology acceptance from Time 1 to Time 2 and persistent impacts at Time 3, suggesting the intervention's potential to improve EFL writing. This study contributes to EFL writing pedagogy by exploring the immediate and sustained impacts of teaching SRL strategies in a technology‐enhanced writing environment.

Conceptualisation of event roles in L1 and L2 by Japanese learners of English: a cross-linguistic comparison of perspectives of event construal

Abstract Events can be perceived from different perspectives. Langacker, Ronald W. (1990. Subjectification. Cognitive Linguistics 1. 5–38) typologically categorised the perspectives in event construal as subjective construal and objective construal based on how egocentric a perspective is. Compared with Western languages, such as English, Japanese is argued to be a language that favours subjective construal. However, little empirical work has tested this assumption directly. We investigated whether Japanese and English construe events from different perspectives by focusing on the linguistic encodings of event roles “agent” and “patient”. Our findings show that when selecting event roles as sentence subjects, Japanese speakers prioritised animacy over agency whereas English speakers emphasised agency (while also considering animacy). This can be attributed to the different preferences of the two languages for the degree of egocentricity in event construal. Furthermore, we explored how L1-based conceptualisation of event roles influences the linguistic expressions of event roles in L2. Our results demonstrate that Japanese learners of English had difficulty reconceptualising event roles in L2 English. This study adds a piece of quantitative evidence to the cognitive linguistics theory on subjective construal in Japanese and questions the universality of the agent-first hypothesis in the Thematic Hierarchy.

The processing and interpretation of sich in German as a second language by Japanese and Korean learners

The processing and interpretation of <i>sich</i> in German as a second language by Japanese and Korean learners

The Effect of L2 Intensive Reading Guidance on Summary Writing: Focusing on Summaries of Argumentative Essays by Intermediate Chinese Learners of Japanese

The Effect of L2 Intensive Reading Guidance on Summary Writing: Focusing on Summaries of Argumentative Essays by Intermediate Chinese Learners of Japanese

Identifying ChatGPT-generated texts in EFL students’ writing: Through comparative analysis of linguistic fingerprints

The emergence of generative AI (GenAI) poses new challenges for L2 writing teachers. This study investigates the distinguishability of essays written by Japanese EFL learners from those generated by ChatGPT. Partially replicating Herbold et al. (2023), 140 first-year university students wrote essays and completed a survey on ChatGPT use. Among them, 125 wrote independently, 13 used ChatGPT for proofreading, and two asked ChatGPT to write the entire essay. To create a comparative dataset, 123 additional essays were generated by ChatGPT, imitating the two texts. The resulting 263 essays were then analyzed using the natural language processing (NLP) technique, including automated linguistic analysis and machine learning classification using random forest. The results reveal significant differences between human-written and ChatGPT-generated essays across all linguistic features, with the latter being easily identifiable. This study emphasizes the need for clear guidelines on the ethical use of AI in L2 writing, highlighting the potential risk of inappropriate AI use and the importance of fostering a mutual understanding of AI use with learners regarding responsible AI integration in academic work.

The effects of chunk reading strategy training on the word chunking skills of L1-Japanese English learners

The Chunk-and-Pass model posits that language acquisition involves learning to effectively chunk linguistic input, thereby recoding it into larger linguistic sequences, such as from words to phrases, to form more abstract representations. This quasi-experimental study investigates the impact of Chunk Reading Strategy Training (CRST) on enhancing the word chunking skills of low-proficiency Japanese English learners. In the CRST intervention, English sentences were segmented into smaller units—each grammatically and semantically meaningful—and presented on a computer screen one chunk at a time. Using a pre-posttest design, 29 Japanese secondary school students underwent the CRST intervention (treatment group), while 21 students received block-format reading training (control group) in 10 sessions of 15–20 min each. Results from a self-paced reading task showed that the treatment group significantly improved their word chunking skills in the posttest, whereas the control group did not. These findings suggest that CRST has the potential to enhance word chunking skills among Japanese English learners and shed light on the pedagogical implications of the Chunk-and-Pass model.

Task-generated processes in second language speech production: Exploring the neural correlates of task complexity during silent pauses

Abstract The last three decades have seen significant development in understanding and describing the effects of task complexity on learner internal processes. However, researchers have primarily employed behavioral methods to investigate task-generated cognitive load. Being the first to adopt neuroimaging to study second language (L2) task effects, we aimed to provide novel insights into the neural correlates of task-related variation in L2 oral production. To advance research methodology, we also tested the utility of a neuroimaging technique, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in examining the impact of task-related variables on L2 speech production when combined with cognitive–behavioral tools (speech analysis, expert and learner judgments). Our research focus was the effects of task complexity on silent pausing. Twenty-four Japanese learners of English completed eight simple and complex versions of decision-making tasks, half in their first language and half in their L2. The dataset for the present study included the L2 speech and fMRI data, expert judgments, and participants’ difficulty ratings of the L1 and L2 tasks they completed. Based on our findings, we concluded that brain imaging and L1 task difficulty ratings were more sensitive to detecting task complexity effects than L2 self-ratings and pausing measures. These results point to the benefits of triangulating cognitive and neural data to study task-based neurocognitive processes.

