Attitudes of Iranian Japanese Learners towards Japanese Culture

This study investigates the attitudes of Iranian learners of Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) towards the influence of Japanese culture on learning the language. The study explores these attitudes from the perspectives of personal factors, social factors, and the importance of culture. Additionally, the study examines how learners' attitudes vary based on their years of Japanese language learning. Through a questionnaire adapted from previous research, data were collected from ۵۰ JFL learners at an Iranian university. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that JFL learners hold positive attitudes towards the role of Japanese culture in their language learning. The study challenges the stereotype seen in prior research suggesting negative attitudes among Muslims by highlighting the influence of contextual factors. Participants emphasized the significance of culture in their language learning experience, albeit to varying degrees depending on the duration of Japanese language study. Moreover, personal factors proved to be a stronger motivational factor than social factors in Iranian students' learning of Japanese. The study provides insights for educators and curriculum designers seeking to understand learners' preferences and motivations in the context of culture-based language learning.

کلیدواژه ها:

Attitudes ، Culture ، Personal factors ، Social factors ، Importance of culture ، Japanese language learning ، Iranian learners ، Foreign language education