Types of Japanese Noun-Modifying Clauses Used in JFL Textbooks

The present study examined the types of Japanese noun-modifying clauses (NMCs) that are found in seven postsecondary Japanese-as-a-foreign-language (JFL) textbooks. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether those types of Japanese NMCs introduced in the instructional materials fully reflect the characteristics of Japanese clausal noun modification. NMCs that appeared in the textbooks were classified according to the syntactic-semantic relationships between the head noun and the modifying clause. The types and use of those NMCs were compared across the textbooks in their applicable sections. The results indicate that all the textbooks introduce limited clause types and do not necessarily cover the types that are a major part of Japanese NMCs. The introduction of NMCs mostly includes the "inner-relationship" constructions, and the "outer-relationship" and other types are rarely introduced in those textbooks. The head nouns that accompany those clauses are also limited to fewer kinds. The present study suggests that presenting a wider variety of NMCs in JFL pedagogical materials might facilitate and enrich second language learners' understanding and use of Japanese clausal noun modification.