CALICO Software Review
CALICO Journal, Volume 19 Number 2, pp. 390-404
Vocabulary/Kanji/Conjugation Exercise for Japanese (VKC/J2.0)
Eiko Ushida - Carnegie Mellon University
Product at a glance Product type: Vocabulary practice; kanji (Chinese characters); verb and adjective forms exercises; and an authoring system Language: Japanese Level: Elementary level Activity: Word-level practice/exercises Media format: WWW download Computer platform: Macintosh OS 7+ Hardware MAC: 68030+ requirements RAM: 8Mb 8Mb Harddisk space Supplemental Japanese Language Kit (JLK) or Japanese system is required for software creating own vocabulary databases. HyperCard Player is requirements: downloaded automatically with VKC/J2.0. Price: Freeware
General Description Vocabulary/Kanji/Conjugation Exercise for Japanese (VKC/J2.0) is a useful program for practicing vocabulary, kanji and verb/adjective conjugation for elementary level learners of Japanese. It consists of the VKC/J2.0 system, VKC/J2.0 editors, data sets for two major Japanese language textbooks (i.e., Nakama 1 & 2, Situational Functional Japanese) and the VKC database. These are all freeware so that any one can download them from the VKC/J2.0 homepage, which introduces features of the software as well as the instructions. The VKC/J2.0 system includes the program starter and example exercises. The VKC/J2.0 editors include three types of data editors; vocabulary, kanji, and sound. VKC/J2.0 creates a vast number of exercises on vocabulary, kanji and verb/adjective conjugation based on the selected database, allowing students to practice as much as they would like. It also has a quiz function for vocabulary and kanji exercises, where students can test their progress.
VKC/J2.0 was developed by Professor Kazumi Hatasa, Purdue University and Professor Yukiko Hatasa, Iowa University, who have published many Japanese CALL products. It has been difficult to implement computer-based learning software within the elementary level Japanese curriculum due to hardware problems running a Japanese-based system and a mismatch between course content and software content. The authors claim that VKC/J2.0 was developed to overcome these technical and practical problems. Although VKC/J2.0 does not have the bells and whistles of the latest multimedia packages, it is aimed at overcoming the previously mentioned shortcomings of Japanese CALL products while placing a focus on pedagogical values and utility during the product’s development. The authors also claim that the implementation of VKC/J2.0 involves little additional demand on the instructor’s time (Hatasa & Hatasa, 1997). VKC/J2.0 is released as freeware for non-commercial use, therefore anyone who is interested in using this program to teach and/or study Japanese can download it for individual use.
On-line help is not available, however the authors do assist users by email when necessary.
It is intended that Japanese instructors should be able to integrate the program into their curriculum with minimum preparation workload. That is, using VKC/J2.0, the instructors can easily develop their own exercises which suit their own curriculum by taking advantage of the editor functions. In this respect, VKC/J2.0 serves as an authoring system. For easy adoption, it contains a vocabulary and kanji database as well as exercises for two major elementary Japanese language textbooks widely used in many countries: Situational and Functional Japanese (SFJ)(Tsukuba Language Group, 1992), andNakama (Makino, Hatasa & Hatasa, 1998 & 1999). The size of each database is 16.8MB(SFJ), 11MB (Nakama 1), and 29MB (Nakama 2) respectively.
To run all of the exercises, the instructor has to prepare vocabulary sets, kanji database, and sound files. To create a vocabulary data file, instructors need to enter: (a) kana alone, (b) kana/kanji, (c) meaning, and (d) type of verbs/adjectives (see Figure1 for an example). To create a kanji data file, they need to enter: (a) kanji, (b) reading inhiragana and (c) a lesson number for each reading.
Figure 1 A sample of a vocabulary set customized by the reviewer
Once these databases are saved in the course file, VCK/J2.0 creates both vocabulary/kanji exercises and verb/adjective conjugation exercises providing furigana (kana superscript for kanji) selectively for unlearnt kanji. The Sound editor provides a ready-made sound database containing approximately 1700 words. However, instructors still need to record, digitize and save sounds for words that are not included in the database to create their own sound file.
