This paper represents an outline of my doctoral research, which is being designed to investigate students' experiences of learning a language (Japanese) in a distance learning mode.

The students of the 'OPAL: Japanese' courses are Australian and New Zealand primary and secondary school teachers. These adult learners are enrolled in the 'OPAL: Japanese' Graduate Certificate Units with the intention of improving their proficiency in Japanese language to support their classroom teaching. They study alone, at school or at home, using print, CD-ROM and video materials and interacting with a course partner and the course tutor by phone, fax and e-mail. Approximately 20 student subjects will be involved, and the study will chart their learning across the 4 Units of the GradCert Program.

The research seeks to explore the students' experience of studying off-campus in a distance learning mode. A phenomenographic perspective will be adopted so as to describe and analyse the students' perceptions of the teaching and learning situation, their approaches to study and their learning outcomes. In particular, the research aims to explore and represent the perceived role and effect of the 'course partner' - pair or 'buddy' relationships which are established upon enrolment and formalised through the study structures and processes.

The phenomenographic research component will investigate the learners' perceptions of what they think they are learning. This will be based on a series of interviews with students and an analysis of their reflective journals (Japanese and/or separate English records). The case study component of this research will investigate the learning experience using a range of instruments (interviews, documents, observation) from a number of different perspectives (student journals and think-aloud protocols, tutor interviews, partner faxes and phone calls).

This doctoral work represents a novel approach to research into language learning in distance learning contexts where physical isolation may create particular patterns of peer interaction and language skill development. Insights gained from the literature on experiential learning, second language acquisition and learning at a distance will also be integrated. It is intended that the findings of this research will have cross-disciplinary application for instructional design and the conduct of distance learning courses.