Utilization of ICT in Japanese Language Learning During the Covid 19 Pandemic: Case Study of Japanese in Use I Courses

. Studying during the covid 19 pandemic in Bina Nusantara University Institution, which previously was carried out with a face-to-face system, became online distance learning using zoom. This is a challenge in itself since it is related to communicative competence, where the students’ speaking skills are required to advance in the final result. This study uses a qualitative method by sharing questionnaires with 46 respondents taking up Japanese in Use I courses to find out their responses on the utilization of ICT. This study is an introductory study on how ICT helps respondents enhance their speaking skills to the basic level 1. Every ICT media used in the studies has its own advantages and disadvantages. While audio focuses more on listening, visual serves to clarify the material, while audio-visual is a combination of sound and image to make understanding objects or materials easier, print media is a reference source. Most of the respondents choose to use audio-visual ICT media because it has complete features using audio and visual. In addition, the influence of the rapid development of technology makes it easier for respondents to access media according to their learning interests.


Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic that has been going on for almost 2 years now is a health crisis that takes place globally.This does not only affect the economy in the world but also its' education.Based on ABC News' report on March 7th, 2020, dozens of countries closes their school doors because of the spread of covid 19 in various parts of the world.According to the data UNESCO had, there are at least 290.5 million students around the world have their learning activity obstructed, which causes schools and campuses to get shut down [1].Therefore, educational institutions are forced to find an alternative to get the learning process to keep ongoing.So do the schools in Indonesia; from elementary to university, all took alternate learning using online distance learning.
The sudden shift from offline to online learning is an obstacle in itself.There are significant challenges to both the facilities and the people, such as uneven learning skills.There are countless unskilled students, teachers, and lecturers, especially those living in the countryside, learning online as an internet connection is needed for online learning.However, with online learning, the students, teachers, and lecturers have the flexibility of time to prepare, since several platforms are required to be used such as Google Classroom, Google Meet, Zoom, WhatsApp, and others.To utilize software in online learning, mobile device support is required.Mobile phones, tablets, and laptops are used to access all information without a time limit [2].Mobile devices have contributed so much to the educational world, * Corresponding author:timursriastami@binus.ac.id especially in achieving the objectives of online learning [3].Based on that, the focus of this study will be on discussing the utilization of ICT in the online learning process during the covid 19 pandemic.
The previous study on extracurricular activity during covid 19 pandemic, such as the Kaiwa (conversation) Club, has managed to obtain responses from the students on its capability to enhance the respondents' language skills.A result of 79.4% responses is obtained, in which respondents replied that the existence of the Kaiwa Club helped in understanding courses related to language competency, especially in conversations with 94.1% responses [4].This is proof that the existence of the Kaiwa Club attended by the students affects their understanding of several Japanese language skill courses in the regular class.The Japanese in Use I (conversation) course is one of the studies in the regular class.Since one of the external factors of the existing Kaiwa Club can help the respondents understand language courses, the writer wishes to find out the internal factor related to self-studying during the online learning process, how far has the utilization of ICT has the respondents used in the regular class especially in learning Japanese in Use I course.
In the Japanese Literature major at Bina Nusantara University, outside of the language courses, students are also taught knowledge of its culture, literature, and others.For the first 2 years, almost 60% of courses given are related to strengthening the language competency, such as Japanese in Use.The materials of Japanese in Use I refer to the communicative competence according (https://jfstandard.jp/summary/ja/render.do).This study occurs for 1 semester from mid-September of 2021 to 2022 January.The writer wishes to explain the learning process activity in Japanese in Use I class in the form of teaching materials and the students' survey results on the utilization of ICT the respondents used in their selfstudying process.

Objectives
This study is an introductory study to understand the role of ICT in the independent learning process of the students.Learning with a blended learning method enables students to adjust the learning style suitable to each individual's needs.By applying both the materials in the textbook and on the web together, the students are rendered to be creative in searching for the desired information promptly.

Literature Review
The purpose of this study is to explore deeper on the utilization of the ICT in distance learning (online).This literature review is to identify and classify several results of research using ICT as follows.The following explanation of the literature review will be explained after the literature review chart.The categories are related to internal and external factors of the use of ICT in the learning process.The result of the literature review is classified into 2 factors that affect the utilization of ICT both externally and internally 1. External Factor The external factor is related to the utilization of the ICT in a broader sense which is the role of institutions in organizing ICT suitable to the needs of the institutions [5], also the adequate support infrastructure for better online learning [6][7].