The activities in VCK/J2.0 are quite simple. Learners first select a type of exercise (either vocabulary/kanji or conjugation), and then proceed in the following manner:
For both exercises, larners can practice many times for both preview and review, choosing different lessons and types of Question and Answer format to suit their needs/learning stages (Table 1). VCK/J2.0 provides interactive exercises during processes No.2 through No.4 above. For the quiz option, learners can select the lesson, but cannot select the Question-Answer format. The program randomly selects ten words and presents five questions in Japanese and the remaining five questions in English. It does not provide feedback as in the exercise, but presents scores as well as answer summaries in the results, which can be printed out.
Students who used VCK/J2.0 in the authors’ pilot study found the program useful and easy to use to learn vocabulary, particularly with the sound. However, they did not value highly the use of VCK/J2.0’s feedback system, nor were they motivated to use VCK/J2.0 voluntarily.
Evaluation Technological features It is very quick and easy to download VCK/J2.0 from its homepage. VCK/J2.0 currently runs only on the Macintosh platform, which of course limits the potential number of users. The authors are aware of this shortcoming (Hatasa & Hatasa,1997) and plan to develop the program for a more cross-platform environment, including Windows and the Web. VCK/J2.0 is a HyperCard application, yet users do not need to install the HyperCard Player as it is automatically downloaded with VCK/J2, which enables computers to run this program at an adequate speed. The reviewer found it very useful and convenient in this regard.
Learners and instructors may both find it difficult at first to operate the HyperCard-based language exercises, as it is slightly different from more familiar CD-ROM or Web-based software in terms of navigation procedures and user interface. But the instruction command buttons should be able to guide users with few problems.
The authors of VCK/J2.0 do not employ visually-attractive multimedia technology typical of recent CALL software. VCK/J2.0 consists of just text and sounds (pronunciation models and right/wrong buzzer). While these exercises can be conducted effectively, the software would have been more appealing had it incorporated some multimedia features.
Computer Control One of the best features of VCK/J2.0 is that it makes full use of special tools called Development Tools for Japanese (DTJ) to handle Japanese characters in the HyperCard environment without additional Japanese language programs such asKanjiTalk or the Japanese Language Kit (JLK). This is a great advantage for students who would like to study at home but don't have access to the Japanese system or language kit on their personal computers. When typing Japanese in an English environment, it is usually necessary to switch between Japanese and English by changing the language setting, and two types of characters (hiragana and katakana) with a shift key. VCK/J2.0 changes these language settings (hiragana/katakana/English) automatically when students type their answers, which allows them to focus on their practice. On the other hand, learners accustomed to manually shifting between two languages and two types of kanamodes may need to adapt to the auto-shifting feature.
Text editors in VCK/J2.0 require instructors to use such language programs as JLK when adding to the original vocabulary and kanji database because they have to type in Japanese in SimpleText. This should be no problem because most institutions where Japanese is taught have Japanese input software available.
VCK/J2.0 makes use of a unique feedback system called "error mark-up symbols" (Hatasa & Hatasa, 1997, pp.5-7), used for both vocabulary/kanji exercises and conjugation exercises (see Learner fit section for details). Although this feedback system has its limitations, the reviewer found this type of feedback quite innovative and useful.
User Friendliness VKC/J2.0 is very user-friendly in terms of technical support, as it requires no modification of the existing operating system.
The VKC/J2.0 homepage functions as a user’s manual which introduces basic features and instructions on how to set up VKC/J2.0. A slide presentation shows how to start it and directions are given on the use of the text editors. As the download VKC/J2.0 package does not provide this instructional information, it would be advisable to read the VKC/J2.0 homepage thoroughly before implementation and to make a hard copy of it for future reference. The slide presentation offers user-friendly step-by- step instruction; however, it lacks detailed instructions on various setting options such as kanji lesson number, Know-Katakana option and sound. The authors of VKC/J2.0 could significantly reduce instructors’ preparation time by including these sorts of instructions in the homepage and/or the download package.
