The Japanese Writing System: Challenges, Strategies and Self-Regulation for Learning Kanji

201 Pages·2017·2.27 MB·English

by  Heath Rose

The Japanese Writing
System
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Series Editors: Professor David Singleton, University of Pannonia, Hungary
and Fellow Emeritus, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland and Dr Simone E.
Pfenninger, University of Salzburg, Austria
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acquisition and processing in situations where a language or languages other
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etc. – deemed out of place. The intended readership of the series includes
final-year undergraduates working on second language acquisition projects,
postgraduate students involved in second language acquisition research, and
researchers, teachers and policy-makers in general whose interests include a
second language acquisition component.
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Multilingual Matters, St Nicholas House, 31-34 High Street, Bristol BS1
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SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: 116
The Japanese Writing
System
Challenges, Strategies and Self-regulation
for Learning Kanji
Heath Rose
MULTILINGUAL MATTERS
Bristol • Blue Ridge Summit
DOI: 10.21832/ROSE8156
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Names: Rose, Heath, author.
Title: The Japanese Writing System: Challenges, Strategies and Self-regulation for Learning
Kanji/Heath Rose.
Description: Multilingual Matters: Bristol; Blue Ridge Summit, [2017] |
Series: Second Language Acquisition: 116
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017000272| ISBN 9781783098156 (hbk : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781783098149 (pbk : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781783098187 (kindle) |
ISBN 9781783098170 (Epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Japanese language—Writing. | Chinese characters—Japan. | Japanese
language—Study and teaching—Foreign students.
Classification: LCC PL528 .R67 2017 | DDC 495.6/82421—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2017000272
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-1-78309-815-6 (hbk)
ISBN-13: 978-1-78309-814-9 (pbk)
Multilingual Matters
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Copyright © 2017 Heath Rose.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Contents
Figures and Tables ix
Preface xi
About the Author xvii
Part 1: Issues Surrounding Japanese Language Acquisition
1 Introduction 3
An Overview of Japanese Language Education 3
Why a Book on Learning Japanese Writing? 6
Original Research Used in this Book 10
Significance of the Research Showcased in this Book 13
2 The Japanese Writing System 14
Components of the Japanese Writing System 14
Implications 22
3 Cognitive Challenges in Learning the Japanese Writing System 25
A Brief Introduction to Cognitive Processes 25
Cognitive Processes in Reading and Writing Japanese 28
Implications 31
Part 2: Cognitive Strategies
4 Cognitive Learning Strategies 37
A Brief Introduction to Cognitive Learning Strategies 37
Kanji Learning Strategies 42
Implications 43
5 Visual Association 47
Pictorial Association 49
Symbolic Association 52
Other Types of Whole Kanji Association 55
Implications 56
v
vi The Japanese Writing System
6 Component Analysis 59
Component Analysis Strategies 60
Implications 65
7 Mnemonics 68
Research into the Effectiveness of Mnemonic Strategies 70
Implications 75
Part 3: Psychology and Self-regulation
8 Learner Psychology, Self-regulation and Language Learning 81
Self-regulation as an Alternative to Language Learner
Strategy Research 81
Dörnyei’s Model of Self-regulation 83
Self-regulation as an Additive to Language Learning
Strategy Research 85
Self-regulating Capacity of Kanji Learning 86
Implications 90
9 Metacognition and Language Learning 93
Planning Learning 94
Evaluating Learning 97
Collaborative Learning 98
Metacognitive Control Strategies 100
Implications 101
10 Goal Setting and Commitment Control Strategies 104
Commitment Control Strategies 104
Typical Goals and Benchmarks for Japanese Study 107
Commitment Control of Participants in The Self-regulation
Study 110
Implications 115
11 Affective Factors in Kanji Learning 118
Emotion and Affective Factors in Self-regulation 118
Emotion Control in The Self-regulation Study 119
Implications 122
Part 4: Implications
12 Implications for Learners 129
Challenges Faced by Japanese Language Learners 129
A Learner’s Lament: Why Can’t the Japanese Writing
System be Simplified? 130
How to be a Better Learner: Strategies to Overcome Challenges 134
Contents vii
13 Implications for Instructors 139
Issues Surrounding the Order of Teaching Japanese Writing 139
How to be a Better Teacher: Advice to Support Second
Language Learners 140
Strategy Instruction in the Classroom 149
14 Implications for Researchers 153
Recommendations for Further Japanese SLA Research 153
Recommended Conceptual Frameworks for Use in Future
Research 160
Recommended Methods of Data Collection for Use in Future
Research 162
Conclusion 166
Glossary 168
References 173
Index 180
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Figures and Tables
Figures
Figure 1.1 O utbound tourists from Japan 4
Figure 1.2 Students traveling to Japan for study purposes 6
Figure 2.1 A n excerpt to illustrate the scripts of the Japanese
writing system 15
Figure 5.1 Example of pictorial association strategy for learning
hiragana 48
Figure 5.2 Etymological depictions of kanji 50
Figure 5.3 Example of symbolic association of a kanji 54
Figure 12.1 A breakdown in self-regulation for learning kanji of a
Japanese language learner 137
Figure 14.1 Theoretical framework for kanji strategy research 161
Tables
Table 1.1 Number of Japanese language learners 5
Table 2.1 Fifty sounds of Japanese: Represented by hiragana 16
Table 2.2 Romanization systems for Japanese 18
Table 2.3 Examples of kanji types 20
Table 4.1 A n inventory of cognitive and metacognitive kanji
learning s trategies 44
Table 5.1 Errors according to kanji type (The Intervention Study) 51
Table 5.2 L ist of kanji taught in each year of elementary school
in Japan 53
Table 6.1 Examples of kanji graphemes 60
Table 6.2 List of kanji radical types 60
Table 8.1 Criticisms of language learning strategies 82
Table 8.2 Issues with the field of language learning strategies 82
Table 8.3 Self-regulatory capacity for learning vocabulary 87
ix