YA XU (NORTHWESTERN POLYTECHNICAL UNIVERSITY)

A STUDY ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE ENJOYMENT OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS : SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

Japanese, as the second most commonly studied foreign language in China, has garnered considerable attention from language researchers. In this study, the level and sources of pleasure experienced by Japanese learners in Chinese universities are analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods through the administration of questionnaires. The findings indicate that Chinese Japanese learners exhibit above-average levels of pleasure, with a greater emphasis on external factors rather than personal factors. The main source of pleasure for learners stems from their ability to connect the learning of Japanese with Japanese activities they are already interested in, which in turn fosters positive guidance. These activities primarily entail singing Japanese songs, watching Japanese anime, and reading Japanese literary works. This study offers significant pedagogical implications for enhancing the proficiency of Japanese learners in Chinese universities. Firstly, given that Japanese is commonly studied as a second foreign language in China, it is imperative for language teachers to establish a supportive and friendly classroom environment by actively engaging with students and participating in Japanese learning activities. Secondly, from a teaching perspective, it is recommended that language teachers select content that is informative yet entertaining or thought-provoking, such as watching Japanese videos or anime, sharing popular Japanese literary and artistic works, providing explanations of cultural background, and sharing personal perspectives on specific topics. Lastly, teachers can play an active role in guiding students to identify and collect moments of interest during the process of learning Japanese.

Ya Xu is a master student in School of Foreign Studies, Northwestern Polytechnical University. Research interest includes discourse analysis, gender studies.