English Training Needs of Japanese University Students Participating in the Hiroshima-Hawaii Cultural Exchange Project: A Task-Based Needs Analysis

抄録

This study investigates the communication needs of Japanese university students participating in the Hiroshima-Hawaii Cultural Exchange Project. The students spend several months studying Hawaiian culture and history before traveling to Hawaii; however, no English language training has been provided to participants since the project’s inception in 2013. To address this gap, a needs analysis (NA) was conducted to inform the development of a taskbased English curriculum tailored to the participants’ language requirements. Data were collected from various stakeholders, including students, coordinators, administrators, and domain experts, through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. A thematic analysis of 22 interviews identified 10 target tasks relevant to students’ communicative goals, focusing on Hawaiian culture, history, and practical skills. A subsequent questionnaire assessed task difficulty and priority. The results revealed that students sought increased interaction and listening practice, prioritizing practical tasks such as using public transportation and making okonomiyaki. In contrast, faculty members emphasized fundamental aspects, such as selfintroductions and small talk. Notably, students who had visited Hawaii emphasized different tasks than those who had not. This study recommends specific target tasks for exchange programs within a task-based language teaching syllabus and underscores the significance of NA in syllabus design, advocating its systematic implementation.