Effectiveness and Problems of Intermediate Technical Japanese Language Education Supported by Sempai Students

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  • 先輩留学生が参加する中級レベルの専門日本語教育の可能性と問題点
  • センパイ リュウガクセイ ガ サンカ スル チュウキュウ レベル ノ センモン ニホンゴ キョウイク ノ カノウセイ ト モンダイテン

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Abstract

This article reports on the effectiveness and problems of a classroom environment in which a foreign sempai (a graduate student who took the course in a previous semester) acts as a supporter in a Technical Japanese Language course for Science and Engineering majors. According to our previous study, students appear to suffer a decline in motivation when taking Technical Japanese classes handled by Japanese language teachers with little technical knowledge. However, for students at an intermediate level of Japanese, it is hard to understand lectures in the Japanese language presented by Japanese technical specialists, and this makes them feel very uncomfortable. To address this problem, the authors have tried inviting a sempai to join the class to give students more opportunities to talk about their specialist field using the Japanese technical vocabulary they have just learned. Interviews with students revealed that the sempai's participation produced a powerful influence on students as NPRM (Near Peer Role Models), enhancing learning effectiveness as well as improving emotional factors. The interviews also showed that students who have a much higher level of specialist knowledge tended to prefer being taught by native Japanese specialists, that is to say, perceptions toward learning Technical Japanese Language differ widely between students.

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