Paper long abstract

This presentation reflects on the pronunciation education delivered by the presenter in introductory Japanese language courses at a French university and considers the challenges in teaching pronunciation from the perspective of language education programs.

This type of education focuses on sound, encouraging learners’ awareness of Japanese pronunciation and developing their pronunciation and listening skills. Even among long-term learners, the pronunciation of some students is unclear. However, it is difficult to correct fossilized pronunciation; therefore, pronunciation education is crucial during the introductory stage.

The presenter collaborated with fellow instructors to integrate pronunciation education into introductory Japanese language courses as part of the Japanese language education program at a French university. Given the limited instructional time in courses structured around a grammar syllabus, the presenter designed the pronunciation education in advance by selecting phonetic items tailored to the characteristics of native French speakers, sharing pronunciation training methods, and developing tasks for learners to complete independently. However, after a year of implementation, some learners exhibited improvement in pronunciation awareness, while many continued to have accents. Furthermore, phonetics teaching methods did not become widespread among instructors, resulting in unresolved challenges.

“The Program Description Template in Language Education” is used to reflect on the challenges encountered in the presenter’s pronunciation education program. Specifically, the following issues were identified: (1) social context: the importance of pronunciation training is unclear because the region does not prioritize communication in Japanese and (2) implementation and management: insufficient explanation to other instructors made understanding pronunciation education difficult.

(Word count for the Body part: 247 words)

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References

The Language Education Program Study Group (2024) “The Program Description Template in Language Education (PDTLE) Ver. 3.2.,” 6 Mar. 2026.Association of Japanese Language Teachers in Europe. (http://www17408ui.sakura.ne.jp/tatsum/project/Pro_Ken/contents.html)

Paper long abstract

In L2 acquisition research, individual differences have been widely examined, but research on L2 Japanese pronunciation has focused primarily on a limited set of learner-related variables, most notably motivation (Mori et al., 2020). The current study fills this gap by examining how multiple learner-related factors are associated with individual differences in L2 Japanese pronunciation.

Thirty-three undergraduate learners at an Italian university participated. The program is characterized by systematic pronunciation instruction across all three years, aimed at raising awareness of the tonal aspects of prosody—the most challenging area for L1 Italian learners. Instruction on lexical accent is integrated into vocabulary learning, alongside lectures on intonation and phrasing. Students engage in autonomous practice with audio models and the web-based prosodic reading tutor, Suzuki-kun (Minematsu et al., n.d.). Participants were predominantly monolingual Italian speakers with no experience living in Japan. Data included: (1) responses to an online questionnaire comprising five thematic blocks (motivation, digital resource use, perceived pronunciation difficulty, pronunciation practice engagement, and interest in Japanese culture), and (2) recorded speech samples (self-introduction and dialogue). Samples were rated by three native instructors on fluency, comprehensibility, and accuracy (ICC = 0.73–0.80).

Descriptive analyses showed strong interest in Japanese culture, while motivation and digital resource use varied. Perceived difficulty was high, particularly for lexical pitch accent. Learners frequently utilized digital resources for shadowing and pitch-curve visualization. Outcomes varied across individuals, with higher scores for fluency than accuracy. Correlational analyses based on mean scores for each factor identified motivation as a robust predictor of pronunciation outcomes, particularly fluency (r = 0.56, p < .001), while digital resource use showed a smaller but meaningful contribution, and other factors showed limited or no significant associations. Further quartile-based analyses provide evidence of a hierarchical relationship between motivation and digital resource use, with the latter closely associated with the former rather than operating independently. While previous research has established a link between motivation and pronunciation in L2 English (e.g., Saito & Hanzawa, 2016), this study demonstrates that, in predicting L2 Japanese pronunciation outcomes, digital resource use functions as a behavioral dimension dependent on motivation within a hierarchical relationship.

