Review of recent research (2000–2010) on learning and instruction with specific reference to L2 Japanese

Abstract

This review aims to identify major issues in and the direction of recent L2 Japanese research by reviewing over 200 empirical studies published in English or Japanese between 2000 and 2010. The first part of this article examines topics in second language acquisition (SLA) research with regard to L2 Japanese, including vocabulary andkanji(Chinese characters transferred into Japanese) learning, syntactic development, reading and writing in L2 Japanese, interlanguage pragmatics and language socialization, affective factors, and multilingualism and the acquisition of Japanese as a heritage language. The second part offers an overview of issues and problems in pedagogical practices, including curriculum design, culture in language education, classroom discourse, and study abroad. The review of these themes illustrates a broad picture of current research in L2 Japanese learning and instruction inspired by general trends in SLA and applied linguistics research, as well as unique features of Japanese language and social contexts.

The trends and developments of L2 Japanese research in the 2010s

“…Regardless, this line of research on interlanguage pragmatics, overtly or covertly, endorses monolingual standards where the goal of pragmatic development tends to be described (and prescribed) vis-à-vis the native speaker yardstick. Concerns regarding this widely accepted practice of setting monolingual native speaker models as an ultimate goal were raised by Mori and Mori (2011), but this tendency has remained prevalent. Ajioka's (2011) study specifically asked the question of what constitutes ‘native-likeness’ by analyzing how native speakers of Japanese residing in Tokyo, who are not academic researchers, perceived L2 Japanese speech during and after listening to audio-recorded interviews involving four learners.…”

“…Given changes in the demographics of L2 Japanese learners seen in the last decade and emerging trends in applied linguistics and SLA research, however, the examination of how post-2010 studies on L2 Japanese development, use and education respond to these developments is in order. According to the 2015 survey on Japanese language education abroad conducted by the Japan Foundation (2017), the number of Japanese language learners outside of Japan was over 3.65 million, which is more than a 22% increase from the 2006 data cited in Mori and Mori (2011). The fluctuation of learner population, however, is not uniform across countries.…”

“…The current article reviews over 200 publications that appeared between 2010 and early 2019, and thereby updates the trends and developments of L2 Japanese research. Previously, Mori and Mori (2011) made the first attempt to identify major issues in and the direction of L2 Japanese research in the twenty-first century. Given changes in the demographics of L2 Japanese learners seen in the last decade and emerging trends in applied linguistics and SLA research, however, the examination of how post-2010 studies on L2 Japanese development, use and education respond to these developments is in order.…”

“…Mori and Mori (2011) illustrated how the range of theoretical and methodological frameworks prevalent in applied linguistics and SLA research were represented in L2 Japanese research, as well as how unique features of the Japanese language and social contexts influenced L2 Japanese pedagogy. While the 2011 review served as a helpful resource in expanding our knowledge of L2 Japanese research, one of its limitations was its skewed coverage of publications in English and studies conducted in institutions of higher education in English-speaking countries.…”

Japanese psycholinguistics and this volume

“…Taking a different approach from Mori and Mori (2011), which reviewed research on L2 acquisition and instruction of Japanese from 2001 to 2010, it briefly summarizes frequently cited studies in L2 acquisition research. Taking a different approach from Mori and Mori (2011), which reviewed research on L2 acquisition and instruction of Japanese from 2001 to 2010, it briefly summarizes frequently cited studies in L2 acquisition research.…”