Internal Factor
The internal factor is related to the components of the learning process.A learning component is a set of several items connected to one another and is an important thing in the process of learning.The said items are the teacher, students, materials, methods, and media.The covid 19 pandemic has a huge impact on delivering the online learning material by connecting with the learning media.Media in the learning process is able to arouse new desires and interests, motivations and stimulations, and even influence the students' psychological state.Furthermore, it works cognitively by gaining findings of information from the media.Like the usage of video, audio, and games [8], mobile learning [9][10], and Schoology media [11] MOOCs [12], and virtual exchange [13].Next is learning through the blended learning method [15] and Nagasaki Takaoka method of cloud [15].Material components [16] and learning preparation [17] are also part of an online learning process.

Dataset
This study uses a qualitative method to grasp the relation between the ICT and the community or individuals in accepting certain issues and to ensure that the quality of the data has been gathered and interpreted [18] This study is based on e-learning.E-learning is one form of learning with the students at its center.The students are required to be independent and responsible for themselves throughout the online learning classes.Learning to be independent can be done wherever and whenever with no time and space limit.With e-learning, one can easily search sources, with various choices of information to utilize ICT and increase the roles multimedia have in learning activity [19].However, elearning takes the activeness of the students to progress in the learning process.The students' activeness gives the benefit of more effective learning and a positive impact on the result of the study.Not only that, the knowledge gathered through the technology media will be optimally absorbed by the students.The main purpose of the utilization of technology is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning itself.The final result obtained will come in the form of upgraded academic achievements and competence of the students.The method used in Japanese in Use I is the Guide Conversation Method, where the teachers are in charge of guiding, directing, informing, showing, and encouraging the students to be more active throughout the learning process.One of the utilization practices of the Guide Conversation Method is dramatization to solve problems.This strategy is to place someone in someone else's situation.Dramatization allowed its cast to study other's characters, how to interact with others, how to approach and correspond with others, and to solve the problem in those situations.

Data Collection
Data is obtained from the answered questionnaires using the Google Form shared with 46 respondents taking the Japanese in Use I Course.The data was then gathered and analyzed using simple graphical statistics.

Result and Discussion
The Japanese in Use 1 online university study period occurred from September 2021 until January 2022, 13 times online with zoom.This course is attended by the entire semester 1 college students.The writers take 46 college students as data samples.In the following discussion, the materials in textbooks and the materials found on Marugoto web will be described.The syllabus for each week's meeting is the same as the material found in the textbook and the Marugoto web.The textbook used in the Japanese in Use I course is Marugoto A1 (starter).This book consists of rikai (understanding) and katsudo (activity).In the syllabus written in binusmaya (Bina Nusantara Website), the textbook used is rikai (understanding).Every chapter of the book has a goal namely can do, a goal set to achieve the ability to do 3 to 5 activities throughout the learning process every week.However, not all the can-do goal is used; the material chosen is parallel to the other class's grammar and course material.With the hope that the students may be able to understand better in using the grammar used in daily conversations on the basic level.

Fig. 3. Examples of Materials contained in Marugoto Web
Both textbook and the Marugoto web have their own added value.On the Marugoto web, every activity displayed aims to enable the students to learn independence and hone their language skills.The Marugoto web is complementary to the marugoto textbook.Throughout the study process, lecturers are in charge of guiding and directing students to be more active in learning.Courses are given applicatively between the textbook and the materials in the marugoto web.The process of study in an online class occurs in a two-way direction by applying the guide conversation method in the form of dramatization.Students are given texts with various themes according to their can-do goals, to rehearse by role-playing and cooperating with others, making conversation models according to their can-do goals, and presenting them.The purpose of dramatization is to allow students to place themselves in a position of someone else's role, in correspond with the situation in the text.This helps students to cooperate and solve problems.For the learning process to run smoothly, besides the main material of the textbook, support materials are needed, such as the audio, visual, audiovisual, and print media, to allow them to be able to give an equal contribution to increasing the students' competence.Moreover, to focus on the enhancement of independent competency, students are given assignments every week.Aside from learning through the assignments, students also go through independent studies or self-learning using various study access such as audio, visual, audiovisual, and online print media (web) to enhance their speaking skills.To find out the utilization of the ICT media throughout the learning process, in the following the students' responses to the utilization of the ICT media throughout the learning process from audio to print media will be explained.According to the figure 1 shown above, 26.7% of the students always use audio and 46.7% of the students often use audio to help them understand the learning materials.These audio are obtained through listening from the marugoto web, chokai tasuku, radio, and songs, with the duration of 15 to 30 minutes, twice every week.The students' responses are in accordance with the benefits of using audio which are 1) cheap and have various programs 2) easy to move 3) can be used with a radio recorder, so it can be repeatedly played and listened again.According to the figure 2 shown above, 25 % of the students often use visuals or images to help them understand the learning materials.The use of ICT in visual or image form is the least option.These images came from several sources namely the marugoto web, marugoto textbooks, other learning web, irasutoya, and comic books, with the duration of 15 to 30 minutes, every day.The students' responses correspond to the benefits of using visuals or images which are 1) easy to obtain 2) usually are cheap 3) easy to use 4) able to clarify a problem 5) more realistic 6) can assist with supervision and observation 7) can overcome space limitations.

