New Voices Volume 4

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.21159/nv.04.07

A Study of Social Networking Sites for Learners of Japanese
Fusako Ota
Monash University

Abstract
Social Networking Sites (SNSs) such as “Facebook” and “MySpace” have been used by many
people from different countries around the world, and they have recently been applied tosecond language (L2) learning, both inside and outside classrooms. A number of researchers
have investigated the utility of SNSs, and some language researchers have studied the use ofSNSs for L2 learning in language classrooms. However, the study of the usage of SNSs for L2
learning outside the classroom has not yet been studied thoroughly, despite the fact that many
communities and groups exist for users who are interested in learning L2 on such sites.
This article examines the nature and extent of SNS communities available specificallyfor L2 learners of Japanese, and describes the usage which is being made of these communities
in particular on the SNSs, “mixi” and “Facebook”. Furthermore, the beneficial aspects of using
such sites for L2 learning will be discussed.

Keywords
SNS, L2 learning, mixi, Facebook

Introduction
Language learning approaches, both inside and outside the classroom, have beenchanging along with advances in technology. Educational institutions and language
learners are getting the benefits from the flexibility and accessibility offered bycomputer technologies.1 Such technologies allow second language (L2) learners toaccess the Target Language (TL) easily, especially outside the classroom. For example,
learners have the opportunities to access authentic language usage or enrich theirknowledge of culture and society through reading the TL on websites, listening tomusic or watching TV programs in the TL, and so forth. Interaction with native
speakers of the TL by using Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools such asSocial Networking Sites (SNSs) or instant messenger is also now possible. Moreover,

1

Goertler, ‘Using Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) in language teaching’, pp. 74-84.

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non-native speakers can interact with other non-native speakers who speak the sameL2 through CMC tools. Such interactions through computer technologies provide
many opportunities for information exchange and L2 development.2
One of the CMC tools, SNSs such as “Facebook” and “MySpace” have beenused by many people all over the world, and have recently infiltrated our daily life.
On such sites, there are many communities and groups which exist for users who areinterested in communicating in or studying the L2. Many researchers have investigated
the utility of SNSs, and some language researchers have studied the use of SNS for L2
learning in language classes.3 However, the study of SNSs usage for L2 learning outside
the classroom has not yet been paid much attention. Consequently, the present study
will examine the nature and extent of SNS communities available specifically for L2
learners of Japanese, and describe the usage which is being made of these communities,
in particular on the SNSs, “mixi” and “Facebook” which are the most popular SNSs in
Japan and internationally. Furthermore, the beneficial aspects of using such sites for L2
learning will be discussed.
This study has been based on three research questions:
1. What types of communities designed for L2 learners of Japanese exist in “mixi”
and “Facebook”?
2. How are those SNS communities used by learners?
3. What are the beneficial aspects for L2 learning particularly in SNS communities?

Background study
Only a few studies have explored the use of SNSs for L2 learning, thus, I will also review
the literature that covers the factors that support language learning, which are relevantto the use of CMC. The following discussion is organised under features which havebeen suggested as being important for language learning, specifically, peer assistance,
authenticity, gratification of social needs, and anonymity.
It has been suggested that interactions through SNSs among peer networks
provide an ideal environment for beginning L2 learners to enhance their literacy,

2
3

Smith, Alvarez-Torres, and Zhao, ‘Features of CMC technologies and their impact on language learners’ online interaction’, pp. 703-729.
Pasfield-Neofitou, ‘Creative applications of social networking for the language learning class’, pp. 235-240.

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promote academic rigour, and involve the participation of learners from a variety ofdifferent backgrounds, as well as encouraging active learning and purposeful practice.4
Peer assistance, in face-to-face contexts, has been widely investigated in recent years.
Vygotsky highlights the different degrees of accomplishment by individuals who havethe help of teachers or more capable peers.5 Although learners have limited ability tosolve problems by themselves, they can exceed their limitations and reach higher levelsof performance with teachers’ or peers’ assistance. The gap between what they canachieve on their own and with assistance is termed the Zone of Proximal Development(ZPD) and Vygotsky considers that it constitutes a generative potential for learning.
Consequently, it can be expected that peer assistance may provide appropriate
scaffolding for L2 learning.6 Swain and Lapkin propose that collaborating with peers
could develop better L2 learning processes through learners (1) noticing what they
do not know, (2) forming and testing hypotheses, (3) using unknown language by
producing before comprehending (4) talking themselves into understanding, and (5)co-constructing language or linguistic knowledge.7 From these points of view, Swain
affirms that peer interaction could foster cognitive learning.8 Similarly, Skon, Johnson
and Johnson point out that co-operative peer assistance generates higher quality
cognitive learning.9 They examined the effects on language acquisition of cognitive
reasoning strategies by contrasting co-operative peer assistance and individual efforts.
As a result, the study concludes that co-operative peer assistance promotes higher
achievement than individual efforts.10
The various functions in SNSs enable the language learners to input authentic
TL by reading, watching and listening to practical TL usage, and also to haveopportunities to output what they have learnt through such applications.11 As anotherprominent feature of SNSs, Goertler points out that SNSs enable learners to accessinterlocutors who are not usually available in the traditional face-to-face classroombased learning environment, such as native speakers of the TL.12 Therefore, Goertler
identifies that such new CMC technologies are significantly valuable for L2 learners,
not only for obtaining authentic materials but also because learning the way of native
speakers’ language usage could sustain learners’ interests in the TL.13

4 Blood, The Weblog Handbook: Practical advice on creating and maintaining your BLOG.
5 Vygotsky, Thought and language.
6 Lantolf, Sociocultural theory and second language learning.
7 Swain and Lapkin, ‘Talking it through: Two French immersion learners’ response to reformulation’, pp. 285-304.
8 Swain, ‘The output hypothesis and beyond: Mediating acquisition through collaborative dialogue’.
9 Skon, Johnson and Johnson, ‘Cooperative peer interaction versus individual competition and individualistic efforts: Effects on the acquisition of cognitive
reasoning strategies, pp. 83-92.
10 Skon, et al., op. cit.
11 Goertler, op. cit.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.

