The subject of the study was Japanese language teachers of primary and secondary schools around Australia. The method used was survey by questionnaire. The survey comprised two sections;
The purpose of this survey was to investigate the actual use of the Internet in the language classroom.
The following procedure was used. In October 1999, using the recently updated school database of the JFSLC, we sent a survey to 1053 primary and secondary Japanese language teachers around Australia. We received 332 responses, of which 265 were sent via fax or post, and 67 were sent via on-line questionnaire form on the web site.
Here are the findings of which investigated computers and the Internet accessibility in Schools
Balance between number of students at school and number of computers for student use ranges from 0 to 79%, the average being 13%. 100% means each student can fully use one computer, 10% means 10 students can use 1 computer. (Fig. 2)
Fig.2 Distribution of student-computer ratio
The number of Internet-connected computers is lower than this, from 0 to 60%, the average being 7.7%.
Regarding accessibility to these computers to students, students are able to access computers at any time in 54 schools, at specific times in 96 schools, and 159 schools provide accesses only with supervision.
Regarding accessibility to e-mail, 180 schools provide teachers with an e-mail address, while 116 schools do not. 66 schools provide students with an e-mail address not including Hotmail.
282 respondents are using computers with English operating systems, while 30 are using Japanese systems. Of these 282 with the English system, 139 computers are capable of handling Japanese script, 12 have only reading but no writing capabilities, and 114 teachers responded that their computers have no capabilities of handling Japanese script at all.
Teachers using English system computers use this software to read/write Japanese script.
Some of this software is quite expensive, and most teachers are not satisfied with the software because of limited functions, cost or unreliability.
Teachers were asked if they use the Internet themselves.
About 90% use the Internet. However regarding using the Internet in Japanese, more than 70% of teachers responded they did not.
Internet use
Internet in Japanese
However 56% of teachers use the Internet for teaching Japanese. These are the predominant ways it is used:
Teachers are also requested to give concrete examples of tasks. Here are some examples:
94% of respondents are thinking of using the Internet for Japanese teaching in the future.
Next, teachers who use the Internet for teaching were asked to specify the benefits of using the Internet for teaching and learning. The major benefits are listed here:
Many respondents indicated that their students are simply attracted by the new technology and it is a good motivating factor. Students also have more freedom so they can explore widely and get the authentic materials first hand (*discussed later). As they communicate with native speakers, students see the relevance of the target language. Some teachers mentioned that communicating in Japanese with other learners is also useful. Several respondents described advantages of the Internet compared to other media, eg. access to up-to-date information which is not usually contained in libraries such as popular manga or the latest details about sumo. Students can also download pictures quickly and use them in their project work with presentation software, which cannot be done with a book.
Next, teachers who don't use the Internet for teaching were asked to specify their reasons for not using it.
Most teachers mentioned the problem of limited facilities, including hard and software. This also included limited access to the Internet and small numbers of computers with Japanese handling capability. Some technological strategies, e.g. downloading the whole content of the web site to view the files with computers not connected to the Internet, have been introduced by Lewis Johnson on his site "The Internet in the one-computer classroom". More importantly, sharing pedagogical ideas is also desirable. One example is to make students access computers in turn in their free time during a certain period, e.g. one week. Cooperative learning group activities also work well on the computer, but the teacher has to be flexible and work with students while they learn to work together. Successful reports on and tips for these activities will help other teachers in similar situations.
A considerable number of teachers tried to use IT in teaching, but became reluctant or exhausted because they felt a lot of time was 'wasted' on technical 'hassles' (to use their expression). The cause of this is probably a combination of lack of training and the technical unreliability of the software. One respondent stated, "I am a language teacher not a computer teacher." Regarding Japanese handling software, great improvements are expected in the next few years both for Macintosh and Windows. Macintosh has released OS 9 which includes Japanese language support in the package. Office 2000 for Windows used with Global IME still has some problems, but it will be a solution to many issues listed above, namely budget, technical reliability, compatibility, accessibility and time. Since Office 2000 will be used in other KLAs at most schools using Windows, handling Japanese scripts can be totally covered by technical support at school. Then the language teacher will not have to be a computer teacher any longer. It will also make it possible to access Japanese with every computer in the school.
Teachers also mentioned that booking the computer room is difficult, and in many cases other subjects have priority over language classes. It may help teachers to change their way of thinking, to sharing rather than competing. Bringing the Internet and Intranet into school makes it easy to share resources with others. Electronic materials are suitable for sharing as a common property because they can be stocked in order, picked up when needed and easily rearranged. Sharing resources between LOTE and other subjects benefits both and promotes mutual understanding. There will also be a good chance of integrating with other KLAs through sharing resources.
It is noteworthy that some respondents thought that the Internet does not necessarily develop students' learning. It seems to be based on the teacher's beliefs, as stated in the survey, that only face to face contact can teach the students in a holistic way, whereas the use of computers can only satisfy intellectual curiosity. Certainly the Internet has only limited interactivity. On the other hand, such reluctance also comes from a lack of adequate knowledge or skill to lead students through a task on the net.
Thus, professional development for Internet use, in workshops, by newsletter and web-based activities, should provide such information as:
160 respondents attended one or more workshops on Internet use.
2/3 of the teachers who attended workshops responded they could put the learned skills into practice.
Other teachers found it difficult because of the following reasons: Why not put into practice
Some respondents who participated in generic IT workshops mentioned problems with instructors who had no knowledge of handling Japanese. Teachers have experienced similar problems with generic activity ideas and resources, which do not always apply to the Japanese context.
Teachers stated they would like to attend the following professional development courses for using the Internet in language teaching: