A Study of Using Kanji Mapping in Kanji Instruction for Pre-Intermediate Thai Learners of Japanese

Abstract

This article report on the results of an experimental study using Kanji Mapping in Kanji instruction for 8 pre-intermediate Thai learners of Japanese. Kanji Mapping has been applied from a Mind Map which was developed by Tony Buzan, combined with Bushu (部首), Kanji’s radical representing meaning as a linkage to other Kanji and vocabularies in order to support Kanji learning. The purposes of this research are 1) to study a change on using Kanji Mapping for learners. 2) to survey an attitude of learners toward using Kanji Mapping. For research methodologies, the researcher assigned the learners to write Kanji Mapping 4 times to collect the results and analyze comparatively to find out the average and interpret result descriptively. The results are 1) In terms of changes in learning, Kanji Mapping can help the learners understand the basic meanings of Kanji more easily. The learners have gained self-confidence in learning new vocabulary imaginatively in wider contexts outside the classroom. It is found that this technique is also suitable for vocabulary review. 2) In terms of learners’ attitudes, the learners have realized the benefits of Kanji Mapping. In their opinions, it is an easy and useful technique. However, it fails to make learners enjoy learning Kanji. The problem found in this research was lacking of basic knowledge in Kanji and vocabularies in the pre-intermediate learners, so the learners could not make linkages of vocabularies as much as they were expected, and there were miswriting found as well. The obstacles of this research were lacking of time to do activities and insufficient size of population, then the tendency result cannot be concluded.