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Importantly, the role of SNSs in the gratification of social needs should be
carefully considered. SNSs are not created as a language learning device, and theirbasic function is for socialisation purposes. Ebersole points out that SNSs can motivate
the users because the social nature of online networking lends itself to gratification ofsocial needs.14 From this point of view, it could be expected that not only language
acquisition but also gratification of social needs might sustain L2 learners’ motivation.
Dixon considers that the gratification of social needs is an essential element to maintainmotivation, and new communication services have replaced older media for this reason.15
Thus, the gratification of social needs which could be obtained through interactions inSNSs would be an important supplemental element to support and enhance the learners’
enthusiasm toward L2 learning.
Another characteristic of CMC is the use of anonymity. According to Kern,anonymity creates a certain distance between the participants that may contribute to an
atmosphere of critical receptivity and it enhances language production.16 In other words,
the vast anonymity of cyberspace gives little pressure of the sort imposed on an individual
by another’s physical presence.17 Thanks to the lack of identity, users could feel free fromvarious forms of prejudice and could be encouraged to be more impartial.18 Due to this
aspect, some learners might be more active in L2 engagement in a CMC environment.

Methodology
Selection of SNSs
Two SNSs, namely “mixi” and “Facebook”, were adopted for this study, although manyother SNSs exist such as “MySpace”, “Friendster”, “Bebo” and others. There are several
reasons why these two SNSs were selected. Firstly, “mixi” was selected as representativeof Japanese SNSs for its popularity. “Mixi” was created basically for Japanese people andall instructions are written in the Japanese language, hence the majority of the users are
Japanese. However, it could be expected that enthusiastic learners and non-Japanese wholive in Japan could register their profile in “mixi” to have a link with Japanese people.
“Mixi” is one of the first SNSs which began service in Japan, and the number of mixi’s users
and communities are the largest even compared to another early SNS in Japan, namely“GREE”.19 Therefore, “mixi” was regarded as the most suitable Japanese SNS for this study.

14
15
16
17
18
19

Ebersole, ‘Uses and gratifications of the web among students’.
Dixon, ‘Uses and gratifications theory to predict use of computer-mediated communications’, pp. 3-27.
Kern, ‘Technology, social interaction and FL literacy’.
Smith, et al., op. cit.
Herring, Computer-mediated communication: Linguistic, social and cross-cultural perspectives.
Mixi.Inc., ‘Jigyō naiyō’.

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New Voices Volume 4“Facebook”, as with “mixi”, was considered because of its publicity and large
number of users. According to a survey which analyses the service of websites, “Facebook”
was ranked as the most used SNS worldwide based on the number of monthly active
users in 2009.20 A Japanese version of “Facebook” has also been available since 2008.
Hence, it is expected to have many communities related to Japan/Japanese which containnative speakers of Japanese and learners of Japanese, as it is natural for language learners
to hope to interact with native speakers of the TL. The popularity of “Facebook” wasconfirmed by a comparative analysis with other SNSs, as it returned more results inactive communities when keywords associated to Japanese learning were entered in theirsearch using the same procedure. In contrast, “MySpace” and “Friendster” did not showcommunities, but individual learners who use “Japanese learner”, “Japan club” or othersimilar terms for their user name. A few communities were found in “Bebo”, however,the number of members was very small, therefore “Facebook” was selected for this study.

Selection of communities
The focus for this study was not an individuals’ use of “mixi” or “Facebook” to interact
with others by inviting them to be their contacts individually, but on communities
which have been set up on these SNSs for those who identify themselves as learners ofJapanese. There is a community search facility available in most SNSs. The communities
for the study were found by entering several keywords which related to learning Japanese
language such as “Japanese learners”, “Japanese study” or “Japan group”. Similarly,
Japanese words such as “Nihongo, Gaikokujin (Japanese language, foreigners)” werealso used to identify relevant communities. These relevant communities were further
investigated through an examination of the introduction page of each community, and a
total of 10 communities were selected as the result. This study selected five communities
from “mixi” and five communities from “Facebook” according to their community size,
activity and purpose. Moreover, two communities from each SNS, which made fourcommunities in total, were selected for further detailed investigation based on theirdegree of activities.

Data collection
The data was collected by the researcher from the selected communities of “mixi”
and “Facebook” as of April, 2010. From the 10 communities which were first selected,
only general information such as the number of the members and the purpose of thecommunity was gathered according to the introduction of each community and the
20 Kazeniac, ‘Social Networks: Facebook takes over top spot, twitter climbs’.

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members’ comments. As for the four communities selected for more detailed study,
the researcher collected the posted comments from the members to the community
between January, 2007 and April, 2010 in addition to general information.

Data analysis
In order to illustrate the characteristics of each community, the 10 communities wereanalysed by the categorisation shown in Appendix 1 (number of participants, language
selection, level of activity, community purpose and whether previously existing
community or not). In addition, the number of postings and reply comments in thefour focal communities were counted (see Appendix 2). From that data, the frequency
of interactions was then calculated. Furthermore, contributors of postings werecategorised into learners of Japanese, native speakers of Japanese, Japanese language
teacher, or company/community/institution on the basis of name or other informationin the postings. The language(s) used for the topic title and content in each posting werealso counted. In addition, the content of the postings were classified by topics, which
results in categories that can be found in Appendix 3. These topics reflect important
aspects of the communities for Japanese learners and the fundamental roles of SNSssuch as socialisation and networking. Further qualitative analysis was carried out on
the postings on each site to identify further detail about the use of the sites and theopportunities for learning provided by SNS use.

Results and discussion
The characteristics of communities for learners of Japanese
In order to examine the types of communities available for L2 learners of Japanese on
mixi and Facebook, the characteristics of the 10 communities selected for examination
are described. The study will not present the real community names, instead these 10
communities are given pseudonyms.

The communities for learners of Japanese on mixi
The purpose of the community “Japanese Learners Support Team” is to assist learners ofJapanese. In this community, both learners of Japanese and native speakers of Japaneseposted questions and advice/recommendation mainly on Japanese language and study
methods, materials and so forth. The purpose of community “Chatty Foreigners inJapanese” is similar to “Japanese Learners Support Team”, however, this community
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utilises the community more for social purposes. Hence, not only interactions forstudy but also general interactions such as looking for friends and advertising eventswere prominently conducted. On the other hand, “JLPT Study Group” and “Japanese
Learners’ Diary” focus on more specific aims. “JLPT Study Group” is a community
primarily used by candidates of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) to ask
questions, exchange information, and encourage each other. “Japanese Learners’ Diary”
site provides the learners of Japanese with a space to post their diary, which is written in
Japanese and corrected by native speakers of Japanese to help to improve the learners’
writing proficiency. “Expatriates’ Club” is a community for expatriates in Japan toexchange information on their daily life in Japan. Thus, the members interacted to shareand collect information to live in Japan, and in addition, many advertisements fromJapanese companies which want to hire foreign workers were also posted.
Regarding language selection in mixi, Japanese and English are used flexibly
in most communities, except in “Japanese Learners’ Diary” due to their expectation towrite a diary in Japanese. Although not every learner was a native speaker of English,
only English was observed as a common language besides Japanese. Moreover, mostcommunities’ frequency of postings was very active. Postings including “topics” and“comments” were regularly posted within two to three days on average. To distinguishthe types of postings, “topic” indicates the first posting which is posted by the members
as a new theme and “comment” stands for the reply to a topic in this study according to
the presentation of mixi.
There is a significant range of participants in mixi’s communities. According
to each community’s introduction, the five communities were constituted between
2004 and 2006. Yet, the number of the participants is not relative to the year of thecommunity foundation. For example, both “JLPT Study Group” and “Chatty Foreigners
in Japanese” were created in 2005 but the number of participants of “Chatty Foreigners
in Japanese” was more than three times the “JLPT Study Group” as of April, 2010. It
seems that the communities which have a particular purpose like “JLPT Study Group”
and “Expatriates’ Club” limit the users but more universal communities such as “Chatty
Foreigners in Japanese” contain more members.

The communities for learners of Japanese on Facebook
As can be seen from Appendix 1, the number of participants in the communities on
Facebook is much smaller than those of mixi. Apart from the community “JapaneseStudy Forum”, only English and the Roman alphabet were used and the posting frequency
was rare. The community purpose of “Japanese Study Forum” and “Japanese Group150

Fusako Otaof University D” is to study Japanese. However, those two communities have different
features. For instance, “Japanese Study Forum” included native speakers of Japanese,and both Japanese and English were employed. The interactions were not so frequent
but some members utilised the community over an extended period of time. On theother hand, “Japanese Group of University D” consisted only of learners of Japaneseand used only English and the Roman alphabet, furthermore the interactions tended
to discontinue. Notably, four out of the five communities are student communities
studying Japanese language overseas. In fact, not only these communities but also many
student communities appeared during the community search process. Facebook is wellknown as a tool for students to interact with previously existing community members
and is commonly used to set up community pages, in contrast to mixi which tends to be
used for individual networking.

The usage of the communities
In this section, I analyse the usage of SNS communities by focusing on the fourcommunities. The results of the analysis based on numbers of postings, types ofcontributors, and language selection for the four focused communities are presented
in Appendix 2 and a detailed breakdown of the themes discussed in each community isfound in Appendix 3.

