The researcher has worked as a Japanese cram school teacher in Taiwan for nine years since 2002. In these nine years, the researcher has encountered different kinds of students and earned myriad of experience in this path. The researcher found that Japanese learners in Taiwan, no matter what age or what level, made almost the same mistakes. The commonality of making errors caused the researcher¡¦s curiosity. The researcher took this opportunity to seek for the reasons that caused these common mistakes. One of the most common mistakes they made is the use of the ¡§particle¡¨. Japanese¡¦s particle was classified neatly, especially ¡§prepositions¡¨ which were the most difficult to learn. When students first learn prepositions, they always get confused; the catachreses of the "De (で)" and "Ni (に)¡¨ were often brought to discussion. In the previous studies, many scholars have focused on this topic and done many researches (Sakota, 1998;Sugiyama, 2002). Based on those studies, with the writer¡¦s practical experience, she analyzed and probed the misuse of De and Ni through testing students. In the test, the researcher differentiated the students into three levels to see how different levels of students react to the use of prepositions, De and Ni ; the researcher then analyzed if there were any special tendency to the use of those preposition from the collected data. The testing method was to ask each levels of students to fill in the blank of a preposition quiz and then interview them about why did they pick those certain preposition to fill in the blank. Using fill-in the blank tests, the researcher found that the student's frequency of use of De and Ni and the frequency of incorrect answers were different. Through introspective investigation, the researcher found that the student's thinking process when using De and Ni are "Noun+ preposition" , "verb+ preposition". After interviewing the students, the researcher found that most subjects have a stereotyped "image of place or name of building + De", and "position or abstract places + Ni". The researcher hoped to understand the reason of the preposition mistake, De and Ni, in Japanese leaner of Taiwan by the research and find the solution of this common mistake. The writer wished that this could benefit not only teachers but students and provide them directions for teaching and learning.

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The present study is an exploration of multiple dimensions of L2 learners’ reading motivation and its relationship with L2 reading achievement. Based on theories of motivation and L1 and L2 studies, nine dimensions of motivation (Curiosity, Involvement, Challenge, Importance of L2 Reading, L2 Reading Self- Confidence, Instrumental Orientation, Recognition, Compliance, and Intrinsic Motivation for L1 Reading) were hypothesized to influence L2 reading achievement, and their dimensionality was examined using an L2 reading motivation questionnaire and statistical procedures. The participants, 1,030 students from nine Japanese universities, completed a 69-item Reading Motivation Questionnaire and a reading comprehension test. The questionnaire and test scores were statistically analyzed using the Rasch rating scale and dichotomous models, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that L2 reading motivation was multidimensional, consisting of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This result was consistent with previous studies conducted in L1 and L2 reading. Intrinsic motivation for L2 reading (Interest and Involvement in L2 Reading and Desire to Read L2 Materials) and one types of extrinsic motivation (Instrumental Orientation) exerted greater influence on L2 reading motivation than the other types of extrinsic motivation (Importance of L2 Reading, Recognition, and Compliance). That is, internally controlled motivation is more influential than externally controlled motivation with an exception of Instrumental Orientation. Another important finding was that L1 reading motivation and L2 reading motivations were similar to some extent because five of the eight factors (Intrinsic Interest and Involvement in L2 reading, Desire to Read L2 Materials, Importance of L2 Reading, Recognition, and Compliance) were found both in L1 and L2 reading motivation. However, three L2 specific factors (Instrumental Orientation, L2 Reading Self Confidence, and Intrinsic Interest in L1 Reading) were also identified. Thus, the study showed that there were some similarities as well as fundamental differences between L1 and L2 reading motivation. In terms of the relationship between L2 reading motivation and text comprehension, the L2 Reading Motivation and Comprehension Model demonstrated L2 reading motivation is significantly related to L2 text comprehension. Concerning individual differences between male and female students, the study showed that their profiles were similar although, on the average, the female students were more motivated to read as has been repeatedly found in L1 reading. Differences in the motivational profiles due to L2 proficiency showed that Recognition, the desire to be recognized by others by performing well, was a factor that differentiated the high and low groups. However, because the relationship between L2 Reading Motivation and L2 Reading Comprehension was not significant for both groups, it is possible that there was a problem with the reading test that was used to make the groups. In summary, the present study has demonstrated the vital role of L2 reading motivation in L2 reading, and pointed to the need to incorporate motivational support into L2 reading pedagogy as has been successfully practiced in L1 reading. This study is significant to the domain of L2 instruction and research for several reasons. First, it extends the knowledge base in L2 reading by identifying the influence of L2 reading motivation on L2 reading behavior. Second, the results of the study contribute to designing research-based reading instruction aimed at enhancing L2 reading motivation and performance. Finally, it is hoped that this study provides individual educators with practical suggestions on how to improve L2 reading instruction in their individual teaching contexts, focusing on both affective and cognitive aspects of L2 learners. / Language Arts

