Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.32728/tab.16.2019.10
The current situation and prospects for Japanese language education in secondary schools in Croatia: Based on a questionnaire survey
Keiko Kikumoto
Abstract
Currently, according to a report from the Japan Foundation, Japanese language education is not being conducted in secondary education in Croatia, while in some neighbouring countries Japanese language learning is much more widespread in secondary schools. This paper describes a questionnaire survey conducted on local high school students in relation to their needs, interests, motivation and attitudes towards the Japanese language and culture, and discusses the results of the questionnaire as well as possible approaches in the introduction of Japanese language education in Croatian secondary schools in the future. The questionnaire was conducted within the scope of the project “Visiting secondary schools in Croatia” that was launched by Department of Asian Studies at the Faculty of Humanities Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and supported by the Japan foundation in 2018. Most of the students have said that they had experiences with Japanese language and culture, mostly having come into contact with Japanese anime, manga and games, and more than half of the students have indicated they would like to study Japanese in their high schools. Also, the survey of needs indicates that a textbook with a can-do approach should be used when starting Japanese language education at secondary school institutions in Croatia instead of a textbook using the grammar build-up approach. This is due to the fact that many students want to start learning Japanese as a hobby due to an interest in visiting Japan and communicating with Japanese people, and not to use it particularly for their future profession.
Keywords
Japanese language; secondary education; Croatia; Questionnaire survey
Hrčak ID:
228772
URI
Publication date:
29.11.2019.
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