Paper short abstract:

The learners realized the usefulness of understanding the text that has real purpose and list such texts as labels, flyers etc. Reflecting social networking, they list SMS, blogs and other on-line texts. They do not read Japanese if information is available in English or in their native language.

Paper long abstract:

At the beginners level, most reading texts used in the classrooms are specially written for the learners in order to acquire vocabulary and grammar. Recently textbooks using not just paragraphs, but flyers, information and signs as well as graded readers offering stories in substantial length are appearing. However in these texts, vocabulary and grammar are still heavily controlled and kanji is most of the time annotated with furigana.

In the JSL environment, the learners encounter authentic Japanese everyday irrespective of their proficiency level. However there are very few occasions when learners in Europe encounter 'real' Japanese texts.

For these learners at what level and what kinds of authentic texts can be successfully introduced in the classroom?

We asked the learners what they want to read, what they have to read as well as what they do not read as described in the presentation 1.

The learners realized that it is useful for them if they can understand the text that has real purpose and they list texts such as job advertisements, supermarket flyers, receipts, texts on packages, timetables, manuals, foods ingredients etc. Reflecting the spread of the social network, they also list SMS, blogs and other on-line texts. They want to be able to read 'Line' messages from friends.

As they are interested in learning about Japan, they want to read novels, folk tales, newspaper and magazine articles, but if they can find detailed explanations or information in English or in their native language, e.g. Japanese universities or hotel sites, then they do not read Japanese texts.