Traditional language teaching highlights grammar in practice to an extent that learners’ conversational ability has often been under-addressed. This is especially true for elementary-level learners of Japanese whose major is not Japanese, and who may be less confident in their communication. Under these circumstances, grammar as well as vocabulary becomes the focus of teaching. However, when learners’ motivation is considered, how to make them aware of the fun of foreign language communication, rather than just engaging in repeated grammar drills, seems to be one of the important pedagogical areas that should not be overlooked.
To address the above concern, this study implemented a teaching activity applying the OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) concept for elementary-level non-Japanese-majors. This teaching activity could not only provide lively contexts for learners to try their best with their limited communication competence, but could also create exciting opportunities for them to overcome their communication barriers. A follow-up questionnaire was then administered to explore the potential strengths and weaknesses of the teaching activity. The study found that the learners highly appreciated the value of the teaching activity that was assisted by the OPI skills. Most questionnaire respondents also expressed positive views on this kind of activity that proved helpful to the non-Japanese-major learners with limited ability to communicate in Japanese.
