Sustainable vocabulary acquisition in Japanese classroom with the help of Memrise

This paper presents the methodology and results of creating Croatian language materials for e- learning and m-learning of Japanese language vocabulary through Memrise platform. Firstly, we have assessed previous research on the subject of the vocabulary acquisition and e-learning, as well as the existing free platforms for language content creation. According to both the literature review and assessment of e-learning tools, Memrise was chosen as most fitting platform. Secondly, materials were created using language textbooks Genki 1 and 2 as a reference, since they are main Japanese textbooks used in Croatia. Upon the completion of the e-courses, created materials were distributed to the students and their results were recorded. After two semester usage with the group of 27 university students, those who have regularly used Memrise for learning have had 40% better grades at the end of both semesters. Although vocabulary is only a part of the cumulative language acquisition process, sustainable learning e-system can help students to improve all their language skills. We have found that students mostly enjoy using Memrise for learning purposes, and that it is beneficial to their results.