Influential factors for language selection
By observing the SNS communities, the study has found that the characteristics of SNSs
influence the usage of the community for L2 learning.
Firstly, mixi is a Japanese-based SNS which provides its service only in Japanese.
Therefore, a higher percentage of native Japanese speaking users were found in the two
mixi focused communities as compared to the communities in Facebook. Approximately
60% of topics were sent by learners of Japanese and 40% were from native speakers ofJapanese in “Japanese Learners Support Team”. The classification of contributors wasquite clear because most of them identified themselves in advance, as seen in Example
1. For both the topic title and the content, nearly 30% of the preferred language selected
was Japanese, 50-60% was English and 10-20% was written in both Japanese and English
in this community. In the “JLPT Study Group”, approximately 70% of the members werelearners of Japanese, while the other 30% were native speakers of Japanese, including
Japanese teachers and companies. Although there is a 10% difference in the classificationof the contributors between the two communities, the proportion of language selection
was similar. Since 2007, mixi has required an invitation from an existing mixi user
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New Voices Volume 4through email, and a registration of a Japanese mobile email address for new users
to participate in mixi. Due to these requirements, it is natural to assume that mostcurrent mixi users live or have lived in Japan and have some friends there. Therefore,on average their Japanese proficiency is likely to be higher than other learners, as they
can understand mixi’s instructions which are written only in Japanese. Therefore, thefrequent usage of both Japanese and English can be observed in mixi communities.

Example 1: Members’ self-identification
Hello, everyone.
My native language is English, and I'm still studying Japanese.
Retrieved from “Japanese Learners Support Team” in mixi
Konnichiwa.
[Hello]Tokyo ni sundeiru igirisujin no shakaijin desu.
[I’m a British adult living in Tokyo.]
Retrieved from “Japanese Learners Support Team” in mixi
Hello, Im a Japanese in Ireland, teaching Japanese to Irish husband who just finishedthe level 3 exam.
Retrieved from “JLPT Study Group” in mixi
Hajimemashite.
[Nice to meet you.]
Watashi wa genzai, ōbējin no kenyūsha o chūshin ni baikaigo no ēgo o tsukainagara,
nihongo o oshieteimasu.
[I’m teaching Japanese, using English as a medium language mainly toWestern researchers.]
Retrieved from “Japanese Learners Support Team” in mixi

On the other hand, Facebook is an English-based SNS, although with the recent
addition of a Japanese version, English speakers are still the dominant users. In “JapaneseStudy Forum”, nearly 90% of the contributors were learners of Japanese and texts were
written mainly in English with some Japanese words written in the Roman alphabet.
“Japan Club of University A” is a student community of an American university for those
who are interested in Japan, Japanese language, or Japanese culture. The members werecomposed of 90% learners of Japanese and 10% native speakers of Japanese, and all the152

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texts were written in English or the Roman alphabet, and Japanese was not used at all.
The percentage of learners of Japanese was the same as the “Japanese Study Forum”, but
the reason why such a high ratio of texts was written in English is probably due to the
purpose of this group. The members used the SNS primarily as a contact tool to post
event information, ask about other members’ schedule, comment about events andupdate event pictures and videos and so on. Therefore, it could be anticipated that they
posted in English to distribute the information appropriately and communicate quickly.
In addition, they plan activities related to Japan such as Japanese tea ceremony parties anddiscussions about Japanese culture in person. Hence, practising or using Japanese throughSNS is not their primary purpose. As compared to mixi, the significant distinctions area much lower percentage of Japanese use and a high percentage of usage of the Roman
alphabet on Facebook. Consequently, language selection in SNS communities would
differ according to the community membership and the community purpose.

Contents of topics
The main topics in “Japanese Learners Support Team” were questions and introductions
about matters such as Japanese language and study methods, materials and others forJapanese learning. The questions on Japanese language learning were kanji readings
and meanings, a word or sentence meanings, and explanation on grammar. There
were questions posted not only by Japanese learners on grammar but also by Japanese
language teachers to request advice from other teachers in order to acquire better
teaching methods. In addition, questions on sociolinguistic aspects of language usage
were also observed, such as in Example 2. “Dondake~” is a term that has been used bya Japanese celebrity on TV and had become a popular expression when the contributor
posted the question. The formal form of “dondake” is “doredake”, but “re” sometimes
can change to ”n” in colloquial language. The literal meaning is “How much…” and it
expresses the amount and level in a question form. When the term is used in isolation,
the reference is implied by the context and not stated. For instance, to answer the request
where one is asked to put sugar into a coffee cup, the following omission could take place:“(satō o) dondake (ireru) [How much? (sugar do you want?)]”. The Japanese celebrity
mentioned above used the omission type of the term as I have explained, yet he employed
the word when he wanted to imply feelings such as sarcasm or lament (e.g. “dondake~(jibun no koto kirē to omotteruno) [How much? (do you think that you are beautiful?)]”,“dondake~ (watashi no koto kirai nano) [How much? (do you hate me?)]”). Owing to his
novel usage, the term “dondake~” has become popular and has started to be employed toarouse an atmosphere of enthusiasm. Perhaps the learner of Japanese could not interpretwhen it should be used and why Japanese people were laughing when the word was used,although s/he grammatically understood the word usage.
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Example 2: A question regarding sociolinguistic aspect of Japanese and comment
Topic title: Dondake~!
“Dondake~” no imi wa nandesuka? Terebi de mitakeredo, itsu tsukauka wakarimasen.
Yoroshiku onegaishomasu.
[What’s the meaning of “Dondake~”? I saw it on TV, but I don’t know when to use it.
Regards.]
Retrieved from “Japanese Learners Support Team” in mixi

