Scaffolding for Improving Interactive Tanka Appreciation Activities for Upper Intermediate Level Learners

Abstract

We conducted an interactive tanka appreciation activity for upper intermediate Japanese learners. Learners first interpreted tanka individually, then engaged in group discussions to develop creative and multifaceted interpretations. To address the lack of clear rationale in previous activities, learners were guided to extract evidence from the tanka for "when, where, who, what relationship, what they are doing, and how they feel" before writing their interpretations. Learners' self-evaluations noted the ability to use tanka words as evidence for their explanations, indicating the effectiveness of the scaffolding.