A study on fundamental vocabulary for Children learning Japanese as a second language : A vocabulary study of elementary school science textbooks

• Project/Area Number: 13680350
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Naoko Chiba University, International Student Center, Associate Professor, 留学生センター, 助教授 (40251152)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KUDO Mayumi Osaka University, Graduate School of Letters, Professor, 大学院・文学研究科, 教授 (30186415)
• Project Period (FY): 2001 – 2002
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2002)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000); Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000); Fiscal Year 2001: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
• Keywords: fundametal vocabulary / Japanese language teaching / a science textbook / elememtary school students / elememtary school

Research Abstract

Purpose and outline of the study
(1) This study reports the results of a vocabulary investigation, showing the types of vocabulary and their usage in elementary school science textbooks. (See Chapter 2 for methodology.) Social science textbooks for fourth graders through sixth graders were used in the analysis (total of six books with two books for each grade level) :
There are 2,935 different words and 24,902 running words (=token). The words are classified into lexical categories(nouns,verbs,adjectives,adverbs,etc.) and also classified based on the origin of the words (Japanese origin, Chinese origin, foreign origin and mixed). Characteristics of the word types in different areas in the science field are investigated and quantified.
(2) The results of the current study are compared with the results of the vocabulary study of elementary school social science textbooks, as well as the results from Kudo (1999), and relation among the three vocabulary studies is presented.
The results of the comparison with the social studies textbook study (4,724 different words and 24,499 running words) show that 999 different words (34% of the total different words in science textbooks) and 16,510 running words (66.3% of the total running words in social science textbooks) are shared with science textbooks. The characteristics of the shared vocabulary and the vocabulary exclusively used in science textbooks are investigated based on lexical categories and word origin.
Also 646 different words (22% of the total different words in science textbooks) are shared among the three vocabulary studies, i.e. the current study, the social science textbooks and Kudo (1999). (See chapter 3 for detail)
(3) The following three vocabulary tables are presented in chapter 4.
Vocabulary list A - Vocabulary in the science textbooks : ln Japanese alphabetical order
Vocabulary list B Vocabulary in the science textbooks : ln the frequency order (including comparison with the social studies textbooks.)
Vocabulary list C Shared vocabulary in the science and social studies textbooks : In the frequency order from science textbooks (including comparison with Kudo, 1996)
* Technical terms, e.g. running words, used in the abstract follow the National Language Research Institute. (Studies on the vocabulary of junior high school textbooks.(1986).)
* Kudo (1999). A study of the fundamental vocabulary for children learning Japanese as a second language. Tokyo : Hitsuji Shobo. (Original work published 1996).