In “Japanese Learners Support Team”, many linguistic questions and queries,
which arose through daily life, were observed. Moreover, the learners have also used
the site to ask or share effective study methods, materials and so on by recommending
helpful books and websites. Native speakers of Japanese were also very cooperative.
Some Japanese members introduced their recommendations, and others created andupdated their sites for Japanese learning according to the learners’ demands.
In addition, an interesting and notable phenomenon was found in the interactions
which have lasted the longest in the community. A member suggested playing “shiritori”,
namely “Japanese word chain game”. At the beginning, only a few members joined the gameby writing only a Japanese word without kanji reading when they used kanji. However, assome members started to add the kanji reading and the word meaning, gradually the
number of participants increased. Moreover, they applied the word in a sentence to show
how to use the word. Surprisingly, this interaction continued for more than one year. From
this fact, it appears that the members in this community seem to be interested in having
fun or improving their Japanese while socialising with other members. As other evidence,
there are many topics which asked about fun ways to study Japanese such as throughJapanese drama, manga, or Japanese slang, and such topics received many comments.
From these points of view, the community “Japanese Learners Support Team” seems to becasually used by both the learners of Japanese and native speakers of Japanese for language
study, information exchange, and also socialisation through the common language.
In “JLPT Study Group”, as the members mostly enquire about JLPT, the topics
posted by the community were to collect/exchange information for gaining knowledge,
obtaining advantages and sustaining their motivation for the test (see Example 3).
Moreover, the members posted topics to encourage the candidates who would take thetest, and also shared the test results. There were a number of topics to report the successof the test such as “I passed level 1!!”, and then comments by many other members toshare their own result or celebrate the member’s achievement.
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Example 3: Information exchange for JLPT test
Topic title: JLPT Level 2
I wanted to take JLPT level 2 this July and just passed level 3 last year without revision.
I want to know how hard of level 2 is.
Comment 1:
Level 2 is significantly harder than Level 3. This is why they're changing the system
next year to add a level in-between.
If you barely passed 3, you will need a significant amount of effort to take 2 by July.
Comment 2:
I agree with Comment 1.
My friend aced the level 3 JLPT last year, but realistically he sees the July level 2 exam
as a practice/preview for the same exam in December
Comment 3:
I suggest going to a bookstore and buying the 2007 level 2 test.
Then go here and get these books:
http://mixi.jp/view_bbs.pl?id=37954514&comm_id=285680
Comment 4:
The test for the level 2 was pretty difficult for me, but I passed it.
It's really more difficult then level 3! But if you study always, you can pass it easily!
GANBARE!!! [Hang in there!!!]Retrieved from “JLPT Study Group” in mixi

“Japanese Study Forum” is a Japanese study group, but the interactions tended
to stagnate after the members introduced themselves. Instead, some members seemed
to use the community as a place to produce utterances in Japanese, but they might not
expect further interaction (see Example 4). For some users, there might not be many
opportunities to produce output in the TL specifically for social needs or in practicalsituations. Hence, this kind of site might be the only chance for them to practise use of
the L2. The topic contents of “Japan Club of University A” were on the club event as I
mentioned in Influential Factors for Language Selection above.

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Example 4: Production practise in Japanese
Watashi wa kyō subarashī 1nichi o motteite, anata ga onaji de arukoto o negaimasu!
[I have a good day today, and I hope that you also!]
Retrieved from “Japanese Study Forum” in Facebook

Beneficial aspects for L2 learning
The following section describes the most significant ways in which the SNS sites
provided opportunities which could enhance L2 learning.

Benefits for pre-existing and non-pre-existing SNS communities
Communities which were originally created in SNS had somewhat different outcomesto those which previously existed outside SNS. For example, a great deal of peer
assistance was observed in the non-pre-existing communities “Japanese Learners
Support Team” and “JLPT Study Group” which contain members from various
backgrounds. Support, encouragement and effective information were extracted from
more proficient learners, native speakers of Japanese and also Japanese teachers by
answering questions, introducing study materials and useful information throughpostings. This is in agreement with previous studies, for instance, Blood,21 and Dreznerand Farrell,22 in which they report that SNSs among peer networks provide an ideal
environment for L2 learners. Some of the factors which support the peer interactions
are authenticity, gratification of social needs and anonymity in SNSs environment. In
this kind of community, members link with other members via the community, andbuild relationships after they have joined the group. As Goertler indicates, SNSs enable
learners to access interlocutors who are not usually available.23 To interact with suchpeople is exciting and it is natural human nature to try to learn new things. In addition,
the postings in SNSs are real questions, requirements, comments and so on from themembers. In other words, the interactions are generated and flow naturally because of
their particular purposes, unlike artificial dialogues in text books. For the topic creators,
to find out the right answer for a question might be their only aim, and the comment
contributors reply to a topic because they see the help which is requested. Consequently,
in an SNS environment, authenticity and gratification of social needs play important

21 Blood, op. cit.
22 Drezner and Farrell, ‘Web of Influence’.
23 Goertler, op. cit.

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roles, in line with Goertler’s24 and Ebersole’s25 identification of these features motivating
SNS users. Another factor that facilitates the interactions is anonymity. In my research,
many questions were found like Example 5, which ask about sensitive issues whichmight be difficult to talk about in other contexts. I suggest that such questions are
facilitated due to the absence of pressure, physical distance, and lack of prejudice.26 In thecommunities which are originally created in SNS, there are benefits such as anonymitythat face-to-face conversation does not provide.

