A study of contexts of (quasi-)modals and its application to English education

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00671
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02080:English linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Kansai Gaidai University
• Principal Investigator: Nagatomo Shunichiro 関西外国語大学, 英語国際学部, 教授 (50594131)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 英語（疑似）法助動詞 / モダリティ / メンタル・スペース / 現実性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we explored the contexts in which English (pseudo-)modals expressing modality are used. We conducted semantic and pragmatic analyses of the modal expressions (i.e. should, must, had better, have to, could, may, need, will, be going to, etc.) from the perspectives of motivation, reality, viewpoint, mental spaces, subjectivity, force, and assertion. Additionally, we examined how each modality expression is treated in English high school textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and in the high school curriculum guidelines. Then, the applications of the modality research to education were discussed in detail.

Free Research Field

英語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現実性、視点、メンタル・スペース、現実性、力、確言性といった多角的観点から、should, must, had better, have to, could, may, need, will, be going toなどの用いられる状況や場面を詳細に論じた。また、如何にしてその分析が英語教育に応用し得るのかを論じた。文部科学省検定済英語教科書や高等学校学習指導要領を参照し、これからの高校や大学でのモダリティ表現に関する英語教育の可能性を検討した。