This microanalytic study focuses on the mutimodal word look-up practices of Japanese foreign language learners of English at the novice level using electronic dictionaries (e-dictionaries) in pair conversations. Not yet investigated with a Conversation Analysis (CA) approach, this analysis examines reoccurring interactional and collaborative repair practices (Schegloff, Jefferson, & Sacks, 1977; Schegloff, 2000) of the learners' look-ups, and explicates from the sequential turn-taking procedures (Sacks, Schegloff, & Jefferson, 1974), the underlying social organization of the e-dictionary look-up sequence. Recent research has found that not-yet-fluent learners are capable of relatively smooth turn-taking (Carroll, 2000, 2004), and they employ various embodied actions (Olsher, 2004) to complete their turns. Nonvocal resources such as gaze movement (Goodwin, 1981) and gestures were also investigated in order to better understand how learners collaboratively utilize vocal and nonvocal resources in hybrid actions, to co-construct the meaning of look-up words, and maintain intersubjectivity. While enrolled in a university intensive English program, thirteen native speakers of Japanese video-recorded thirty-minute conversations; and during these conversations, they completed look-up sequences as interactional achievements. The results indicated that EFL novice learners display sophisticated competencies when using e-dictionaries for communication. While collaboratively completing look-up sequences, they display multimodal competencies by noticing trouble with words, initiating look-ups, making candidate proposals of word translations, correcting themselves, mutually acknowledging their understanding, and maintaining intersubjectivity and sequential relevance. In terms of language learning, learners' collaborative learning of words demonstrates instances of learning-as-interaction (Brouwer & Wagner, 2004; Firth & Wagner, 2007), making public the participants' socially situated cognition. Indications of a change in the participants' cognitive state can emerge in the look-up sequential organization. A lack of knowledge is displayed publically in before-look-up actions, encouraging collaboration in the look-up. Multiple proposals and acknowledgement sequences, often displayed in embodied expansions, provide multimodal indications of a possible change in cognitive state and possible gain in knowledge. Thus, the look-up sequence organization is proposed as an interactional organization for the learning of vocabulary. Finally, the understanding of sequential structures and practices that interactants use in looking up words can inform teachers concerning the efficacy of e-dictionary use in the classroom. / CITE/Language Arts

<div>Typing in Japanese is a difficult process for novice and intermediate learners of Japanese due</div><div>to the writing system of the Japanese language and its comparatively involved input method on a</div><div>keyboard. Considering that spell checkers, which enable the user to check and correct their own</div><div>errors and select the correct kanji word, are designed for native speakers, the learners of Japanese</div><div>as a foreign language (JFL) may not recognize their spelling errors and are thus unable to selfcorrect using this built-in tool.</div><div>The present study addresses this problem and conducts an experiment to evaluate the</div><div>effectiveness of a visual feedback tool by its error recognition rate on the learners spelling errors</div><div>when typing in Japanese. The participants were 46 beginner level JFL learners in a third semester</div><div>Japanese course, and the majority consist of native speakers of Chinese or English. The</div><div>participants participated in two experimental sessions. In both sessions, participants were audio</div><div>recorded while reading aloud a list of words in Japanese for pronunciation analysis and screen</div><div>recorded while typing the same list of Japanese words. These recordings are used to analyze the</div><div>characteristics of error patterns in both pronunciation and typing. During the typing sessions, visual</div><div>feedback is provided to the participants via a customized dictionary tool when participants make</div><div>a spelling error.</div><div>The results show that regardless of the native language, the learners have difficulty on certain</div><div>words that include long vowels or double consonants. The recorded error patterns align with the</div><div>findings of previous studies (Hatasa, 2001; Nakazawa, 2003; Tsuchiya, 2000), and the visual</div><div>feedback showed an average error recognition rate of 76% of the participants’ spelling errors. The</div><div>participants also assessed the dictionary tool in terms of usability, and their responses indicate that</div><div>such tools are very useful during typing. The researcher concludes that using a visual feedback</div><div>dictionary tool is effective in recognizing the spelling errors of the learners when typing, and it</div><div>increases the learner’s awareness of spelling accuracy.</div>