Example 5: A question facilitated by anonymity
Topic Title: Ano “minna de mata tanoshimō” tte dōyū hontō no imi desuka?
[Well, what is real meaning “Let’s enjoy with everyone again”?]
Hello,
Koko ni kono topikku īnokana, ma īka.
[Is this fine to post this topic here? Anyway.]
Futsūna shitsumon nandesukedo dareka kotae dōzo.
[This is a normal question, but please answer.]
Tatoeba nomikaide kyōmi no hito (nihonjin) itara futsūni mēruadoresu okōkanshimashita, de sono hito ni “aimashō?” tte kītara sono hito kara kono kotae:[For example, there was a person (Japanese) whom I was interested in at a drinking
party, so I have exchanged email address with her as usual. Then I asked to meet her,and this is her response:]“Īyo, itsuka minna de mata tanoshimō” tte ano “minna de mata tanoshimō” no hontō imi wa:[“Ok, let’s enjoy with everyone someday again.” Well, I think that real meaning of“Let’s enjoy with everyone” is:]“Anata to futari de dēto shitakunai” ka[“I don’t want to date only with you.” Or]“Anata no koto kyōmi nai” ka ryōhoō ka dato omoimasu.
[“I’m not interested in you.” Or both.]24 Ibid.
25 Ebersole, op. cit.
26 Smith et al., op. cit.

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Soreka hoka no imi ga arimasudeshōka?
[Are there other meanings?]
Minasan dō to omoimasuka?
[What do you think?]
Muzukashikute yoku wakarimasen><[It’s difficult for me to understand it well> <]Retrieved from “Japanese Learners Support Team” in mixi

In summary, the new communities generated on SNS sites provided numerous
opportunities for meaningful interaction, and a positive and non-threatening
environment in which this interaction could take place. However, in the pre-existing
communities that use SNS such as “Japan Club of University A”, different types of benefits
might apply. Anonymity is obviously lacking in such communities, therefore, somelearners might be more careful about the selection of topics than in the situations when
they can post online anonymously. In the case of using SNS as a contact tool to arrange
later activities in a face-to-face setting, one may not be able to expect lively interactions
for learning purposes in SNS. Yet, interacting with members who have similar interestsand face-to-face contacts are the strengths of this type of community. Communicatingwith physically familiar members for concrete purposes is also valuable. It is also
possible that online networking allows learners to more easily organise opportunities tointeract face-to-face.

A ‘portal’ to other information and resources on the web and elsewhere
One of the reasons I focused upon SNSs in my study is due to the SNS potential as portal
for obtaining information and additional skills for L2 study. Through SNSs, learners
could obtain other opportunities to learn about the TL. Example 6 shows that a learnersuggested a website which introduces Japanese culture, foods and study materials andcontains many links about Japan/Japanese. Through these kinds of postings, learners
could expand their learning opportunities with other materials which were suggested
by SNS community members. In other words, communities that provide chances toobtain information from various people could present a portal point for learners toaccess a wide range of resources and interaction opportunities.

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Fusako Ota

Example 6: Introduction of another website
Topic Title: Good site for study japaneseHere is good for study japanese.
and there is free chat for speek japanese!!
You should check it!!
http://livingjapan.blog100.fc2.com/
Comment:
good blog
Retrieved from “JLPT Study Group” in mixi

A ‘safe’ introduction to wider communication in the L2
When learners use websites on the Internet designed for native speakers, they sometimes
encounter prejudice and abuse or find it difficult to participate. Those experiences
obviously de-motivate learners’ enthusiasm for L2 study. New technological tools
have brought many beneficial aspects to educational fields, but such perils should also
be carefully considered. Communities for L2 learners may present a safer and morewelcoming site to commence online interaction.
Pasfield-Neofitou, Morofushi and Spence-Brown studied an SNS project in a
Japanese language class at an Australian university by utilising one of the SNSs, “Bebo”.27
According to the survey which they conducted, the project was evaluated positively by
the students due to their improvements of typing, reading, writing, and communication
skills in Japanese. The students had used SNSs in their private time before the project
started, but they posted mainly in English or in their first language. In my study, there
are some members who wrote postings in the Roman alphabet. However, if their skills
and confidence to use Japanese are gradually improved through use in a site for L2
learners, this could provide a portal into a broader usage of Japanese on the Internet.

Implications
The use of SNS may be helpful for learners to monitor their own and other speakers’
language usage. Such monitoring facilitates cognitive learning and contributes to the
27 Pasfield-Neofitou, Morofushi and Spence-Brown, ‘Jisshakai eno kakehashi: Shokyūsha ni taisuru SNS o riyōshita nihongokyōiku’.

