Japanese Learners’ Perceptions of Self-instructional Radio Materials

This paper investigated perceptions of self-instructional radio (SIR) materials by learners of English in the Japanese context and factors affecting completion and non-completion of the materials. The study found that the major advantage of the materials is that the fixed on-air schedule helps learners maintain a regular learning schedule. However, the same characteristic was perceived by other learners to be a major drawback, as these materials seem inflexible. Within the materials, the skit section was perceived to be the most useful and the most interesting, since the section provided learners with English conversations that have useful expressions in a context. For future materials, I report learners’ suggestions for new sections with the goal of minimizing the drawbacks of the medium (e.g., adding a test section that confirms learners’ understanding of the materials). Finally, the paper provides suggestions to the three kinds of stakeholders, namely teacher-figures, material designers and learners, as to how to lower the relatively high drop-out rates of the format. By maximizing the advantages and minimizing the drawbacks, radio materials could possibly serve as a major type of second language self-instructional materials in the era of lifelong learning. TAKAHASHI – JAPANESE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL RADIO MATERIALS 2