Students' Attitudes towards Tadoku Using Graded Readers in the Indonesian JFL Context

Limited reading skills and difficulties in understanding Japanese texts are persistent challenges faced by learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) in Indonesia. These issues often stem from a limited vocabulary and insufficient knowledge of Kanji, resulting in a lack of confidence and motivation to engage with Japanese texts. To address this problem, the research implements tadoku (extensive reading) activities aimed at fostering a more positive reading experience and increasing students’ interest in reading Japanese texts. While previous studies on Japanese language learning in Indonesia have primarily focused on reading anxiety, the research shifts the focus toward the emotional and motivational responses of learners participating in tadoku activities using graded readers—a relatively underexplored area in the context of JFL education in Indonesia. This qualitative research involved 48 second-year university students enrolled in a Japanese grammar course. Tadoku was introduced as an in-class introductory activity. Data were collected through classroom observations, questionnaires, and short interviews conducted after the tadoku sessions. The findings indicate that learners responded positively to the tadoku activity. The use of graded readers helped reduce anxiety when encountering unfamiliar Kanji and vocabulary, while also increasing students’ engagement due to the presence of illustrations and a variety of accessible themes. Furthermore, the availability of graded readers at various levels enabled learners to select texts suitable to their proficiency, promoting greater autonomy, motivation, and enjoyment in reading.