Explicit information and practice type can affect the L2 acquisition of plural marking

Abstract Previous research has indicated that explicit information (EI) about either the first language (L1) or second language (L2) along with task-essential practice can facilitate L2 learning (e.g., Fernández, 2008; McManus, 2022). However, little research has examined L1–L2 contrastive EI with L1/L2 practice. Targeting plural-marking accuracy, the present study sought to fill this gap by exposing 127 Japanese intermediate learners of English to six online treatment sessions across four conditions: (1) non-contrastive EI (pluralization rule explanation) + L2 practice, (2) contrastive EI + L2 practice, (3) as per Condition 2 + additional L1 practice (application of L2 pluralization to L1 through the Japanese suffix –tachi), and (4) using prepositions as a control, non-contrastive EI (prepositional rule explanation) + L2 practice. Accuracy was tested at pre/post/delayed intervals using an acceptability judgement task (reading) and a picture description task (writing). Statistical analyses demonstrated greater gains from the contrastive variables in the immediate post-test, with L1 practice appearing especially beneficial, despite improvements diminishing in the delayed post-test. Supplementary data from retroactive interviews and questionnaire responses indicated favourable orientations towards the intervention. The study advances understanding of how EI and practice type can be used to maximize L2 learning through web-based practices tailored to the nature of the learning problem.

Audiovisual speech perception of multilingual learners of Japanese

ABSTRACT Due to the complex nature of languages and the way they are used, it is often difficult to research multilinguals because of the considerable variation in the ways their spoken languages may impact their perceptions. For this reason, foreign language education research has largely been focused on English L2 speakers, overlooking how different languages might impact perception in multilingual speakers. Focusing on Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) learners, this research investigated how multilinguals responded to audiovisual cues in Japanese and English. Utilising web-based eye-tracking technology facilitated by WebGazer.js. Participants were asked to complete a novel phonetic distinction task while their gaze behaviour was measured. Contrary to initial theoretical expectations, the findings did not reveal significant mediation by gaze behaviour on the relationship between multilingualism and task performance. However, the study found that when looking at the duration of fixation on the mouth, there's a significant difference between native English speakers and native speakers of Asian languages when listening to English or Japanese. These findings indicate that further research that explores the nuances of gaze behaviour among multilingual learners of non-English languages (such as Japanese) is necessary.

The Gendered Construction of the Japanese Language-Learning Boom in Postcolonial Korea

ABSTRACT This article analyses the print news media’s gendered representation of Japanese language-learners in postcolonial Korea. It focuses on why young women, notably yŏdaesaeng (female college students) and kisaeng (sex workers in the tourism or entertainment industry), were identified as the main learners of Japanese. I argue that male media elites could not respond to the growing demand for learning the Japanese language in terms of the anti-Japanese nationalistic framework, which equated Korean nationalism to anti-Japanese sentiment. Instead, they attributed postcolonial Korea’s failure to create and sustain a monolingual state to female subjects’ sentimental, sexually promiscuous desire to learn Japanese. Throughout the article, I argue that public commentaries by male intellectuals on Korean women’s Japanese language-learning, which were widely circulated in the media, reinscribed language ideologies of women and bilingualism. This perpetuated patriarchal gender relations, as male nationalists sought to manage tensions arising from Japan’s continued economic and cultural influence, despite the ‘official’ normalisation of relations between Korea and the former colonial power.

Exploring the Development of Progressive Construction in Chinese and Japanese EFL Writing: A Usage‐Based Approach

AbstractThis study investigates the developmental trajectory of progressive construction among Chinese and Japanese EFL learners through a usage‐based approach. A total of 600 written essays, produced by EFL learners from China and Japan with proficiency levels ranging from elementary to upper‐intermediate, were analyzed. The findings reveal that advanced EFL learners, irrespective of their L1 backgrounds, exhibit higher productivity in using progressive constructions, aligning more closely with native English speakers. Moreover, the results support the aspect hypothesis, as activity verbs are predominantly marked with progressive across all learner groups. As for the development of progressive construction, less prototypical verb types in progressives increase proportionally with proficiency levels in the top 10 contingencies. However, discrepancies in proportions among Chinese and Japanese EFL learners underscore the need for a further examination of the intricate patterns of non‐prototypical form‐meaning associations across L1 backgrounds. The present study bears significance in shedding light on the acquisition of tense‐aspect morphology influenced by L1 transfer and learner proficiency.

Bridging in-class and out-of-class learning experiences: a study of learners of Chinese and Japanese in Australia

ABSTRACT Despite an increasing number of studies that explore language learning beyond the classroom (LBC), research examining LBC activities in relation to in-class learning is very limited. This paper investigates what kinds of LBC activities university students of Chinese and Japanese in Australia engage in and how they connect these activities to classroom learning. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, two-week diary entries about their exposure to the target language and stimulated-recall interviews based on their diary entries. The analysis reveals several ways that the students bridge in-class and out-of-class learning, including integration between in-class learning and LBC which are mutually supportive. It also shows some differences in types of LBC activities between learners of Chinese and those of Japanese, in part due to the limited availability of online resources and media in China. Based on these findings, we need to continue to discuss how to encourage LBC based on students’ digital literacies and practices and how to integrate LBC with classroom learning.

