The Development of Japanese Reading Proficiency of Japanese Major Students by Using Extensive Reading Activities

Abstract

This study aims to compare Japanese reading achievements before and after participation in designed extensive reading activities among Japanese students at Mahasarakham University, and to investigate students’ opinions regarding the use of these activities. The convenience sampling method, as outlined in Ethics in Human Research, was employed. Twelve volunteers engaged in 10 weeks of extensive reading activities. The research employed five instruments: 1) reading comprehension achievement tests administered before and after participation in the extensive reading activities, 2) daily reading logs, 3) reading report forms, 4) an interview form, and 5) a questionnaire. Data analysis utilized descriptive analytics including mean, percentage, standard deviation, statistical data, and t-tests. Results indicate that: 1) extensive reading activities significantly improved students’ Japanese reading comprehension, with posttest scores surpassing pretest scores at the 0.05 level of significance, and 2) students’ opinions, as revealed through the questionnaire and reading logs, were predominantly positive (mean = 3.87, SD = 0.25).