New online Japanese educational platform Cyllabus

International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 2021

The mastery of all four language skills that include listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills can determine the level of the students in learning the Japanese language. Therefore, the students should have understood the meaning and usage of vocabulary and grammar to achieve a certain level of proficiency in learning the Japanese language. Learners must acquire a sufficient amount of Japanese vocabulary items to achieve competency in these four language skills. This research aims to identify the students' perceptions of using the interactive multimedia website in acquiring vocabulary and grammar among Japanese language learners in UPM. This research also analyses the participants' behavior while learning the Japanese language using the interactive multimedia website. This research has applied a qualitative data collection method that focused on interviews and observation. The researcher has developed an interactive multimedia website to enable users to learn Japanese words and grammar using an e-learning platform application that incorporates various multimedia tools such as animation, songs, graphics, and movies. Moreover, the Internet might prove to be successful in turning traditional classrooms into communicative and student-centered classrooms. The result indicates the need for an interactive multimedia website in learning vocabulary and grammar in the Japanese language more engaging, apart from facilitating independent learning among Japanese language learners in UPM.

CALICO Journal, 2005

This paper discusses issues surrounding the development and implementation of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) at the curriculum-and programlevels. The Japanese program at the University of Alberta has introduced CALL courseware in language courses including those with multiple sections. An evaluation was conducted at the initial implementation stage to measure the success of the project. The results of the evaluation indicated that students and instructors were positive towards the curriculum reform through the implementation of CALL technologies. However, several issues also arose during the integration process. We found that the seamless integration of technologies was difficult to achieve, especially in dealing with a language like Japanese which requires additional software to display and input the idiographic characters. Our experience also underscores the importance of student support in the implementation stage. Special consideration should be taken to achieve a good "fit" between pedagogy and technology. Moreover, each instructor's understanding and sharing of his or her view of the CALL integrated instruction was found to be vital for a program-level CALL implementation. The University of Alberta case serves as an example and benchmark for others planning to conduct a similar project.

Jurnal Lingua Idea

Industrial revolution 4.0 in the development of instructional media for Japanese language learning is one of the demands of the era that cannot be avoided anymore. Devices that cannot be released from the students' hands make it seems like it's the only source to search for information or answer in the learning process. Learning Japanese is not only through textbooks, but students are able to develop the teaching materials in the form of narratives of tourism and cultural destinations in the city of Bandung using Japanese. Those narratives about the information of destinations are packaged into a website that can be accessed anytime and anywhere, as an interactive instructional media that can increase motivation and interest about the city of Bandung in Japanese. The development of this website is not only for Japanese learners, but also useful as a source of information for Japanese people who will visit the city of Bandung. The latest information about the city of Bandung...

roceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances, HEAd’17, 2017

This paper aims to present JALEA, an innovative web tool for the acquisition of the Japanese language dedicated to higher education learners. In particular it highlights the innovative learner-centered approach based on the self-guided discovery of grammar structures and words’ meanings through the combined use of realia (multimedia contents referring to real-life situations in Japan), hyperlinks and interactive features such as pop-up dictionary, character-writing explanations, slow-motion option in video examples, etc. Moreover, it illustrates the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) characteristics of this web tool, permitting on the one hand the smooth working of the application on several platforms (pc, tablet and smartphone); on the other, its sustainability and maintainability thanks to the implementation of a layer accessible to maintainers (backend) with several automatization features that facilitate the addition of more contents, also by personnel with low ICT k...

The JALT CALL Journal

An increasing number of language educators are taking a blended approach to their teaching in order to enhance students' learning experiences and outcomes. During recent years, online tools have become a valuable resource, aiding teachers in course delivery and assessment. Blended learning, which is campus-based learning supported by online components, has steadily grown in popularity in Australian tertiary education institutions (Ellis, Ginns, & Piggott, 2009). This paper reports on a trial program of delivery of online assignments in a first year Japanese language class, the rationale for the program, and the findings of a survey on students' perceptions of the online assignment. Our language team created online tasks using the learning management system (lms), Blackboard Learn 9.1, to increasing online components throughout our program. The advantages and disadvantages of online language tasks from both teachers' and learners' points of view will be discussed. Issues specific to the learning of Japanese, and ways in which to incorporate online tasks in future courses will be explored. The findings of the study will provide language teachers with insight into designing online assignments and will explore effective teaching practices for students of the Japanese language.

