Explorations of Knowledge, Creation & Computer No. 6, 1997.3, pp-43-48 43 NIHONGO NO BENKYOU: WHY AND HOW FILIPINOS LEARN JAPANESE LANGUAGE? Richard DLC. Gonzales * , Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology De La Salle University, Philippines ABSTRACT This article discusses the reasons why Filipino university students are learning the Japanese language. Two motivational orientations were used to study the motivations of Filipinos towards learning the Japanese language. On the other hand, two learning strategies were used to study the learning strategies of Filipinos learning Japanese language. The basic questions that was asked is “Why and how do Filipino university students choose to study Japanese as a part of their academic course? Respondents of this study include university students from selected seven institutions in Metro Manila offering Japanese language courses during the school year 1995-1996. A survey questionnaire was used to gather the data. Results show that Filipino university students are primarily motivated to learn Japanese language because they consider it very useful to their future career and having learned it gives them better employment opportunities. Introduction Studying Japanese language or Nihonggo is not recent and new in the Philippines. The learning of Japanese language in the Philippines came very much earlier than the Japanese invaders during the World War II According to Saniel (1994), the interest in the study of Japan was spurred by the series of lectures of Japan delivered by Japanese visiting professors at the state university of the Philippines in 1920. During those days, the visiting professors did not only give lectures on Japanese government, politics, economics, and culture. They also took upon themselves in introducing the Japanese language to Filipino scholars. Of course, the more remarkable reality of Japanese language learning in the Philippines happened during the brief military occupation in the country during the 1940s. * Dr. Richard DLC Gonzales was teacher-trainee/researcher at Shizuoka University, Faculty of Education from 1991-1993 under the advisorship of Dr. Kenichi Yumino, At present, he is the Director of the Japanese Studies Program of De La Salle University – Manila.