Students see ICT as a practical means of gathering information and communicating with both local and non-local individuals and in groups in a variety of contexts. They value ease of use, and different tools and platforms for different linguistic and social purposes because they generally recognize the affordances and limitations of these.
Most students express a preference for the use of smartphone applications to engage in a wide range of foreign language literacy practices and to interact with foreigners in English. Participants reported that though these practices intersect in some ways with their Japanese language communication practices, different applications were often used for Japanese and English communication. The following text excerpts from students’ completed narrative frames illustrate some of the ways that students think about the differentiation of platforms and tools for different purposes:
Generally, when using ICT to communicate in Japanese (I) mostly use
Facebook to broadly share general information about my everyday life with friends living abroad without specifying who receives this
information. (N1)
Generally, when using ICT to communicate in Japanese I use LINE and
Twitter to interact with friends on an everyday basis. However, for using
ICT to communicate in English I just sometimes use Facebook to
correspond with American(s) in Japan. (N16)
Generally, when using ICT to communicate in JapaneseI use LINE and
Twitter. I use LINE for a broad range of things: from personal
conversations to groups, to administrative correspondences. On Twitter I tweet serious things and also trivial things.However, for using ICT to
communicate in English I decided on Facebook. When I post on
Facebook, I always post in English. I thought I would use Facebook only for my foreign friends, but recently my Japanese friends have increased (there). (N18)
Recently when using ICT to contact friends, SEMPAI, KOHAI,
classmates, and others, (I) usually use a smartphone. This is because
(one) can contact (others) conversationally; (one can) use it more readily and conveniently than email. (N11)
As for using ICT in producing (written) English sentences is connected to the improvement of my own English ability. When speaking in
English to people in my location I usually don’t have any time to think before I speak. However, when using English via ICT I have time to think before sending (a message). (N12)
When speaking in English to people in my location, meaning can be
conveyed depending on changes in intonation. However, when using
English through ICT (I) think it’s necessary to choose the words one
uses. (N13)
As for using ICT in producing (written) English sentencesit’s one place
to test my English skills. It makes interacting with foreign people easier.
However, when speaking in English to people in my location, I speak
without really paying attention to grammar. However, when using
English through ICT I try to be careful not to make grammatical
mistakes. I use Japanese to English translation site repeatedly in order to confirm and compose appropriate sentences.(N15)
As for using ICT in producing (written) English sentencesit’s difficult but fun. When speaking in English to people in my location, I can’t really speak. However, when using English through ICTsince I have time to think, I can skillfully convey (my thoughts) in English. (N19)
Student awareness of affordances and limitations of CMC generally, and of different platforms specifically is exemplified by the following excerpts:
As for using ICT in producing(written) English sentences(I) often (do
this). When speaking in English to people in my location, (I) just talk freely (without being concerned about grammar and the like). However,
when using English through ICT(I) tend to become concerned with
such things as grammar and word usage. (N14)
As for using ICT in producing (written) English sentences I do so when I
email members of my former host-family abroad or when I am when emailing my overseas friends. When speaking in English to people in
my location, (I) speak English while paying no attention to grammar.
However, when using English through ICT(I) think carefully and
repeatedly think about grammar and phrasing to account for what cannot be conveyed by facial expression. (N11)
In terms ICT-enabled opportunities for interacting with people from
other countries and cultures because many of my foreign friends use
Facebook, most [of these] occur on Facebook. (N2)
My observation of student practices revealed students’ fluent use of the LINE application—which has become very popular in Asia over the course of this study—for both social and educational purposes, and often a mix of the two. LINE is a mobile chat software application that allows users to communicate individually and in groups. The interface encourages responsiveness that
appears to mirror relational values in Japanese society. Though also enabled with voice and video-chat functionality, most of the LINE communication I have observed and taken part in involves exchanges of text and image. The unique feature of LINE that encourages interlocutor responsibility is the “read” indicator. This feature works by displaying the word “read” in English or (kidoku) in Japanese next to text that has been viewed by its recipient(s). As explained on LINE’s website, this feature “indicates that the person has seen your message. In group chat-rooms, the signs will be shown as Read by 2 etc., showing the number of people who have seen your message within the group” (“LINE,” n.d.). A critical incident report I wrote about this notes that this feature appears to encourage responsibility and group cohesion, and that the platform itself has allowed me to engage students individually and in groups for the achievement of various pedagogical and logistical goals. I will discuss the characteristics and affordances of LINE in more detail in Chapter Seven.