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New Voices Volume 4absorption of unfamiliar/unknown language usage. When they use SNS for L2 learning,
it is necessary to select a community that matches the learners’ requirements byconsidering the community purpose, members’ backgrounds, how it is used, the rangeof languages available and so on. This is due to the different purposes of communities inSNS. If a learner wants to interact with native speakers of Japanese in Japanese language,
while the majority of the members are English speakers and they use English as themedium language, the learner will not be satisfied with the community, even though thecommunity’s purpose seems to fit the learner’s aim. On the other hand, it could frustratea learner if s/he hopes to have a detailed discussion about specific aspects of Japanese
language in her/his first language, while all the explanations are given in Japanese. Thus,
community selection should be carefully considered.
For L2 teachers, observing the SNS communities for L2 study is beneficial
as they indicate the difficulties and interesting aspects for L2 learners through theirquestions and how learners study the TL outside the classroom. Such information
is useful for teaching and such experience would be beneficial if it were reflected inclassroom teaching. In my study, for instance, there are many suggestions for ways
in which learners themselves feel that the materials or study methods are effective orinteresting, and these could be good indications for teachers. For example, one of thelearners asked about useful game software such as for Nintendo DS for kanji practice,which was then responded to by another learner in the following comment shown in
Example 7. One of the most difficult aspects in studying kanji for learners of Japanese is
the difficulty to find an unknown kanji, because learners often have to rely on only thekanji reading. In fact, however, the learner points out that most kanji learning software
focuses on drills to practise kanji. This comment implies how difficult it is for learners to
study kanji by using tools around them, and what kind of materials for kanji study theywould like to use, which can help Japanese language teachers to prepare or introduce
tools for learners’ study more effectively.

Example 7: Introduction of a study method by a learner of Japanese
Topic Title: Nintendo DS
Hi, I have a quick question. Recently I found out about games for the Nintendo DS
that help you study Kanji. I bought one of them. Its a little hard for me because I don't
know any Kanji and the game is in Kanji, but does help. The question is does anyone
know of any good games to learn Japanese or Kanji on and where could I find it?
Wether the game is on the DS or another system.

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Fusako Ota

Comment:
If you don't mind me asking, which ones you already have? I have the following:
Simple DS Volume 10: Doko Demo Kanji Quiz
Kankei 1 and 2 for the DS
Simple 2000 Volume 46: Kanji Quiz for the PS2
Kageyama Method: Writing the first 1,006 Kanji
Most kanji software are just drills to reinforce what you already know, but I do
recommend the Kageyama Method series. They teach you the stroke order, reading,and of course they have drills.
Go to www.playasia.com and search "kanji" to bring up a list of some of those piecesof software including the kageyama method ones.
Retrieved from “Japanese Learners Support Team” in mixi

Although there are only a few institutions which have adopted SNS tools for L2
learning courses, the learners, specifically among young generations, often utilise suchnew tools within their learning environment and acquire many skills. Hence, it would be
worthwhile for L2 teachers to know about the tools that the learners use for L2 learning.

Conclusion
This study has investigated the use of SNS communities for Japanese learning as an
L2 and examined the usage of the communities and the benefits for L2 learning byfocusing on communities in mixi and Facebook. There are a variety of communities
for Japanese language learning in these two popular SNSs. However, due to the factthat mixi is a Japanese-based SNS which contains many communities that were createdas new groups, and Facebook is an English-based SNS which is utilised by many preexisting groups their usage showed different features. The differences depend on thecommunity purpose and the variety of the members’ backgrounds, language selection,
types of posting topics, purpose of interactions, and other factors. For example, in mixi’s
communities, which contained various types of members, Japanese and English were
frequently used, while the members of Facebook communities, which did not have
many Japanese members, utilised mainly English as their preference in their postings.
In addition, the members of “JLPT Study Group” and “Japan Club of University A”
used the communities completely as a study tool and a face-to-face contact tool
respectively, due to their specific purposes. On the other hand, “Japanese Learners
Support Team” and “Japanese Study Forum” were used as a learning community as
well as for socialisation purposes.

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New Voices Volume 4

As a beneficial aspect of SNSs for L2 learning, the study found that non-preexisting communities could promote peer assistance due to gratification of social needs
and anonymity, and provide opportunities to expand the learners’ networks and ability
to connect with multiple partners simultaneously. On the other hand, pre-existing
communities gain advantages to organise opportunities for face-to-face interaction.
In addition, the study found that SNSs provide a portal for L2 learners to access otherinformation and sources, and present a safe introduction to wider communication in the
L2. These are benefits for the learners which could be obtained through SNS communities.
Although the present study shed light on each community’s special features, thesize of the samples in my study was small and the study approach was rather descriptive,
further research which covers a larger number of SNSs, broader types of communities
and in-depth analysis is necessary. The number of members of each community has
further increased, when compared to when the data was collected for this study. This
fact indicates that more and more learners are forming and joining the communities,
and have come to regard SNSs as a useful functional learning tool. Therefore, researchersand educators should direct their attention to such new tools, and the communities thatform around them.

162Chatty Foreigners
in JapaneseExpatriates’ ClubJapanese Learners’
DiaryJapanese Study
Forum
Japan Club ofUniversity A
Japan Club ofUniversity B
Japan Club ofUniversity C

3

4

5

10

9

8

7

Japanese Group of
University D

JLPT Study Group

2

6

mixi

Japanese Learners
Support Team

1

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

mixi

mixi

mixi

mixi

SNS
SourceNo Community
Name(Pseudonym)

52

26

431

191

439
(07/2006)
175

6521(05/2004)

9055(01/2005)

1235(08/2005)

6519(08/2004)

Number ofParticipants(Year ofFoundation)

EnglishEnglishEnglishEnglishJapanese/English

JapaneseJapanese/English

Japanese/English

Japanese/English

Japanese/English

Language
Selection

Rare

Rare

Rare

Rare

SeldomFrequent

Frequent

Frequent

SeldomFrequent

No

Previously
Existing
Community(Yes / No)

InformationNo
exchange forforeigners in Japan
Helping foreigners' No
writing skill
Japanese study
No
group
University Japanese Yes
club
University Japanese Yes
club
Student group toYesshare common
interests on Japan
Student study group Yes
to learn JapaneseSocial group among No
expatriates andJapanese