The VKC/J 2.0 editors are intended to allow easy customizing of the database. The VKC/J2.0 homepage explains how to use three editors: the vocabulary editor, the kanji editor and the sound data editor. The vocabulary set and kanji database are quite easy to create if you follow the set of data-entry conventions specified in the instructions (Figure 1). Instructors without prior CALL experience will find the creation of sound files more difficult because it requires more than just following the instructions provided. The VKC/J2.0 sound data editor contains 1700 words, and looks for the digitized sound for each entry in the selected vocabulary file. However, if there are some words which are not contained in the sound data, you have to make the sound resource by yourself. The VKC/J 2.0 homepage recommends using a sound editing program such as SoundEdit 16™ and to seek technical help at your own school if you are not familiar with the digitization process. Given the fact that VKC/J2.0 is intended to facilitate the instructor's task and to provide "easy customization" it would be most helpful if the homepage included a fuller explanation of sound file creation, showing step-by-step procedures with some examples as provided in the Vocabulary and the Kanji editor. While details would differ depending on the specific sound editor used, at least a neophyte would understand the basic principles and could more knowledgeably seek local technical help if needed.
Accessibility VKC/J2.0 is a very accessible learning device in a curriculum which uses one of the textbooks whose databases have already been prepared by the authors. In this case, there is little preparation time involved in implementing VKC/J2.0. All that is needed is to download the necessary files, which can be done quickly and easy. Obviously, if a curriculum uses other textbooks or learning materials, instructors will have to spend more time creating their own databases. As stated above, most time spent in preparation depends on the degree to which the instructors understand the procedures. Once this is mastered, database creation is not terribly time consuming (with the exception, of course, of sound files).
Pedagogical Adaptability Activities (Procedure) Activities in VKC/J2.0 are both instructional and facilitative. There are no tutorial sessions; however drill-like exercises with corrective feedback may lead to inductive learning. Learners can work outside the classroom at their own pace on the items that they would like to focus on among vocabulary, kanji, and verb/adjective formation.
It is to be noted that learners who want to use VKC/J2.0 must know how to type Japanese. This is because VKC/J2.0 provides corrective feedback based on the answers that learners enter and recognizes any typographical mistakes as errors or wrong answers. For example,
Question (English): hometown Answer (Kana):
A student may be able to say "hometown" in Japanese and/or write the answer by hand but might not know how to type it correctly.
This word includes both a modified syllable [shu/syu] and a double consonant [tt] to show Unless students type responses 100% correctly, they will be marked as wrong answers. In this respect, activities in VKC/J2.0 focus on "accuracy" not only of lexis but also typing- orthography skills. Therefore, VKC/J2.0 cannot be incorporated into the curriculum well, if students are not familiar with how to type Japanese. In beginning Japanese courses, it is often the case that the emphasis is on memorizing Japanese writing systems (Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji) and on neat "handwriting" before learning how to type Japanese, not vice versa. Teachers wanting to use VKC/J2.0 in early lessons need to pay attention to the timing of introducing Japanese typing.
Exercises for vocabulary, kanji and conjugation for which students always have to type answers could become rather monotonous and hence less motivating and enjoyable for students. However, VCK/J2.0 would be highly appreciated by adult students who are eager to master targeted areas, and wish to study on their own by repeating exercises many times.
VCK/J2.0 can be integrated into the curriculum as useful supplementary material to provide students with opportunities to both preview and review what they are studying/have studied. However, as the authors point out (Hatasa & Hatasa, 1997), the optional use of these exercises is unlikely to help students master the target items. To make the most use of this program, it should be incorporated into one of the course requirements such as weekly homework or language lab exercises in order to ensure that learners work with it on a regular basis. It is assumed that about half an hour per exercise is a reasonable time spent on the task.
Students can keep records of their achievement, using the quiz function. However, since this quiz allows the learners to attempt it as many times as they would like with no time limit, the scores obtained without a teacher's supervision may not be reliable or appropriate to be used as a part of course grading.
Teacher Fit (Approach) Due to focus on word-level exercises, VCK/J2.0 provides form-based individual drill-like exercises and is thus structural rather than functional and/or communicative in nature.
