This paper explores how learners can actively participate in classroom activities to enhance their learning motivation and elicit their speaking skills, based on a three-term Japanese Language Teaching Practicum at the Graduate School of Global Communication and Language at Akita International University. By analyzing and validating the winter practicum, it was determined that designing activities that stimulate learners’ intellectual curiosity is necessary to facilitate their active participation. Additionally, it has been revealed that promoting learners’ awareness of the learning process is crucial for fostering learner autonomy. The paper examines the implementation of active learning, which encourages learners to take charge of their own learning, and discusses the role of the teacher, resulting in the development of improvement proposals. Through the validation of this paper, new challenges were discovered concerning the organization of lessons to promote learner autonomy and the support that teachers can provide.

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This paper discusses cultural lessons using video works in Japanese language classes. I have experience in Japanese language education at a language school in Japan and have been interested in the necessity of cultural classes, using video works as teaching materials. However, I have not been able to put them into practice. During the Japanese language teaching practice at the graduate school where I am currently enrolled, a cultural class using video works as teaching materials was conducted for the first time. However, because I had not sufficiently thought about how to construct a cultural class, how to use video works effectively, and activities to achieve the goals of the class, I was unable to develop the class using video works as I had expected. Therefore, based on previous studies, we examined the following three points: 1) Was the lesson design designed to promote cultural understanding, 2) Were the activities based on the significance of using visual images as teaching materials, and 3) Were the visual works used appropriately for the cultural class? Using these perspectives, I analyzed my own cultural lessons and proposed a plan for improvement.

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This paper aims to identify the problems in the author's classroom management and instruction and seeks to improve future teaching practices through action research.The practicum in March 2023 revealed numerous instances where the teacher's instructions did not reach the learners and the teacher struggled to control student behaviors in the classroom. The paper investigates the factors behind the ineffectiveness of the author's instructions during class. In order to convey the instructions to the learners effectively, maintaining an appropriate distance and delivering clear and understandable instructions are required. However, verification results show the author’s shortcomings in achieving both aspects, with inappropriate behaviors observed in both class management and instruction. In addition, the author's beliefs as a teacher became more concrete through the practicum experience.

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This action research paper discusses how to create a class that facilitates learners' speech based on reflections from teaching practices conducted at Akita International University's Graduate School of Global Communication and Language, where the author is enrolled. The winter practicum revealed a low amount of student speech as a problem, while in the spring practicum, although the speech volume was high, there remained an issue of insufficient learner’s speech in Japanese. The spring and winter practicums were conducted under different circumstances, such as the difference in the class format (online or face-to-face) and the learners' Japanese proficiency level. Therefore, although the challenge of creating a class that encourages student speech production is common, this research examines and analyses the practices from different perspectives, such as creating a classroom environment, teacher facilitation, and using intermediary language by the teacher. Finally, improvement measures for each practice are proposed, along with suggestions for appropriate actions to increase student speech and interaction.

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This paper is an action research report based on the reflection of over three terms of teaching practices conducted in the graduate school of Akita International University. Upon reviewing the recorded video data of the classes during teaching practices held in autumn and winter practicum, the author found that the teacher talks a lot during classes, moreover indicating a significant case of teacher-centered classes. During the spring practicum, an investigation was operated based on classes with group work to examine whether a classroom environment fostering learner autonomy and peer-to-peer learning was provided or whether the teacher’s behavior effectively facilitated cooperative learning The results revealed that although there were instances where learning among students was facilitated, there were still shortcomings to prepare an environment for cooperative learning, as well as problems with a teacher’s involvement in group work. Taking these reflections into account, this report will discuss the topics for improvement in order to enhance future classes.

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This paper is a record of action research reflecting on the author's own speech during Japanese language teaching practicum. Upon reviewing the fall and winter practicums targeting beginner learners, it was revealed that the author did not engage in teacher talk. It was reaffirmed that in order to deliver comprehensible lessons, efforts are necessary to adjust the length of sentences and control vocabulary in accordance with the learners' Japanese language proficiency, as well as compensate for the lack of teaching experience.

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This paper is an action research study on the operation of icebreaker activities conducted during Japanese language teaching practices. The author observed a frequent state of confusion among the learners during the icebreaker activities. The author also expressed concerns about the lack of relevance between icebreakers and class content, as well as whether the icebreakers influenced learners' motivation. The paper investigates whether the icebreaker activities were appropriately conducted, whether they were related to the class content, and whether the presence or absence of relevance affected learners' motivation. Based on the findings, the author identified shortcomings in giving instructions and managing time effectively. Additionally, many icebreakers were indirectly related to class content, serving mainly for relationship-building and warm-up purposes. While the presence or absence of relevance did not significantly impact learners' motivation based on this investigation, it became apparent that consistent lesson planning from icebreakers to class content is crucial for future improvements.

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This paper presents an action research study that investigates the role of the teacher while conducting task-based activities in a Japanese language teaching training class, for which I was responsible. During the training in October 2022, learner’s level ranged between beginner and intermediate, learners struggled to complete the assigned tasks, leading to a decline in their motivation to learn Japanese. Several factors, such as unclear instructions, task complexity, and student pairings, were identified as potential contributors to the lack of success in the class. This paper aims to analyze the reasons behind the failure of two training sessions that involved task-based activities. The findings revealed several issues pertaining to the teacher's role, including the occurrence of errors and misuses as well as a lack of negotiation of meaning due to time constraints and the teacher’s impatience. These problems were identified as the primary challenges. This action research paper investigates the problems associated with the teacher's role in task-based activities and endeavors to enhance future classes.

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This action research paper examines the author's methods of addressing learners' misuse of the Japanese language during three terms of teaching practice at Akita International University's Graduate School of Japanese Language Education. The author identified the correction of learners' mistakes as a significant issue. Therefore, he analyzed the corrections provided during the teaching practice and investigated the effectiveness of the correction feedback in eliciting self-correction from the learners. The results revealed that the author's correction feedback exhibited bias, primarily focusing on input-oriented corrections, which proved ineffective in promoting self-correction. Additionally, the feedback was one-sided, as it failed to consider the learners' feelings when provided. Considering these issues, this paper discusses the tendencies observed in the author's corrective feedback and aims to explore effective strategies for its implementation. Furthermore, it offers suggestions for improvement and outlines prospects in this area.

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This action research paper examines the author's speech during instruction in Japanese language teaching practicum. In the spring of 2023, during the practicum, the author conducted an explanation of activities related to the final presentation preparation, but the author's intentions did not effectively reach the learners. The potential causes identified include insufficient confirmation of learner understanding, ineffective responses from the author when learners indicated a lack of comprehension, and a lack of consistency in instructional expressions. This paper selects one class where the author's instructions were not understood, from three different practicum sessions held in autumn, winter, and spring, and examines the reasons behind it. As a result, several issues were identified, including but not limited to; the author speaking predominantly without sufficient interaction with the learners. It was also observed that the author did not appropriately respond when realizing that instructions were not being understood. This action research paper explores the issues in the author's instructional speech, aiming to improve future classroom practices.

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This paper is a report on the action research conducted by the author during three terms of practical training in the Japanese Language Teaching Practices at Akita International University's Graduate School of Global Communication and Language. The report begins by addressing the dissatisfaction expressed by learners who desired more opportunities for speaking practice. It examines whether the design of the winter training effectively incorporated the learners' needs, primarily through reflections on the winter program. Additionally, the report acknowledges the various constraints faced in course design, including course schedules, the selection of final presentation tasks, and the learners' Japanese language proficiency. It explores how to set tasks that align with the learners' needs and concludes with a discussion on how to effectively incorporate these needs into the course.

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