Japanese as a Foreign Language Education (JFL) from the perspective of literature as a learning resource

In this featured multimodal presentation, I will introduce the results of a long-term study on the usage of literature as a learning resource in the Japanese language classroom, focusing specifically on its implementation domestically. Due to a significant increase in the number of international participants with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and learning objectives, Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) education has changed rapidly in recent years. Various pedagogical designs have since been suggested for adapting JFL instruction to meet the needs of these students and, under these conditions, the value of reevaluating the foundations of JFL instruction is one research domain that continues to gain prominence amongst contemporary scholars. As an extension of this debate, this study reflects on an alternative approach to JFL instruction by critically examining JFL education from the perspective of ‘literature as a learning material,’ which represents a hitherto under-explored subject locally. Through exploring how literature is used and perceived in JFL settings, I hope to contribute to the above-stated debate by providing evidence for innovative instructional practices within JFL education. In addition to the present status of literature as a learning material in JFL education, I will introduce potential explanations regarding why this approach has, thus far, failed to be taken into consideration by demonstrating the results of three different case studies that were conducted over a prolonged period as part of this research.