Classroom Practices for International University Student-Athletes to Acquire Japanese Characters and Vocabulary:

Worksheet Development Incorporating Sport-Related Vocabulary

Abstract

We developed worksheets for international university student-athletes who had never studied Japanese to practice reading and writing hiragana and katakana in order to help them efficiently acquire Japanese characters and vocabulary. We selected sport-specific vocabulary through quantitative text analysis and our experience, incorporating them with basic vocabulary into the worksheets. To reduce the intrinsic burden on students, the Japanese phonological system was introduced initially using the Roman alphabet, and character learning was designed to be completed in class. The worksheets improved their learning efficiency and memory of characters and vocabulary, and promoted self-directed learning. As only a limited number of students used the worksheets, we would continue to use them for improvement.