Japanese Compound Verbs 「〜dasu」「〜deru」「〜komu」: Exploring Meaning and Illustrated Pedagogy for Japanese Learners

Research on the use of compound verbs in learning the Japanese language becomes crucial as previous studies have not fully addressed aspects related to the necessity of categorizing compound verbs clearly and accurately with a simple understanding. Although Satou (2002) divides verbs based on morphophonology, the research remains incomplete without considering morphosemantic aspects. Therefore, doubts arise regarding the result of combining the two verbs, whether the Verbs Group 1 ‘Godan Doushi’ (V1), referred to as the initial verb element 'zenkouyouso', or the Verbs Group 2 ‘Ichidan Doushi’ (V2), referred to as the final verb element 'gokouyouso', still adhere to the status of the final verb as a jidoushi or tadoushi. Kageyama's (1993) study on the meaning and usage of compound verbs [-dasu] is divided into two groups, indicating a change of place 'ichihenka' and aspect 'aspekuto,' observed in Japanese sentences. The concepts of compound verbs developed by Satou (2002) and Kageyama (2016) are combined eclectically in this research, aiming to obtain accurate data. The results of this analysis may not be well understood without additional support. Therefore, the analysis is presented with the illustrations of compound verbs 「〜dasu」「〜deru」「〜komu」, which are drawn based on example sentences. This research aims to categorize the meanings of compound verbs in Japanese and illustrate them in pictures. Thus, Japanese language learners will optimally understand the use of those verbs based on both the inherent meaning of verbs and sentence structure.

A survey study of success attribution factors in reading comprehension performance-evidence from Chinese college students of Japanese language majors

Attribution beliefs are important psychological factors that affect students’ reading performance. This paper reports a survey study on Japanese Major students’ success attribution factors in reading comprehension performance through a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. The participants are 160 third-year Japanese language learners from four universities in Jiangsu Province, China. Findings revealed that 1) the Japanese third-year language learners show a tendency of positive attribution style on the whole, with the mean value of Internal Factors (Mean=3.68) higher than that of External Factors (Mean=3.23), which means that most of Japanese Major learners attribute their success to Internal Factors in terms of Japanese reading comprehension performance. 2)There are differences existing between high achievers and low achievers with regard to success attribution factors in Japanese reading comprehension performance, with high achievers’ mean scores higher than low achievers in both Internal Factors and External Factors. The research findings have greatly enhanced our understanding of Japanese language learners’ success attribution beliefs in reading comprehension performance, which will provide educational guidance and recommendation for both teachers and students during the process of teaching and learning Japanese language.

Declarative and Automatized Phonological Vocabulary Knowledge: Recognition, Recall, Lexicosemantic Judgment, and Listening‐Focused Employability of Second Language Words

AbstractThis study revisits the roles of different aspects of phonological vocabulary knowledge in second language (L2) listening. Japanese learners of English (n = 114) completed the TOEIC Listening test and three phonological vocabulary tests assessing (a) ability to recognize the meanings of aural forms (meaning recognition), (b) ability to recall the meanings of aural forms (meaning recall), and (c) ability to spontaneously judge the appropriate use of word meanings in sentential contexts (lexicosemantic judgment task [LJT]). Among the three measures, the LJT best predicted the participants’ ability to access the target words during real‐life L2 listening comprehension of monologues and conversations (measured via TOEIC). Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the LJT was distinct from both meaning recognition and recall and revealed their different associations with listening comprehension scores. In line with the skill acquisition theory, we propose that the LJT reflects automatized knowledge, whereas meaning recognition and recall represent declarative knowledge.

Negative transfers in phonological systems of native Chinese speakers when learning Japanese

Negative transfers in phonological systems of native Chinese speakers when learning Japanese

The effect of instruction on L2 learners’ ability to use verbal irony online

Abstract As verbal irony, including jocular irony, is common in many cultures and since language learners have difficulty with it in the target language, L2 educators have made efforts to help learners recognize irony. However, empirical research on using verbal irony online is lacking. Using a pre-posttest, control group design, this study aimed to fill the research gap by examining the efficacy of instruction on the ability of L2 learners to use verbal irony effectively (e.g., saliently, humorously) in response to social media posts. Japanese learners of English (N = 77) were involved. The instruction focused on sociopragmatics (e.g., appropriate usage) and pragmalinguistic aspects (e.g., non-verbal irony cues). Two instruments of 42 mock social media posts each were created (e.g., “My boss just yelled at me even though it was HIS fault.”), and the participants were asked to choose 12 of these to respond ironically to. Two independent raters judged all 1,848 blinded responses for their overall quality. The irony types and cues were also coded by researchers. The findings suggested that the experimental group significantly improved their ability to use verbal irony appropriately and saliently. Compared to the control group, in the posttest they more often used irony in more appropriate contexts (e.g., in response to funny posts as opposed to saddening news). Moreover, they used more irony cues, and their irony was more often rated as funny in the posttest. Implications for teachers and researchers are discussed.