Abstract
This study, based on the analysis of the I-JAS data, investigates the influence of learning environments and classroom instructions on the accuracy and complexity of the Japanese sentences used by JSL learners. We analyzed the speech data of 60 learners in three groups; JFL in China, JSL-Classroom learners in Japan and JSL-Natural learners in Japan. We measured the accuracy of their oral data, examining error-free T-units and also measured the complexity of sentences, counting the numbers of different clause types in T-units. The findings are as follows: First, JSL-N learners speak Japanese more correctly than those studying in other environments. Second, JSL-N learners use a greater number of complex sentences with subordinate clauses. Third, in JSL-C, similar to JFL, subordinate clauses are not as numerous as JSL-N, but compound sentences are seen as many as in JSL-N. The results indicate the influence of the learning environments on the accuracy and complexity of learner's Japanese, and they may also show that JSL-C learner's Japanese represents a transitional stage prior to the acquisition of a grammar of greater complexity.
