Language learning and cross-cultural attitudes: an international study of the attitudes of Japanese students of English

Language learning and cross-cultural attitudes: an international study of the attitudes of Japanese students of English

This is a research report of a large study of over 600 high school students' perceptions about learning English as a foreign language which is a compulsory subject across Japan. It reports on their cross-cultural attitudes and opinion about languages education pedagogy and provides some comparison of students' views of how they would like to learn English with those of teachers. The variables of time spent learning English, student gender and location (urban/rural) are explored. The project and production of this research report was funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research for 2003-2006 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (research number 15202013). The researchers also express thanks to the Board of Education of Akita Prefecture, and the principals of the schools(10) in Akita Prefecture who allowed the study to be undertaken in the schools in their charge.

Report #T010-8502.
This research replicates research that explored the cross-cultural attitudes of high school students who were learning a foreign language in Australia which was conducted by two of the authors Shirley O'Neill and D. E. Ingram.