Development of a Second Foreign Language Japanese Course Based on a Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning to Enhance the Listening and Speaking Skills of English Major Students at Xi’an University
Authors: Yang Jun , Kotchasit Sombat , Nilnopkoon Phithack 
Published: November 2024

Background and Aim: Blended learning, integrating modern information technology, has become a key direction for reform in the foreign language education curriculum in China. In the dynamic pedagogical context, the Production-Oriented Approach (POA) has attracted attention for its innovation, practicality, and clear educational outcomes. Developing students’ listening and speaking skills is an essential pathway to fostering their comprehensive application abilities in Japanese, achieving both the utilitarian and humanistic aspects of Japanese language education. This study was a research and development. The objectives of the research were 1) To study the existing problems of Second Foreign Language Japanese Courses based on a Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning and background information focusing on course components. 2) To develop a Second Foreign Language Japanese Course based on a Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning. 3) To determine the effectiveness of implementing the Second Foreign Language Japanese Course based on a Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning.
Materials and Methods: The sample was 25 students (one class) from Xi’an University which were selected by cluster sampling. The instruments used in this study were) Second Foreign Language Japanese Course based on a Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning, 2) Eight lesson plans, 3) Japanese listening test with 0.85 reliability, 4) Japanese speaking test with 0.86 reliability, and 5) Students’ satisfaction questionnaire with 0.83 reliability. This study used tests given to students before and after learning through a Second Foreign Language Japanese Course based on the Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning. Data were collected and analyzed by means, standard deviation, and t-test for dependent samples.
Results: The results of the study were as follows: 1) The current Second Foreign Language Japanese Course consisted of six components: (1) principles, (2) objectives, (3) contents, 4) instructional strategy, (5) media and resources, (6) evaluation method. They had problems enhancing students’ Japanese listening and speaking skills. 2) The Second Foreign Language Japanese Course developed were: (1) principles, (2) objectives, (3) contents, and 4) instructional strategy which consisted of 4 steps: (1) Challenge and preparation (online. (2) Task breakdown and skill practice (offline). (3) Group activities and class assessment (offline).(4) Improvement, homework, and online assessment (online). (5) media and resources, (6) evaluation method. And 3) After implementation of the second foreign language Japanese course based on the Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning, posttest scores of students’ listening skill and speaking skills were higher than pretest scores at a .01 level of statistical significance, and the students’ satisfaction toward the course (M = 4.4, SD = 0.36) were statistically higher than the determined criterion of 70% at .01 level of statistical significance.
Conclusion: The developed Second Foreign Language Japanese Course based on a Production-Oriented Approach and Blended Learning can enhance students’ Japanese listening and speaking skills. The students have the satisfaction of studying with a Second Foreign Language Japanese Course.