English skill improvement and brain activation in Japanese learners of English: An fNIRS three-year longitudinal study
| Project/Area Number |
25580143
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Foreign language education
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| Research Institution | Ritsumeikan University |
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Principal Investigator |
TAURA Hideyuki 立命館大学, 言語教育情報研究科, 教授 (40313738)
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| Research Collaborator |
SHIBUKAWA Mari 茨木市立彩都中学校, 英語教諭
MAEKAWA Tetsuya 立命館宇治中学校, 高等学校, 英語教諭
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| Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000)
Fiscal Year 2015: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
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| Keywords | 日本人英語学習者 / 縦断的発達段階 / 脳内外国語メカニズム / fNIRS(機能的近赤外分光法) / 外国語学習 / 縦断研究 / 英語学習開始当初3年間 / 英語力 / 脳賦活 / 外国語習得 / fNIRS / 英語学習 / 発達段階 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Twelve Grade 7 Japanese learners of English were tracked for three years with a special focus placed on their brain activation, using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy data (fNIRS henceforth) as their oral and written proficiency improved in English. Collected data were analyzed in terms of vocabulary level, accuracy, fluency, and overall writing skills and a sharp improvement in English was observed after two years of English learning when they were in Grade 9. The fNIRS data, on the other hand, revealed that the right hemisphere gradually become more activated as English skills improved until there was virtually no hemispheric differences in brain activation in the third year. In the future, a follow-up longitudinal study targeting the same participants may disclose whether using the L2 eventually activates the same brain area as the L1.
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Report
(4 results)
Research Products
(29 results)
