Incorporating the Use of E-mail into a Language Program

Until recently, most foreign language education has been centered on the acquisition of grammar and vocabulary. While recognizing that grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning advocate “the acquisition of the ability to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways with users of other languages” (1996) and identify five goals of today’s foreign language classroom: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. The present study attempts to investigate how the use of e-mail in the target language motivates and enhances the students’ learning of the language based on the five goals of the National Standards. Students in a post secondary Japanese class were asked to communicate by e-mail in Japanese. At the end of the course, the students completed questionnaires regarding the project. The researcher examined their messages and the questionnaires. The study describes how an out of class activity with a focus on meaning can not only provide a great number of learning opportunities as described in the national standards, but also promote a deeper understanding of the Japanese language and culture. Moreover, it illustrates how a standards-based project with an emphasis on meaning can assist in the developmental and creative aspects of second language acquisition.