Researchers investigated perceptions of Japanese college students toward the use of digital games in English-language learning. The study was conducted at one large private university in Japan. Undergraduate students who were enrolled in 14 English-language courses were invited to complete a paper-based survey during class time. The survey included the following constructs: ease of use, learning opportunities, experience, preferences, and actual use. Participants were also invited to share potential advantages and disadvantages for digital game use in the classroom. Two hundred and twenty-two students completed the survey. Results indicate that most students viewed the potential integration and utilization of digital games as positive. However, some students expressed concern that the use of games may not be an effective or efficient method of learning.

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In universities throughout Japan, English language learners are required to stand in front of their peers and make a presentation with the aid of software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. This type of public speaking activity can often be an anxiety-inducing, glorified reading or memorization exercise of text-heavy slides that fails to meet the intended objective of developing the learners' presentation skills. This paper reports on the perceptions of Japanese university students toward an action research project that utilized poster presentations in conjunction with mobile-video reflective feedback. An activity systems analysis helped uncover the systemic contradictions and tensions that existed in the participants' English as a foreign language (efl) oral presentation lessons. One hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate economics students from nine classes completed a paper-based survey. In addition, seven students from the same second-year international economics course participated in a focus group interview. The results indicated that most participants viewed mobile-video enhanced self-and peer-reflective feedback as beneficial tools that could help improve the quality of their efl presentation performances. However, many students expressed concern about public speaking anxiety, the protection of personal privacy, as well as the cultural contrast between Western and Japanese presentation styles.

Learning Management Systems (lmss) have become important tools in higher education language instruction, which can facilitate both student learning and the administration of courses. The decision regarding which lms a particular university adopts is a complicated process where the needs and opinions of several stakeholders, including administrators, students, and faculty members, must be considered. The researchers conducted a focus group session with faculty members at a private Japanese university regarding their usage and perceptions of the lms Manaba.The results of this study indicate that while perceptions towards the lms were positive overall, successful integration of the technology is hampered by a lack of institutional support.

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit Japan in early 2020, courses that were already prepared for face-to-face delivery from the start of the spring term in April suddenly needed to be delivered online via emergency remote teaching. In order to understand the challenges that university faculty faced and to find ways to improve upon the situation if this becomes the “new normal,” it is imperative to understand faculty satisfaction with online teaching and how these perceptions affect motivation and lifestyle. University faculty teaching English-language courses were recruited from several universities in Japan and asked to complete an online survey which consisted of demographics, questions related to online teacher satisfaction, teacher motivation, teacher lifestyle, and open-ended questions. Results indicated mixed feelings toward online education, negative evaluations of the lack of Japanese universities' preparedness for online long-distance learning, and concerns about the social and physical health of students and instructors.