A Collaborative Learning Method of Learning from Errors in Japanese Writing

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a collaborative learning method for Japanese language learners where they share each other’s essays and learn from one another’s errors. Targeted learners of this method are those able to write short compositions in Japanese. The procedure for this activity was as follows: first, each learner wrote a composition of about 300 words in Japanese about a four-frame comic of a story from Aesop’s Fables. The learners then broke into groups of three, and each group collectively looked for errors in their compositions, discussed these errors, and made corrections. Next, they recorded their findings on error- analysis cards designed by the authors and entered the contents of the cards into a database of learners’ writing errors. Finally, each learner reviewed not only his or her own writing errors but also those of others using the database. The authors used this activity with 11 Chinese speakers with Japanese skills of Level 2 or higher on the International Japanese Language Proficiency Test. The results of the activity are as follows: the learners’ post-test scores for Japanese skills after the practice were higher than their pre-test scores. The learners found about 80% writing errors in their compositions. The most common errors were the misuse of intransitive and transitive verbs. The learners learned their writing-error patterns by reviewing sentences with errors in the error database.