The Image of Japanese as a Second Language Class Perceived by Japanese Language Teachers and Foreign Students from Asian Countries

The research is conducted to examine the perception gap between Japanese language teachers （93respondents） and foreign students from Asian countries （164 respondents） regarding the image of Japanese as a second language class. The factor analysis of 26 items highlited five factors : effectiveness, attractiveness, authority of teachers, non-verbal communication and difficulties. The results were as follows : First, teachers perceived class image more positively than the students did especially in the factor of effectiveness. Second, students perceived their class image as being more strict．Third，students perceived a higher degree of authority than their teachers did. Fourth, teachers perceived more non-verbal communication. Fifth，neither teachers nor students perceived any statisticaly difference in the factor of diffcultie