(Word count for the Body part: 350 words)

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References

Minematsu, N., et al. (n.d.). OJAD - Online Japanese Accent Dictionary: Prosody Tutor Suzuki-kun. University of Tokyo. https://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/phrasing/index

Mori, Y., Hasegawa, A., & Mori, J. (2021). The trends and developments of L2 Japanese research in the 2010s. Language Teaching, 54(1), 90–127. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000336

Saito, K., & Hanzawa, K. (2016). Developing second language oral ability in foreign language classrooms: The role of the length and focus of instruction and individual differences. Applied Psycholinguistics, 37(4), 813–840. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716415000259

Paper long abstract

This study examines how speakers choose between the expressions oite aru (“it has been placed”) and okarete iru (“it is placed”) when describing resultative states created by human placement—for example, a book on a desk. While these constructions are typically introduced in elementary Japanese grammar, previous studies such as Teramura (1984) and Kudo (1991) have explained the contrast between shite aru and sarete iru primarily in terms of intentionality and the persistence of results. The present study argues, however, that usage is shaped not only by intentionality but also by spatial properties and the speaker’s cognitive stance.

The analysis draws on data from a video based elicited speech experiment (Soejima 2024). Twenty Japanese university students were shown pre change and post change still images for ten scenes and asked to showing the resulting states; for half of them, short video clips depicting the change process were additionally presented to manipulate perceived intentionality. From the resulting utterances, 191 tokens involving the verb oku (“to place”) were extracted and coded for syntactic type (oite aru vs. okarete iru). These tokens were then analyzed in relation to intentionality, spatial orderliness, publicness, object characteristics (decorative vs. personal items), and speaker certainty. The analytical categories were defined after data collection on the basis of scene characteristics and utterance content, and all tokens were classified consistently according to these explicit criteria.

The analysis revealed that okarete iru was used in approximately 90% of utterances involving high intentionality, typically in organized or staged spaces. In contrast, oite aru appeared in approximately 30% of descriptions involving everyday living spaces and was used flexibly in contexts involving awareness, subjective observation, or ambiguous objects, often reflecting a more situated speaker perspective. These findings suggest that spatial and cognitive factors significantly influence syntactic selection, extending beyond traditional notions of intentionality.

The study offers insights for Japanese language education, particularly for learners with limited opportunities to use Japanese in everyday life, such as those in Europe, by supporting understanding of context-appropriate descriptions of resultative states. The findings also encourage teachers to recognize learner differences and develop grammar instruction that is more flexible and inclusive.

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References

工藤真由美 (1991). アスペクトとヴォイス . 鈴木重幸 ( 編 )現代日本語のテンス・アスペクト・ヴォイスについての総合的研究―1988-1990 年度科学研究費報告書―, pp.5-40.

副島健作（2024）「音声言語における結果表現の使い分け－過程の知覚はどう影響するか－」『社会言語科学』27(1), pp.127-142.

寺村秀夫 (1984). 日本語のシンタクスと意味 II. くろしお出版.

Paper long abstract

Foreign language education at the preschool level has gained increasing international importance since the late 1990s, alongside foreign language education at the primary level (Nikolov & Mihaljević Djigunović, 2023). In Türkiye, it has likewise been introduced in parallel with European Union language policies, and interest has increased since the early 2000s. However, the current situation remains strongly centered on English, and attention to and opportunities for languages other than English cannot be said to be sufficient. This constitutes one of the major issues in language policy (Nikolov & Mihaljević Djigunović, 2023). In principle, foreign language education at the preschool level does not aim at the acquisition of advanced functional proficiency in the target language; rather, it aims to foster children’s awareness of the existence of languages and cultures different from their own and to deepen their understanding of diversity (Karakoç, 2007). Therefore, it is important to provide opportunities for exposure to a variety of languages rather than limiting instruction to a single language.

Globally, there are 7,883 learners of Japanese at the preschool level, of whom the Middle East accounts for only one learner, the lowest number (Japan Foundation, 2024). In particular, although Turkey has the highest number of Japanese language education institutions in the region (26 institutions), it is noteworthy that there are no learners in this age group. Against this background, in 2023 a “Preschool Japanese Language Education” project was launched at the COMU Kindergarten affiliated with Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. This presentation introduces the implementation process of this project and analyzes the views of trainee teachers who were responsible for Japanese language instruction. The data were collected through individual interviews with nine trainees. The results revealed the effectiveness of play-based teaching methods, the high levels of interest and motivation among children, and improvements in the practical teaching skills of the trainees. Based on these findings, this study provides practical implications for the promotion of multilingual education.

