SNS利用で会話能力が伸びるのか ― Can Do Statements と交流後の意識調査を基にして―

Abstract

This paper addresses the improvement of oral proficiency in Korean learners of the Japanese language who engaged in interactions with Japanese native speakers　based on the results of a survey. Twenty-two pairs of Japanese and Korean students interacted on social media through video- or voice-calls. Before and after these interactions, the Korean students were asked to fill out a survey using “Can-Do” Statements. The group of students who engaged in the social media interactions were then compared with a group of nonparticipant learners of Japanese, and no differences were found in Japanese language acquisition between the two groups in this one-and-a-half month study. However, the results of the survey demonstrate that the learners who engaged in the interaction were satisfied with the experience. Their comments included statements such as, “I feel that my conversational skills have improved,” “I feel more confident about how I use Japanese,” and “I understood the conversation better, because we used video-calls instead of text messages.” Six months later, an additional survey was conducted in Korean and the comments obtained from it were as follows: “I want to talk with more Japanese people,” “I have become conscious about grammar and words I have not learnt yet,” and “I started checking the dictionary more often.” The participants also indicated that managing interactions out of the classroom, the choice of the social media used, and matching conversation partners were potential ways to improve the social media experience.