Effectiveness of Research Writing with Awareness of “Readers” through a Webpage Creation:

Questionnaire on Learners’ Perceived Improvements.

Abstract

This paper investigates the effectiveness of research writing project in a lower intermediate Japanese language course at an undergraduate level when learners are aware of their audience. To this end, Google Sites was used as the presentation medium where an unspecified number of readers around the world could view their final work. After the conclusion of the course, a questionnaire was conducted to assess the learners’ perceived improvements on research writing skills and Japanese language skills. Twelve learners responded to the questionnaire, and overall they perceived significant increase in both skills. Additional factors need to be addressed in the future, such as learners’ awareness level of copyright and different learning styles.