What Motivates L2 Learners in Acquisition of Kanji Using CALL: A Case Study

Unlike alphabetic languages, knowledge of about 1,000 basic kanji characters is imperative to comprehend written Japanese such as that used in newspapers. Exposure to authentic materials is often recommended from the early stages of learning. This puts pressure on the learning of kanji. How can learners acquire kanji more quickly in order to take advantage of available sources of information? Learning kanji is perhaps not difficult but is extremely time-consuming, especially when learners study it in a foreign language environment. This case study, undertaken in 1997 among first-year university students of Japanese, examines language learning motivation and strategies in relation to the learning of kanji using CALL. The findings indicate that: (i) instrumental motivation was a dominant factor; and (ii) metacognitive strategies along with a positive attitude toward the CALL kanji program are also influential factors in mastering kanji effectively, especially at beginner level.