Lived Experiences of FL Students in Nihongo: Basis for a Proposed Program for Teachers About Providing Corrective Feedback

Abstract

Globalization has greatly increased the demand for highly skilled foreign language speakers. Workplaces are becoming more global; thus, cultures and languages are continuing to diversify. One foreign language offered and studied in Higher Educational Institutions in the Philippines is Nihongo. Considering the disparity between the official languages of the Philippines and the foreign language in focus, specifically in grammar patterns, speech and writing systems, and other technicalities that comprise a language, it is truly challenging for course-takers to acquire the new language. This prompted the proponents of the present study to investigate the experiences that foreign language students, particularly Nihongo, have upon taking the course. This probe aimed to determine the factors that contribute to students' difficulty in learning Nihongo through testimonies and the different coping mechanisms that can be employed in dealing with this difficulty. Results of this are expected to yield the creation and proposition of a program that contains suggestions that may be considered for the course delivery to be more impactful, worthwhile, and beneficial for course-takers.