Questions are given in a context-free environment (i.e. a word in isolation). Thus, VCK/J2.0 can be used with a wide student population because of its flexibility. However, it may not be welcomed by teachers who put an emphasis on context-based approaches to teach vocabulary, kanji and conjugation.
VCK/J2.0 provides implicit learning where learners keep practicing either vocabulary, kanji or conjugation with no instructions from the program. Students can refer to textbooks to check vocabulary and kanji lists as well as verb and adjective forms before or while using VCK/J2.0. However, VCK/J2.0 would be significantly improved by the addition of an explicit learning section to the program itself. As SLA studies show, learners can be most successful in using the target forms if given both rules and examples of how to apply them (Ellis, 1994). VCK/J2.0 could provide such a "structured treatment" (Ellis, 1994, p.642) by adding more explicit learning materials, which can be done in many ways within the HyperCard program.
Linguistic inaccuracy in VCK/J2.0 is limited to typos, which depends on the accuracy of the database created by either the authors or teachers who produce their own databases. When customizing VCK/J2.0, therefore, instructors have to pay close attention to typing accuracy.
Learner Fit (Design) VKC/J2.0 has many good pedagogical features since, within its structuralist framework, it is able to accommodate individual learning differences in many ways. VKC/J2.0 provides exercises which fit learners’ linguistic levels, with the ability to control sequencing, content, and operating settings.
1. Learners can control content. A learner can select a course and lessons to work on among those prepared by teachers and is free to practice vocabulary/kanji and verb/adjective conjugation.
2. Learners can control settings.
(1) Question-answer modes VKC/J2.0 offers six types of Question-Answer modes (see Table 1) to suit learners’ needs/learning stages. That is, depending on their learning stages, weakness, and the target items to practice, learners can choose between the Q-A modes which provide the most effective learning. This mode setting is very easy to select for any lesson.
Learners can not only read words visually but also listen to them, thus creating a dictation exercise. They can also manipulate the character settings, choosing whether or not to use katakana or kanji. The program automatically provides selective furigana for unlearnt katakana or kanji in hiragana. This feature can be very useful in many ways: (1) it can target a wider population who have different levels of knowledge of kana (hiragana and katakana) and kanji; (2) learners can focus on particular features that they would like to work on; and (3) learners can practice the same items in different modes repeatedly, which can consolidate their learning. However, the reviewer found the use of the "Know-katakana" setting confusing. Although learners are instructed to "choose no in Know katakana button if they do not know katakana" in the directions, the "No-Know katakana" option cannot be set and katakana is automatically used, when questions are set as "kana and kanji" with and without pronunciation. Secondly, when questions are set as "English" or "pronunciation only" with the "No-Know katakana" option,katakana words are not included in the exercises. Nonetheless, the program shows them on the screen and asks learners to study them by themselves (Figure 2). Moreover, when questions are set in kana only with the "No-Know katakana" option, katakana words appear with furigana superscript (Figure 3). There could be some legitimate reasons for these particular settings, however, it would be better if the authors changed the setting to enable use of the "No-Knowkatakana" option to all question settings to avoid learners’ confusion while practicing; or at least explain in more detail how the "know-katakana" option should be used in the directions.
Figure 2 No-Know Katakana example 1
Figure 3 No-Know Katakana example 2
(2)Wide selection of conjugation forms As with the Question-Answer modes, learners can select different types of conjugation for practice depending on their linguistic levels. Although VCK/J2.0 is aimed at the elementary level of Japanese learners, it includes verb/adjective forms which are usually introduced at the intermediate level such as causative and passive forms. Learners first have to select the type of conjugation form they want to practice for Questions and Answers out of 17 options for verbs, and 13 options for adjectives (See Figure 4 for an example). Learners need to be familiar with the relevant grammatical terms introduced in the exercise, such as "plain", "affirmative", "volitional" etc. Although example forms are presented with these terms, students may be taught differently in class (e.g. "informal" instead of "plain").