2014 37th International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO), 2014

E-learning materials were first introduced at the university level education in last years of previous century in Slovenia. From the initial steps and pilot projects we learned the trade and participate in many e-learning material developments for primary and secondary schools. But in the recent years we regretful discovered that the university's e-learning materials are not in the same league as lower level education e-learning materials. It is true that students' population is different from kids but "digi-kids" have grown up and become students and they are familiar with the e-learning materials. It is the fundamental difference between lower level education and university level education. Lower levels education e-learning materials were funded by the government but university does not have funds for e-learning materials production. Up until now lecturers used LCMS for communication and documents sharing. But it is become evident that this is not enough and upgrade of e-learning material is required. It is evident that this process will take time and should be efficient from all perspective (didactically suitable, cheap, and fast). In the last year e-learning materials was prepared for students to test what suits them most. A lecture for a whole course was prepared with the different composition of text, sound and video. In forthcoming semester we are going to test our elearning materials and receive feedback from the students. Article presents the learning materials specification, expected didactical results, aesthetical considerations, individual preferences (visual, audio, kinaesthetic), and client's browser's limitations. It is still not clear if university level students require more elaborate learning materials than PDF which was their favourite type up to now.

This study was conducted to provide Japanese elementary school teachers assigned to teach English, the skills and tools to do so. Their training needs were assessed in order to develop a prototype e-learning site to provide that training. Seven research questions were answered: (a) What are the educational needs, both perceived and predicted, of Japanese elementary school teachers preparing to teach English to children? (b) What are appropriate systems of delivery for an educational program to satisfy these needs? (c) What are the criteria for the educational contents and format of an educational Web site to satisfy these needs? (d) What are the Web design criteria for an educational Web site to satisfy these needs? (e) What is an appropriate and valid prototype for an e-learning Web site? (f) Does the e-learning Web site conform to the educational and Web design criteria established in this project? (g) Once the prototype is developed, what are the appropriate steps to take to implement this project? Procedures included a review of literature; developing and administering a needs assessment that included focus group and individual expert interviews; identifying an appropriate means of educational delivery; developing of lists of educational contents, educational format, and Web design criteria; constructing a prototype site; evaluating it, and developing a plan of implementation. Development and evaluation problem-solving methodologies were used, requiring formative and summative panels. Based on the results of the needs assessments, a number of conclusions were reached. It was found, for example, that the teachers were unable to identify their needs, and that their primary interest was in obtaining materials for class. It was then concluded that an e-learning solution was the most viable means to train them, and the findings from the needs assessment were used to develop the prototype site. To satisfy the adult need for immediacy and discussion, materials download and community sections of the site were developed. Likewise, since adults tend to be life-centered with problem-solving orientations, simulations were used as the platform for training. The site was then tested and evaluated, and it was concluded that it met the evaluation criteria. Plans for implementation, and recommendations for further research, were also made. Therefore, the rather sudden decision to reform elementary education to include English teaching created a low-level national crisis: How could Japan's existing workforce of elementary school teachers be given the competencies needed to become elementary English teachers? Eventually, when English teaching proficiency is added as a criterion for licensing, more and more teachers will come in with this ability, but how would the current pool of teachers fare until then? The problem is so deep and widespread, that any attempt to establish nationwide face-to-face retraining programs in Japan's 24,295 elementary schools seemed unfeasible. Neither the finances nor intellectual resources existed. Since face-to-face retraining is not feasible, another solution was sought, and due to the recent rise of IT technologies, a potential alternative exists. If retraining were delivered to elementary school teachers over the Internet, the knowledge from the leading experts in Japan, and for that matter, all over the world, could be made available to every elementary school teacher in any prefecture, at any time, and instantly. Not only could a handful of experts train an audience of unlimited size, but, in accordance with the tenets of adult education, the participating elementary school teachers could also train each other. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to determine the training needs of Japanese elementary school teachers in relation to teaching English to children, and to develop and evaluate an e-learning Web site to satisfy those needs. The needed competencies were divided into two parts: (a) proficiency in teaching English, and (b) proficiency in English itself. The prototype Web site was designed to provide the former proficiency, English teaching competencies. Research Questions Seven research questions were used in this study. The first question represents the first half of the study, the needs assessment: (a) What are the educational needs, both perceived and predicted, of Japanese elementary school teachers preparing to teach English to children? The following six questions, questions 2 to 7, represent the second half of the study, the development of the prototype e-learning site: (b) What are appropriate systems of delivery for an educational program to satisfy these needs? (c) What are the criteria for the educational contents and format of an educational Web site to satisfy these needs? (d) What are the Web design criteria for an educational Web site to satisfy these needs? (e) What is an appropriate and valid prototype for an e-learning Web site? (f) Does the e-learning Web site conform to the educational and Web design criteria established in this project? (g) Once the prototype is developed, what are the appropriate steps to take to implement this project? Definition of English Terms ALT. ALT stands for "Assistant Language Teacher." An ALT is a foreign instructor "versed in teaching language" (Monbukagakusho, 2001, p. 136) who goes from class to class and helps teach English with the Japanese teacher. An ALT is a native speaker of English, usually American or British, hired by the Ministry of Education. Most are college students or recent graduates. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS or CSS2). Style sheets set style parameters for entire site, and allow for easy modification of the entire site. They can be linked as separate files or embedded in the Web page (Nielsen, 2000, p. 81). Category. A category represents a topical area of discussion in a focus group or other type of interview. Categories are used for data analysis and are usually determined by the question asked (Morgan, 1997). Common Gateway Interface (CGI). CGI is a protocol used in server programs, like Perl, to analyze content and generate a Web page. CGI allows interaction between th server and client, as in the confirmation page when you order books through Amazon, or virtual card game site (Felix, 1998, p. 118). EFL. EFL means English as a Foreign Language, and it refers to English language instruction that takes place in countries where English is not the mother tongue. TEFL (meaning "Teaching EFL") unlike TESL, requires teachers to create communicative experiences. E-Learning. "E-learning is the use of the Internet and digital technologies to create experiences that educate our fellow human beings" (Horton, 2000, p. 1), a definition that Horton deliberately left open-ended. ESL. ESL means English as a second language, and it refers to English language instruction that takes place in countries where English is the mother tongue. In TESL (meaning teaching ESL) unlike TEFL, the focus tends to be on grammar and vocabulary since the environment already provides so much naturalistic target language input. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML is a language using special instructions (tags) to tell a browser how to display a Web page (Niederest, 1999, p. 67). International Understanding. International Understanding is the English translation of the Japanese term "Kokusai Rikai." It refers to the name of a kind of class oriented towards familiarizing Japanese children with foreign countries and cultures (Monbukagakusho-Ministry of Education, 2001). Link titles. Link titles are short explanations that pop up when a mouse is moved over a link (Nielsen, 2000, p. 60). Mention. A mention represents a piece of data collected in a focus group or other type of interview. It represents one comment on one topic, and is used for analysis (Morgan, 1997). Perceived Needs. Perceived needs are self-reported training needs identified by Japanese elementary school teachers in relation to teaching English to children. Perceived needs tend to misrepresent real training needs since they tend to show interests rather than needs, or completely miss training needs that the respondents are unaware of (Cameron, 1988). Period of Integrated Study. The Period of Integrated Study is the English translation of an elementary school class called "Sogoteki na Gakushu." The Ministry of Education decreed that from 2002, this class must be taught in all public elementary schools (Monbukagakusho-Ministry of Education, 2001). Although no exact curriculum for this class has been set, guidelines suggest schools use this period for volunteer work, environmental studies, International Understanding classes, or language classes. It is generally assumed that English instruction will be the mainstay activity in this class (Shoko Shirai, personal communication, August 18, 2001; see Appendix A) Predicted Needs. Predicted needs refer to the training needs of Japanese elementary school teachers in regard to teaching English to children, as predicted by the literature and subject matter specialists. It should be noted that the literature is biased towards teaching children in other environments, outside of Japan, and that almost no research has been done on the training needs of Japanese elementary school teachers. Theme. A theme is a coding tool used in qualitative research to analyze interview data, especially from focus group interviews. A number of comments on one topic that generally carry the same message represent a theme (Morgan, 1997). TPR. TPR refers to Total Physical Response, a teaching method developed by Asher in the 1970's. Children "listen to commands in the foreign language and respond only movement and action e. g. getting up and sitting down, turning round, putting things on shelves" (Cameron, 2001, p. 107) Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Elementary English Education in Japan English education policies for Japanese elementary schools. English...

