The emergence of the United States' first Japanese immersion (JI) program came in 1988, and as of now, approximately eighteen schools across seven states participate in similar programs. Yet while the various successes of these programs ranging from grades K through 12 have been well documented, very little research has addressed the experience of JI students at the university-level. As these students continue their language study beyond high school, and thus beyond the scope of their base programs, we sense there may be a disconnect between the format of the traditional foreign language (TFL) classroom and the learning styles JI students develop as a result of their immersion experience. Though the special needs of heritage language students have been the object of study (Kondo-Brown 1999, 2001, 2005), those of JI students have not. However, just as heritage students face difficulty in a classroom not tailored to their needs (Marcos 1999), so too may immersion students as a result of their unique educational backgrounds. In order to identify any problems JI students may be facing in college TFL settings, we will conduct a comprehensive survey of both graduated and current JI university students. This study will address the following research questions:
1. Are JI students facing problems in college TFL classrooms? If so,
a. To what extent are the problems related to a psychological transition?
b. To what extent are the problems related to a pedagogical transition?
The results of this study may not only inform us on how to smooth the transition and maximize language learning of JI students' entering university programs, but also strengthen the connection between K-12 JI programs and collegiate Japanese programs. Additionally, as it is likely that number of JI programs will continue to rise, this information may also guide future program design.