Developing Critical Thinking in Multicultural Classes

• Project/Area Number: 15K02626
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Etsuko 北海道大学, メディア・コミュニケーション研究院, 准教授 (70600659)
• Research Collaborator: Byram Michael S. ダラム大学, 名誉教授
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,120,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥720,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: クリティカルシンキング / 多文化クラス / 異文化間教育 / 日本語教育 / 英語使用 / 日本語使用 / 日本人学生 / 留学生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This empirical study was conducted in multicultural classes where international and Japanese students studied together in a state univrsity in Japan. Classes conducted in English and classes in Japanese with the same syllabi were compared.
Based on the qualitative analysis, it can be inferred that for Japanese students, multicultural classes in Japanese is more effective than classes in English in many ways. They are also needed before the promotion of English learning. Japanese students in multicultural classes in Japanese are stimulated by the activeness of international students and inspired by their foreign language skills. Multicultural context can be effective not only in nurturing cultural sensitivity, but also for the development of critical thinking.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本に限らず、世界各国で大学教育における国際化が推奨されるようになってから久しい。日本の大学において留学生と日本の学生が共に学ぶ教育環境から生み出される教育効果は、国際性の滋養だけでなく、クリティカルシンキングのような思考力の基礎部分の育成にも及ぶと考えられる。また、日本語による多文化クラスによる日本の学生の国際性の滋養、外国語学習への啓発の効果は高く、日本の学生への英語学習の強化による効能、専門授業の英語化（EMI）の導入については、問い直す必要があるであろう。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Verbal behaviors of Japanese students in multicultural classrooms : a comparative study of courses in different languages of instruction (2019)
  • Author(s): 山田悦子
  • Journal Title: 高等教育ジャーナル : 高等教育と生涯学習 Volume: 26 Pages: 11-23
  • DOI: 10.14943/J.HighEdu.26.11
  • NAID: 120006603762
  • ISSN: 1341-9374
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Beyond Language Barriers: Approaches to Developing Citizenship for Lower Level Language Classes (2016)
  • Author(s): Etsuko YAMADA and Jessie HSIEH
  • Journal Title: From Principles to Practice in Education for Intercultural Citizenship Volume: 無
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] The Shift of the Positions between Native Speaker Roles and Non-native Speaker Roles in Multicultural Classrooms (2018)
  • Author(s): Etsuko YAMADA
  • Organizer: 11th International Conference of English as a Lingua Franca (King's College London)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] The Role of Native Speakers in Lingua Franca Communication in Multicultural Classrooms (2018)
  • Author(s): Etsuko YAMADA
  • Organizer: The Eighth CLS International Conference CLaSIC (National University of Singapore)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] How a Lingua Franca is Formed through Intercultural Communication in Multicultural Classrooms (2017)
  • Author(s): Etsuko YAMADA
  • Organizer: Intercultural Horizons, University of Rijeka, Croatia
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 初年次教育における多文化クラスの教育的効果：日本の学生が留学生との協働で学ぶこと (2017)
  • Author(s): 山田悦子
  • Organizer: 大学教育学会第39回大会（広島大学）
• [Presentation] Language ownership in multicultural classrooms (2016)
  • Author(s): 山田悦子
  • Organizer: The Seventh CLS International Conference CLaSIC 2016
  • Place of Presentation: National University of Singapore
  • Year and Date: 2016-12-02
  • Int'l Joint Research