The impact of Japanese popular culture and motivation on language learning: Exploring the use of manga for teaching Japanese culture and reading

This study examines the use of manga as instructional tools to promote and sustain motivation in Japanese language learners while also examining student perceptions and reactions about use of manga in the classroom. The methodology for this study included the use of three questionnaires: an online questionnaire for Japanese learners at Purdue University, an online questionnaire for teachers of Japanese at Purdue and at Middlebury Language School, and a paper-based questionnaire for students of a course which included manga-integrated lessons. The results indicate that manga should be used more in classrooms and other contexts as supplemental instructional tools, because manga provide an effective means to recruit more new students, to retain more learners, to provide authentic materials to students, and to provide more motivation and more opportunities for self-directed learning. The study exposed a significant teacher-student gap in perceptions about manga, and more specifically about the use of manga in classroom. A key pedagogical implication suggested by the study is that there is a need for more systematic mechanisms for sharing information such as teaching strategies and experiences in integrating authentic materials in classrooms among teache