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References

国際交流基金（2024）「2024年度海外日本語教育機関調査」2026年4月18日閲覧,

https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/project/japanese/survey/result/information.html.

Karakoç, C. (2007). Okul öncesi eğitimde ana sınıfları ingilizce dersi için bir öğretim programı önerisi (A proposed curriculum for English courses

in preschool kindergarten classes). Unpublished master’s thesis, İnönü University, Malatya.

Nikolov, M., & Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (2023). Studies on pre-primary learners of foreign languages, their teachers, and parents: A critical overview of publications between 2000 and 2022. Language Teaching, 56(4), 451–477. Doi:10.1017/S0261444823000095.

Paper long abstract

In recent years, the ability to make sense of unstable contemporary societies and to understand differing worldviews has become essential (OECD, 2025). Consequently, language education increasingly emphasizes meaning negotiating through learner dialogue and intercultural understanding through engagement with others. While learners' critical thinking skills are independent of their proficiency in the language being learned, expressing and clearly communicating ideas requires linguistic competence. Therefore, instructional design is needed that cultivates language ability alongside opportunities for dialogue with others.

This presentation examines an online course, “Advanced Seminar on Japanese Society and Culture for International Students” (offered from fall 2025), taken by international graduate students enrolled at several national universities in Japan. It considers (1) challenges in course management, (2) the roles of instructors, and (3) benefits for both participants and instructors. Students’ Japanese proficiency ranges from approximately JLPT N3 to N1, and their nationalities and academic specializations are diverse. The course consists of pre-class reading tasks, question generation, small-group discussion activities in breakout rooms, and whole-class sharing in the main room. By engaging with a range of themes and cultivating reflective skills, it aims to foster understanding of Japan and, ultimately, the world. For two course offerings (fall 2025 and spring 2026), a qualitative analysis is conducted on instructor reflections, student submissions, and post-course surveys.

Preliminary observations suggest that learner diversity and small-group discussions broaden perspectives on each theme and promote reciprocal peer support for language learning. The course also highlights the importance of activities that prioritize understanding content learned in Japanese and others’ viewpoints over learning Japanese per se. However, many students find question generation difficult, and instructors frequently shift from a co-learner role to a more directive teaching role.

Future work, therefore, requires designing class materials that address socially contested issues conducive to question generation, as well as a systematic set of facilitation strategies that account for differences in proficiency levels.

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References

OECD (2025). Education for human flourishing. Retrieved on December 19, 2025, from https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-for-human-flourishing_73d7cb96-en.html .

Paper long abstract

This presentation aims to examine how the action oriented approach (AoA), which underpins the Council of Europe’s CEFR (2001), can contribute to a reconsideration of textbook design and learning practices in Japanese language education in light of recent theoretical developments.

AoA conceptualizes learners as social agents and positions language use and language learning as inseparable. This perspective has been consistently articulated in the CEFR (2001) and the CEFR Companion Volume (2020). In actual reception, the concreteness of the common reference levels and Can-do descriptors has been foregrounded, leading in Japanese language education to the development of textbooks that systematically map learning content onto Can-do descriptors, as exemplified by Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan.

At the same time, recent theoretical developments by Piccardo and North (2019) have renewed the emphasis within AoA on the process by which learners co construct meaning and outcomes through collaboration and mediation. As a central mode of implementation, projects have been proposed in which multiple language activities are organized in stages within realistic scenarios, culminating in the collaborative production of artifacts or other outcomes.

This presentation takes Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan as a case study to clarify the design differences between Can-do-centered task sequencing and an AoA oriented approach structured around projects, and to explore the possibility of reorganizing task sequences into project-based structures. It also considers how practices such as kanji learning and shadowing, which are incorporated into textbooks to address challenges specific to Japanese language education for learners whose first languages are typologically distant, can be positioned within the AoA framework.

(Word count for the Body part: 260 words)

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References

Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for languages: Learning, Teaching Assessment. Council of Europe.

Council of Europe. (2020). The common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion volume. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Piccardo, E., & North, B. (2019). The action-oriented approach: A dynamic vision of language education (Vol. 72). Multilingual Matters.