Tackling the kanji hurdle: an investigation of kanji order and its role in facilitating the kanji learning process

This research seeks to determine the role of kanji order from the perspective of Japanese language textbooks, teachers of Japanese, and learners of Japanese. Three central research questions were identified: 1. How are Japanese language textbooks different from each other from the perspective of kanji selection and ordering? 2. What beliefs are held by Japanese teachers at universities in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and the US, in regard to teaching kanji to non-kanji background students of Japanese? 3. Which kanji clusters do non-kanji background learners perceive as easy or difficult to learn? Three stages of research were conducted to answer my research questions: to answer my research questions 1. A textbook analysis was conducted on four Japanese language textbooks in kanji selected for inclusion in different textbooks and the in different textbooks and the 2. A survey of kanji learning and teaching beliefs was conducted to ascertain how learning and teaching beliefs was conducted to ascertain how teachers perceive the teaching and learning process of kanji and whether they regard the order in which kanji are introduced as an important factor in facilitating the kanji learning process. 3. A survey of Japanese language learners regarding kanji clusters was conducted was conducted to determine whether Japanese language learners perceive different perceive different perceive different kanji clusters, groups of clusters, groups of kanji with a common property, as easier to learn or more more difficult to learn than others. As for the first research research, results showed that the selection of kanji for the four textbooks analysed were unique and significantly different from each other. However, kanji orders found within the analysed textbooks were similar. As for the second research research question, results showed that a large proportion of Japanese language teachers believe that the order in which kanji are introduced plays a role in facilitatingthe kanji learning process but they are unsure as to how to implement those beliefs in their teaching. As for the third research question, participants indicated that they perceived As for the third research question, participants indicated that they perceived As for the third research question, participants indicated that they perceived As for the third research question, participants indicated that they perceived certain kanji clusters as easier than others.