Headache, 2017

This paper aims to present JALEA, an innovative web tool for the acquisition of the Japanese language dedicated to higher education learners. In particular it highlights the innovative learner-centered approach based on the self-guided discovery of grammar structures and words’ meanings through the combined use of realia (multimedia contents referring to real-life situations in Japan), hyperlinks and interactive features such as pop-up dictionary, character-writing explanations, slow-motion option in video examples, etc. Moreover, it illustrates the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) characteristics of this web tool, permitting on the one hand the smooth working of the application on several platforms (pc, tablet and smartphone); on the other, its sustainability and maintainability thanks to the implementation of a layer accessible to maintainers (backend) with several automatization features that facilitate the addition of more contents, also by personnel with low ICT k...

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

The Japanese language is among the international languages which are highly demanded in the education system in Malaysia, all the more so since the Look East Policy Program was launched in July 1981 by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Japanese language course has been offered at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) as early as 1975. The course uses the textbook Minna no Nihongo and Introduction to the Hiragana and Katakana Japanese Writing. However, the exclusive dependence on both textbooks has created a passive and teacher-centred learning environment. In line with the present development of information and communication technology, it is felt that an innovation in terms of Japanese language pedagogy should be carried out to balance the needs of the Internet (I is always capitalised) generation. The Net and digital generation is a social generation that actively communicates, cooperates, and connects using technology in the virtual realm. One of the technologies that can be utilised is by using Web 2.0 applications. Therefore, an eclectic method of intervention is needed by integrating and practising Web 2.0 elements to realise an educational environment and system that is even more conducive, modern and futuristic. This study focused on students taking the Japanese language course SKVA2723 at the School of Language Studies and Linguistics in UKM from February to December 2012 for 2 semesters. A total of one teacher and 55 students were involved in this study. The applications of Web 2.0 such as JING, Screencast.com, YouTube, OnlineNihongo website, and Wordpress were utilised in the teaching and learning of Japanese language. The period of learning for the Japanese language subject was four hours for fourteen weeks per semester. Through questionnaires, observations and tests conducted, the findings showed that the group of students who were exposed to the 2.0 applications showed more motivation, enthusiasm, excitement and higher scores compared to the group that was not exposed to the applications. The implication from this study is that the use of Jing can be applied to more complex kanji orthography, particularly those that require more than 10 strokes. It is hoped that applications such as Screencast.com, YouTube and Wordpress can inspire new ideas, encourage student-centred learning and can be shared with Japanese language and foreign language courses from other universities and other institutions.

International Journal of Academic Research in Business & Social Sciences, 2022

The advent of COVID-19 along with the rapid development of online devices has triggered the evolution of online learning, which its development has turned into an important modern teaching and learning tool. However, various information, such as its practicality, descriptions, innovative ways to apply and customise it to cater to a specific course is much needed for any electronic tools to be adapted into the teaching or learning a foreign language. What motivates the researchers to conduct this study is that with the evolution of online learning, Japanese language instructors need to provide more interesting and appropriate online learning materials to help students' cognitive understanding as well as to facilitate the online teaching and learning session. Generally, the purpose of this study is to investigate how students at one of Malaysia's largest public universities have been using Minato to learn Japanese online. Specifically, this study is conducted to explore how Cognitive, Situational, and Behavioural factors would affect students' online learning process. This study employs quantitative methods. 410 students who adopted Japanese language as an elective course participated as the sample of this study. A survey containing forty-seven questions about Cognitive, Situational and Behavioural factors is managed online. The survey is adapted from the Social Cognitive Theory by (Bandura, 1986). The findings have shown that between these three factors, Situational factors display a great imprint on the student's learning process. Behavioural factors rank second and the least impactful is the Cognitive factors. It has clearly shown that Minato has a significant influence on learning Japanese culture, vocabulary and pronunciation. However, Minato scores low among the students when it comes to assisting their understanding on grammar. Thus, it is suggested that more specific research on certain aspects of Japanese online learning should be conducted because online learning tools are not completely perfect without certain flaws.