Basic Research for the Development of Web-based Japanese Language Proficiency Test

2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15202012
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: Tokyo Woman's Christian University
• Principal Investigator: NISHIHARA Suzuko Tokyo Woman's Christian University, College of Culture and Communication, Professor, 現代文化学部, 教授 (60189298)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMADA Tsuneo National Institute of Multimedia Education, Department of Research and Development, Professor, 研究開発部, 教授 (70182540) ; NAKAJIMA Kazuko Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Department of Foreign Languages, Professor, 外国語学部, 教授 (70351161) ; HIROSE Eiko Tokyo Woman's Christian University, College of Culture and Communication, Assistant professor, 現代文化学部, 助教授 (40328373) ; ISHII Eriko Tokyo Woman's Christian University, College of Culture and Communication, Assistant Professor, 現代文化学部, 助教授 (90212810)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2005
• Keywords: Japanese Language Proficiency / Internet / Web-based Test

Research Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop the web-based testing instrument for the Japanese language proficiency test for the world-wide learners. The on going test scheme jointly developed by Japan Student Services Organization and Japan Foundation has been the paper and-pencil test., which requires the examinees to come to the examination site. For many people that works as a discouraging factor. This research proposes the web-based test that anybody in the internet environment can take at the times they like to check their learning achievement.
The content of the proposed testing instrument has three components : listening comprehension, listening reading comprehension, and reading comprehension. In each component, the examinees can choose the instruction written in Kanji and Kana, Kana only, or Romanized Japanese. After the test, they can see the result immediately. They can take the test any number of times according to their schedule, which works effiectively ctively for raising their learning motivation.
The analysis of the experiment has shown that the proposed testing instrument has been valid and reliable. It is the researchers' hope that the system is adopted as the official testing tool in the near future.