Assistance to JLPT No(Japanese Language
Proficiency Test)
candidates

Assistance toJapanese learners

Level of Activity Community
PurposeAppendix 1: The characteristics of the 10 communities based on their introduction and postings contents

Appendix

Fusako Ota

163

164

N:J = 6:4
253 (58.3%)
104 (24.0%)

Average number of repliedcomments per topic

Contributor of topics

Learners of Japanese

Native speakers of Japanese

4

5

7

6

0-153

3

66 (15.2%)

Company/Community/
Institution

9 (2.1%)The Roman alphabet
123 (28.3%)
220 (50.7%)
87 (20.0%)
4 (0.9%)Japanese

EnglishJapanese & English

The Roman alphabet

Language selection for content

41 (9.4%)

257 (59.2%)

EnglishJapanese & English

127 (29.3%)

Japanese

Language selection for topic title

11 (2.5%)

Japanese teacher

5.2

2260

Total number of comments

Number which received repliedcomments (Range)

3 (3.0%)10 (9.7%)

58 (56.3%)

32 (31.0%)

2 (1.9%)10 (9.7%)

57 (55.3%)

34 (33.0%)

12 (11.7%)

7 (6.8%)14 (13.6%)

70 (68.0%)

N:J = 7:3

5.7

0-49

592

103

mixi

mixi
434

JLPT Study Group

Japanese Learners
Support Team2

Total number of topics

Item

1

No

(N=Non-native speakers of Japanese, J=Native speakers of Japanese)

N:J = 9:1

0.3

0-8

16

55

12 (21.8%)

5 (9.1%)32 (58.2%)

6 (11.0%)

0

2

2

0

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

7 (12.7%)

48 (87.3%)

Facebook

Japanese Study Forum

N:J = 9:1

0.5

0-7

13

25

2 (8.0%)0 (0%)

23 (92%)0 (0%)

003

0

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

2 (8.0%)23 (92%)

Facebook

Japan Club ofUniversity A

Appendix 2: Analysis of numbers of postings, contributor categories and language selection for four focal communities

New Voices Volume 4Self-introduction
Looking for friends
Learners of Japanese → Native
speakers of Japanese
Native speakers of Japanese →Learners of Japanese
Learners of Japanese → Learnersof Japanese
Learners of Japanese → Anyone
Questions / Introduction on
Japanese language
Questions / Introduction on
study methods, materials etc. on
Japanese
Questions / Introduction on
Japanese culture & society
Questions / Introduction on
daily life in Japan
Looking for language exchange
partners, study friends or tutors
Learners of Japanese → Native
speakers of Japanese
Native speakers of Japanese →Learners of Japanese
Learners of Japanese → Learnersof Japanese
Learners of Japanese → Anyone

1
2

7

6

5

4

3

TopicsNo

0 (0%)
1 (0.8%)0 (0%)

2 (0.5%)0 (0%)
5 (1.2%)8 (7.8%)2 (1.9%)3 (2.9%)3 (2.9%)0 (0%)

20 (4.6%)
20 (4.6%)
5 (1.2%)3 (0.7%)1 (0.8%)0 (0%)

26 (25.2%)

48 (11.1%)

24 (5.5%)

12 (2.8%)

65 (15.0%)

36 (34.8%)

0 (0%)

2 (0.5%)117 (27.0%)

0 (0%)
1 (0.8%)

mixi

mixi
14 (3.2%)
9 (2.1%)JLPT Study Group

Japanese Learners
Support Team

Appendix 3: Analysis of posted topics for four focal communities

(0%)

(0%)

2 (3.6%)4 (7.3%)2 (3.6%)

7 (12.7%)

15 (27.3%)

00

5 (9.1%)7 (12.7%)

0 (0%)

1 (1.8%)0 (0%)

0 (0%)

Facebook
16 (29.0%)
1 (1.8%)Japanese Study Forum

0

0

0

0

0

0
0

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)
(0%)

0

0

0

0

0

0

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

1 (4.0%)1 (4.0%)Facebook

Japan Club ofUniversity A

Fusako Ota

165

166

24 (5.5%)

1 (0.2%)18 Unknown

Looking for jobs / Living places 4 (0.9%)
Information / Opinions on events 13 (3.0%)
Questions / Introduction on
8 (1.8%)EnglishAdvertisement of Japanese
23 (5.3%)
lessons
Advertisement of jobs / Living
18 (4.1%)
placesOpinions on anything
20 (4.6%)
Introduction of community
20 (4.6%)
Questionnaire
13 (3.0%)
Selling & buying
2 (0.5%)

17 Others

13
14
15
16

12

11

10

8
9

1 (0.8%)5 (4.9%)13 (12.6%)
4 (3.9%)3 (2.9%)1 (0.8%)1 (0.8%)2 (1.9%)0 (0%)

0 (0%)
1 (0.8%)1 (1.8%)1 (1.8%)3 (5.5%)0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)

0 (0%)

3 (5.5%)0 (0%)

0 (0%)
0 (0%)

(0%)

(0%)

(0%)

0

(0%)

2 (8.0%)5 (20.0%)0 (0%)
2 (8.0%)0 (0%)000

0 (0%)
14 (56.0%)

New Voices Volume 4

Fusako Ota

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