Verbal behaviors of Japanese students in multicultural classrooms : a comparative study of courses in different languages of instruction

Abstract - This empirical study was conducted in a state university in Japan. Data were collected during multicultural classes where international and Japanese students studied together and tackled group projects using an active learning approach. Classes conducted in English and classes in Japanese with the same syllabi were compared. In both courses, non-native speakers had upper-intermediate to advenced levels of oral proficiency in the language of instruction. Qualitative data analysis focused on how Japanese students shifted their positions between native-speaker roles (in Japanese classes) and non-native-speaker roles (in English classes). Reflection notes written by the students and collected after every lesson, assigned essays and transcripts of follow-up group interviews at the end of the courses were analyzed. We found two main obstacles in unsuccessful interactions in English classes among Japanese students: a lack of considence in expressing their opinions in public and anxiety when speaking in English. In contrast, their confideration of others, i. e., non-native speakers, largely contributed to successful interactions in Japanese classes. Japanese students gained valuable stimulation from the attitudes of international students who showed active participation using Japanese as a foreign language. based on this study, we have two major suggestions for first-year education for Japanese students. First, educational training for stating one's opinions in the mother tongue is needed before the promotion of discussion activities using English. Second, the active learning style in multicultural classes containing international students, whether they are in English or in Japanese, needs to be systematically promoted in the light of the current demand for internationalization of higher education in Japan