STUDENT VIEWS ON LANGUAGE EXCHANGE CLASSES

Dornyei (1994) asserts that a major strategy for stimulating motivation for language learners is for teachers to set up activities which place students in contact with native speakers of the language the students' are learning. Thus, exchange classes are an opportunity to maintain or increase motivation for both group of students by giving students the opportunity to experience using the language they are learning.

The exchange class was a joint session conducted between the English program and the Japanese Language Program for students to confirm their progress in the language learning process and also an attempt to prompt exchange between the two groups of language learners. Currently, exchange classes are not part of the curriculum. However, in the 1990's Shimazaki et al (1996) put into practice exchange courses. In addition, Era (1997) also put into practice exchange classes as a part of the curriculum. Results from the student survey shows that more interaction is necessary and implementation of exchange classes should be executed to increase motivation in language learning. In addition, the exchange classes deepen their understanding of culture and makes both Japanese and non-Japanese students become aware and engaged with the global community around them. For these exchange classes, however, it was unable to solve the problem of the unbalance in number between the two groups of language learners.