Figure 4 Conjugation Setting
3. Error mark-up and corrective feedback. Another good learner-centered feature of VKC/J2.0 is its error mark-up function and corrective feedback. The program provides feedback using thirteen different types of error mark-up symbols for the learners’ written kana answers (For complete symbols, see Hatasa & Hatasa,1997).
Figure 5 Error feedback example 1
Figure 6 Error feedback example 2 Figure 5 and Figure 6 introduce examples of the error mark-up symbols used in VCK/J2.0. This feedback can inform learners of specific positions which were incorrect in the answers and/or what needs to be done to provide correct answers. For example, a vowel substitution error is marked by "V", a consonant error by "C", an item that the program can not identify is marked by "?", a missing character is indicated by an arrow (Figure 3), a missing voicing marker is indicated by two dots and an arrow, and an extra character is marked by an arrow and an underline (Figure 4) and so on. These symbols represent well the Japanese sound system, which consists of vowels and consonants, and should be a very effective way of helping students notice the sources of their errors. Obviously, to use this feedback effectively, learners first need to understand what these feedback symbols mean. The list of the feedback symbols should, therefore, be well explained in advance by using some examples. VCK/J2.0 includes the explanation of these symbols in the directions within the program, however, it was not very easy to find.
Limitations and Problems The authors' pilot study pointed out the limitations of VCK/J2.0 concerning both the error feedback system and the platforms that this program can work on. The authors are planning to develop the next version to include additional error types and symbols of the error mark-up feedback system and also to provide a PC platform version. Another limitation is in the way that the language learner’s English answers are checked. With the present program, the correct answers must be precisely the same as the English answer keys in the database, which accepts only exact string matches. The program is thus unable to recognize simple misspellings or the absence of plural -s etc. The present program is also sensitive to the extra spacing, which is registered as an incorrect answer in all exercises.
As previously mentioned, VCK/J2.0 requires learners to know how to type Japanese. However, not all Japanese programs encourage introducing this skill at the elementary level, claiming that being able to "write" kana and kanji is more important at this stage. Japanese typing is based on romanized scripts. Yet some institutions teach hiragana characters without introducing the romanized scripts, and others use only romanized scripts for the first year. For these reasons, it may be difficult to introduce VCK/J2.0 in some institutions. Alternatively, institutions may have to revise their curricula to include Japanese typing as a part of writing practices.
Summary VCK/J2.0 provides many different types of exercises on vocabulary, kanji, and verb and adjective conjugations to increase the amount of learners’ practice on target items in many modes, i.e. kana, English, and sound. It can be used as supplementary learning material in many elementary Japanese courses. It is assumed that this program can be most effectively used when added to paper and pencil type of exercises for review and quiz purposes. A carefully designed curriculum will be necessary to incorporate this program into existing activities so as not to increase either the instructor’s or the learner’s workload.
Scaled rating (1 low-5 high) Implementation possibilities: 5 (Nakama or SFJusers) / 3 (others) Pedagogical features: 4 Use of computer capability: 3.5 Ease of use: 3.5 (author) / 4 (teacher/student) Over-all evaluation: 4 Value for money: 5
Producer Details Developer/distributor Kazumi Hatasa Department of Foreign Languages, Purdue University Email: [email protected] Yukiko Hatasa Department of Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Iowa Email: [email protected] WWW: http://www.sla.purdue.edu/fll/JapanProj/VKC/VKC2.html
Reviewer Information Eiko Ushida is a doctoral candidate in Second Language Acquisition at Carnegie Mellon University. She has taught Japanese in Australia and the U.S. Her research interests are in the implementation and evaluation of innovative foreign language teaching and learning including CALL.
Reviewer Contact Department of Modern Languages Carnegie Mellon University, BH160 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: (412) 268-4236 Fax: (412) 268-1328 Email: [email protected]
References: Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hatasa, K.& Hatasa, Y.(1997). Development and Evaluation of Vocabulary/Kanji/Conjugation Exercises in Japanese Version 2.0. On-CALL,11 (3). 2-15. Makino, S., Hatasa, Y., & Hatasa, K. (1998). Nakama. Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company. Tsukuba Language Group. (1992). Situational Functional Japanese. Tokyo: Bonjinsha.