2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Research Project on the Russian Education Grammar Corresponding to the Current Social and Language Situation in the Japan-Russia New Century
| Project/Area Number |
17320082
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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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 | Tokyo University of Foreign Studies |
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Principal Investigator |
NAKAZAWA Hidehiko Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Foreign StudiesFaculty of Foreign Studies, Professor (60092459)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
USUYAMA Toshinobu University of Tsukuba, Gaduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Associate Professor (50323225)
KOBAYASHI Kiyoshi Kanagawa University, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Assistant Professor (20350374)
TSUTSUMI Masanori Kanagawa University, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Professor (80281450)
HIKITA Go Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 外国語学部, Associate Professor (80241420)
YAMADA Hisanari Otaru University of Commerce, Center for Language Studies, Associate Professor (60345246)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
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| Keywords | linguistics / Russian language / foreign language education / grammar / collapse of the Soviet Union |
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| Research Abstract |
We experienced the collapse of the USSR in the wave of internationalization and the change to the information-based society of the 21st century. As a result of that severe transformation, Russian language studies and Russian education of the Soviet period almost lost its effectiveness in Japan. The purpose of our project is to present some methods of Russian language studies and education that adjust to the change to today's era.
First of all, we tried to search for the general trend of Russian language studies and Russian education in the world based on 'The Russian Language in the World" (The Report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 2003). Second, to understand specific regional trends, Associate Prof Usuyama executed social and linguistic questionnaires in a total of six Central Asian and Eastern European countries. Those study results were reported at several international academic conferences and research meetings, for instance, at the internatio
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nal academic conference "Language, Culture and Society on the Crossroads of Civilizations" in February, 2006, in Tashkent. Third, Prof Tsutsumi organized the symposium "The Present and Future of Russian Education in Japan" at Kanagawa University in December, 2006. Fourth, Assistant Prof Kobayashi wrote and reported on various theses, articles, and notes on the possibilities of plurilingualism and pluriculturalism. These academic activities showed that the demand fur Russian is not caused by the past political structure of confrontation between the USA and USSR, but caused by various substantial exchanges between Japanese regions and newly-emerged Russia "developing a strong resource diplomacy."
As to the compilation of a Russian education grammar from the contrastive linguistics viewpoint of three languages (Japanese, English and Russian) Prof Tsutsumi examined methods in which Vendler's classification of Russian verbs can be used for the education grammar. Associate Prof Hikita presented more reasonable numeric system with the help of Corbett's theory on Russian numeral and showed the definite possibility to deepen and develop Russian linguistics from a new viewpoint in his article. In this connection Prof Nakazawa also presented useful linguistic viewpoints on his academic activities.
To apply our findings to Russian teachers' educational practice and advance further our research activities in the field of Russian language education, Associate Prof Yamada made a data base of patterns on noun declensions and verb conjugations as well as a special Javascript computer program suitable for learning them. Prof Nakazawa published a grammar book named "The First Russian" and a lexicon, in both of which our latest results are reflected. A variety of our project study results are included in the thesis collections "Russian Linguistics and Language Education" (Vol.l & 2), where definite new findings in these spheres are shown. Less
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