As the number of Japanese language students overseas increases, learning environments are becoming more diversified. The recent increase in web based videoconferencing systems has enabled "face-to-face" communication between the Japanese native speaker and the overseas learner. Although web based video conferencing has become an indispensable tool for developing participants' language skills, this technological resource introduces interactive and multiple linguistic issues. To effectively utilize this technology in an educational situation, these issues need to be analyzed from a theoretical perspective and in light of empirical evidence. This study aims to use discourse analysis to decipher characteristic strategies for creating fluid communication in distance contact situations. Focusing on a socio-cultural approach, communication via videoconference creates an opportunity whereby students can learn autonomously while benefiting from collaboration with Japanese participants. Through qualitative investigations of collected protocol analysis, this study identifies strategic behaviors of conversation, based on visual, environmental and phonetic factors. From these observations, the author argues that effective distance communication has considerable linguistic features including multimodal strategies and that ultimately, extensive future research is needed to clarify the varied discourse environments.

Recent Japanese language class introduces practical Japanese conversation focused on discourse development. However, it is not easy for foreign learners to understand on-going context and to maintain continuous conversation with Japanese native speakers. Then, this study aimed to clarify the difference of discourse structures between classroom discourse and practical discourse, and performances of advanced Japanese learners were investigated. Through the analysis, question sentences proved to be important function in both situation, and it found that used questioning sentences had different characteristics into strategies.

日本が世界で果たす役割が注目される中,日本語教育も各国で盛んに導入されるようになってきた。特に初中等教育における日本語学習者は急速に増加し,海外の小規模日本語教育にも注目する必要が生じてきた。そこでの授業改善のためには,これまでの教育研究とは質の異なる日本語教育を取り巻く環境要因や機能を広範囲に勘案した研究・分析手法が必要である。本調査研究では,日本語教育創成期の小規模日本語教育を実施するタイ国中等教育学校において,日本語母語話者ボランティアにより授業運営されている授業を対象に,日本語教育をシステムとしてとらえ,日本語指導の改善に取り組んだ事例について報告する。そこではシックスシグマでしばしば活用されてきた日本発信の手法である品質機能展開を応用して,授業改善に貢献する方針と資料を提供することを目的として分析を実施した。結果では,主に能力開発に関する要素が抽出され,特に国内の日本語教育では目的化されない教育業務調整能力や,0初級生徒の参加性を育むための能力開発に重要度が見られた。Contribution of Japan has lately drawn considerable attention by all the world, accordingly Japanese language education is expanding in many countries. Remarkable movement is increasing learners in elementary and secondary schools, and it means that small sized Japanese language courses are spreading in the world as well. Then, it must be introduced valid investigational methods for improvement that enables to include various factors and functions around the small sized Japanese language environment. Then, this study focused on a small sized course of a secondary school in Thailand in early stage of Japanese language education where lessons were managed by Japanese volunteer teachers. Here, authors introduced the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) that was often used in Sixsigma approach as a proactive systematic analysis, and aimed to propose directions to improve near future Japanese education. As results, elements that concern human resource development were extracted as major elements. Especially, high relative importance weights of quality elements were seen in 'school management competencies'and'competencies that enhance attendance of novice students.'