| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In 2003, the final year of the research grant, the main study was carried out as planned, and the results were made public through a conference presentation, a journal article, and a research report. The result of the pilot study which was completed in the previous year was presented at the congress of Applied Linguistics Association of Australia. The result of the main study was planned to be reported at the International Symposium of Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching (China). Unfortunately, however, the conference was postponed until a year later due to the spread of SARS. The author will give a presentation at this conference in summer, 2004.
The present study investigated Japanese university students' reading attitudes in Japanese and English by using questionnaires, and examined the relationship of reading attitudes in the two languages. It particularly focused on two questions : (1) Previous studies have shown that L2 language ability is an important determiner of the tran
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sfer of reading abilities and strategies from L1 to L2. Does the same apply to the transfer of reading attitude? (2) How do learners' reading attitudes in Japanese and English affect their English extensive reading? The main findings of the study are :
・Reading attitude transfers from L1 (Japanese) to L2 (English).
・But English ability does not affect the transfer (this makes a sharp contrast with the transfer of the cognitive domain such as reading abilities and reading strategies)
・What motivates extensive reading in English is positive emotion to reading, regardless of languages.
・Even if learners appreciate the values of reading, such rational thinking does not necessarily motivate extensive reading.
Thus, the present study which focused on the affective domain of reading, has shown the difference between the cognitive and affective domains of reading in light of transfer from L1 reading to L2 reading. It has also demonstrated that Japanese reading attitude, acquired before the learners started reading English, influences their involvement in reading in English. In the final research report, findings of the study were summarized from the following five points of view : reading habits, studying English, extensive reading instruction, reading speed, EPER tests. Less
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