1. Constructing the Croatian resources for e-learning of Japanese
Sara Librenjak,
Kristina Kocijan
Department of Information and Communication Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Zagreb
Forli,
Constructing the Croatian resources for e-learning of Japanese

2. Outline Introduction Resources for learning of Japanese writing system
The role and challenges of e-learning in Japanese
The need for Croatian materials
Resources for learning of Japanese writing system
Kana e-learning and mnemotechnics
Kanji systematization and memorization
Resources for learning the vocabulary and grammar
Future plans

3. Introduction
Language learning – oral and written reception and production
VOCABULARY
LISTENING
SPEAKING
READING
GRAMMAR
WRITING

4. In case of Japanese…
Need to learn different scripts just to access the resources and study materials
The vocabulary issues
Similar to no IE language
Difficult to memorize
The grammar issues
„Yoda” word order
Omission of elements due to context
Absence of case, gender, number and person
Unpredictable collocations
Difficult to acquire main language skills due to issues in the subskills

5. Why digital resources? Dictionaries – Corpora Teaching materials
for speed and clarity
Corpora
for teachers, reserchers and ambitious students
Teaching materials
More memorable and interesting classes
But what about resources for improved learning and memorizing?
Tools exist
implementation questionable and individual-based

6. Croatian – Japanese as a language pair
Need for the resources in our native language
Tradition of studying Japanese through English
No Croatian textbook or grammar book
Limited dictionaries
Why needed?
For the non-English speakers
Better understanding and memorization in native language
Croatian identity in the Japanese and Asian context

7. Our aim
To build better matterials for an average Croatian student in order to
Better memorize Japanese
Forget less
Have more fun studying
Have long term success in studying Japanese
To test the materials in two semester study
Get the feedback, improve the materials
Spread the word with teachers of Japanese
Use the materials as and aid in many classrooms in Croatia

8. What are we making? A project supported by European Union
European Structural Funds, 07/ /2016
Resources for the acquisition of Japanese writing
Resources for memorizing the vocabulary
Resources for better understanding the grammar in context
Employment of spaced repetition system in classroom

9. Resources for learning kana
Kana considered relatively easy by most students
Reported issues: similar characters
Resource roles:
Make kana acquisition more fun
Facilitate memorisiation using mnemotechnics
Give Croatian identity to learning kana

11. Anki – a tool for memorizing

12. Resources for learning kanji
Kanji considered one of the most difficult parts of learning Japanese
Reported issues:
forgetting the kanji
lack of systematization
don’t know how to study correctly
Resource roles:
Utilize SRS in order to enchance limits of memory
Divide kanji in logical units (components rather then radicals)
Explain with etymological stories
Create sentences with associative mnemotechnic
Provide context while learning

14. Resources for learning vocabulary
Under-recognized issue in the success of learning Japanese
Hypothesis: better memorization of vocabulary units leads to development of intuition
to memorize and guess the meaning of more complex parts od Japanese
Divided by pre-made levels
Gamification element

19. Resources for context supported grammar learning
A collection of sentences containg typical grammar for the level
Controlled vocabulary (connected with vocabulary part)
Testing the meaning, usage and word order
Multiple choice, ordering, writing type tests
Made in the same environment as the vocabulary part
Currently A1 and A2 levels covered

21. Plans for the testing phase
N = 30 – complete beginners
N = 20 – A2/B1 level
N = 10 – B2 and above
Regulary check the usage frequency of the materials
Testing the students’ knowledge in various aread before, during and after the usage
Collecting users feedback and implementing it
Provide quantitative and qualitative results of the usage until 06/2016
Preliminary results:
Very positive 

22. Utilized software Anki Memrise Quizlet Project name online Memazija
Memrise
Quizlet
Project name online Memazija
Links available online on Facebook, Memrise and Quizlet

23. Thank you for your attention!
Any questions?