Extensive Reading to Improve Learners' English Proficiency
| Project/Area Number |
18520455
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Foreign language education
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| Research Institution | Musashi Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
YAMAZAKI Asako Musashi Institute of Technology, Environmental and Information Studies, Professor (80298017)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ITO Noriko Nihon University, College of Economics, Professor (80203157)
SHIMAMOTO Taiko Kansai Gaidai College, College of Foreign Languages, Associate Professor (40331714)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2007)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,590,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2007: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
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| Keywords | English proficiency / Extensive Reading / Extensive Listening / Input of English / ER materials / ER questionnaires for students / Reading Report / 英語力の向上 / カリキュラムと多読 / 多読実践 / 多読の問題点 / エジンバラ大学多読部門 / 多読アンケート調査 |
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| Research Abstract |
Extensive reading(ER) has been widely recognized as a motivating and effective means of improving general language proficiency in L2. However, little research has been done as to effective ways of implementing ER in Japan. We conducted a comprehensive survey in order to find out how widely and in what ways ER is being practiced in Japanese English educational systems. ER wuestionnaires were sent out to 200 elementary schools and 300 universities throughout Japan, and also to 200 junior high and 200 senior high schools in Kanto and Kansai areas. The result was :
(l)“・Yomildkase"or storytelling was most prevalent in elementary schools.
(2) In junior high schools the lack of class time was the biggest obstacle to reading materials other than required textbooks.
(3) In high schools teachers had a positive attitude in implementing ER in class.
(4) In universities ER programs were managed personally by individual teachers rather than implemented in curriculum.
The experiment of implementing ER outside class was carried out in 15 colleges for one semester or one year. Pretests and posttests using doze-test forms were conducted to find out the effectiveness of ER. The results were all significant, which means that ER has an effective influence on improving students' English proficiency, but it should be considered there are other influential factors such as English input from different classes, students' individual studies, etc., other than ER. Further research should be conducted to investigate the effectiveness of ER and to construct helpful means to expand ER into classes throughout all school systems in Japan.
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Report
(3 results)
Research Products
(3 results)