2) Students' responses on the utilization of ICT in the form of visual
3) Students' responses on the utilization of ICT in the form of audiovisual According to the figure 3 shown above, 31.3% of the students always use audiovisual and 56.3% of the students use audiovisual to help them understand the learning materials.The utilization of the audiovisual occupies the highest rank of being accessed by the students.These audiovisual came from several sources namely marugoto web, youtube learning, anime, and short drama movies, with the duration of 1 to 2 hours, every day.This corresponds with the students' responses on the utilization of the audiovisual media because 1) its use is not boring 2) the results are easier to understand 3) the information received is understandable and clearer.
4) Students' responses on the utilization of ICT in the form of online print media According to the figure 4 shown above, 26.7% of the students always use audio and 26.7% of the students often use audio to help in understanding the learning materials.These media came from several sources namely marugoto`s textbook, marugoto web, jisho.otg,and google translate with the duration of half to an hour, twice every week.This corresponds with the students' responses on the utilization of the print media because 1) it is popular in all circles and 2) can be enjoyed by any generation.
Based on the students' responses in using several media from audio to online print, can be said that the utilization of ICT has given a positive impact in increasing the students' competency, with most of the students utilizing the audiovisual followed by visual, audio, and print media.All of these media mutually benefit one another.The source of the ICT media varies from learning web to non-learning web such as short dramas and animated movies.the advantages of ICT media like an audio are easy to move, their voices can be recorded and respondents can focus on listening to learning materials.While the disadvantages of audio is that learners get bored easily.Visual media are learning facilities that can be enjoyed with the sense of sight, helping learning in understanding the subject matter.While the limitations of visual media are the limitations of delivering information because it can only be conveyed using visuals.Furthermore, the advantages of audio-visual has complete features in the form of audio and visual, the use of audio visual is not boring and the results are easier to understand.Meanwhile, that is unidirectional, focusing on the material not for material development.And the last, ICT using media learning like a print are usually easier to explain things that are complex and more comfortable to read, can be re-read so that they are able to think more specifically regarding the content of writing.While the weakness of print media is in the form of writing and can only provide visuals in the form of images that represent the entire contents of the writing.

Limitation
The purpose of this study is to determine the use of ICT during the covid 19 pandemic by university-level Japanese language students, in which its effects apply to conversational courses of Japanese in Use 1.The result of this study is proven in the Japanese in Use 1 course, that the use of ICT helped the respondents with their Japanese in Use 1 Course studies.However, this study is only at its basic level and does not apply to other language skills such as listening, reading, and writing.Aside from that, further studies on the required learning method to improve the skills of the students with low ability in utilizing ICT, and whether by using this ICT their communicative competence will be able to improve or not, needs to be done.

Conclusion
Covid 19 provides an alternative learning method in other forms, which is through distance learning carried out online.Cases like this do not always only have negative impacts, since in reality, humans, are able to adapt and get creative in a lot of situations to keep on living life well.E-learning is one of the human adaptations in the education world during the pandemic to keep information and knowledge going on.Within the Japanese Language Literature at Bina Nusantara University, e-learning is also applied to learning Japanese in Use 1.By applying both the textbooks and the materials in the marugoto web with other learning media, college students are able to adjust conversations in Japanese at the basic level.This proves that online learning is not obstructing students to enhance their communicative competency at the basic level 1.These early-stage studies can be further developed to see the extent to which the increase in the value of Japanese language courses is, related to the other receptive and productive competencies.Also, whether the students still use the same ICT media platform in Japanese in Use II lectures, what kind of learning method is needed to enhance the skills of the students with lower capability in utilizing the ICT, and whether their communicative competence has been enhanced, further studies need to be done.

Fig. 7 .
Fig. 7. Student's response to utilizing the online print media

Table 1 .
Article Review Journals and National International Proceedings on ICT