Second language acquisition of clause combining and its explicit grammatical instruction applied to foreign language education

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12439
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Keiwa College
• Principal Investigator: Shuhama Yuji 敬和学園大学, 人文学部, 准教授 (20547715)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 節連接 / 第２言語習得 / 明示的指導 / 普遍文法 / 関係節

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Typologically distant languages often contrast in the manner of clause linkage as well as the structure of simple sentences. This study was planned to expect that that complex propositions can be expressed precisely in a foreign language if the contrast is explicitly taught between learners' native language (L1) and the target/second language (L2). First, the structural difference of subordinate clauses in Japanese and English was analyzed in the framework of generative grammar, and the error tendency of English temporal clauses was observed using JEFLL Corpus. Next, several experimental classes were conducted for explicit grammar instruction of clause linkage focusing on relative clauses, and the data of Pre-test and Post-test was analyzed to see how the acquisition was promoted. The results show that the explicit grammar instruction promoted the acquisition of the word order of English clause linkage, but its effect was restricted according to the learners' L2 proficiency.

Free Research Field

英語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

言語系統が異なる英語と日本語の第２言語文法の習得に普遍文法と母語知識がどの程度関与するかを明らかにすることで、文法研究を普段の学習指導で利用可能な教授法や教材に応用できる可能性が開ける。節連接については、従属接続詞を難しく感じる生徒が多いため、大学を含む高校以降の英語の使用場面である話題について表現する際に、単文を超えた談話レベルでの伝達が極めて難しいようである。母語と外国語の節連接の違いを第２言語習得に生かすことで、このような実際の言語習得上の課題に理論言語学の立場から解決策を提示し貢献することができる。