Effective Methods for Japanese History Instruction in English: Developing Language Skills and Fostering Global Perspectives

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00862
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Rissho University
• Principal Investigator: Kamei-Dyche Rieko 立正大学, データサイエンス学部, 准教授 (50779692)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 英語教育 / 日本史 / グローバルな視野 / 翻訳 / 語彙 / 指導法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project has resulted in three significant outcomes. The first was a literature review tracing the trajectories of English-language writing on Japanese history, focusing especially on language matters, content coverage, and methodological approaches. Second, field surveys were carried out at various universities that offer Japanese history courses in English. Through exchanging information with researchers and conducting surveys with students, it was possible to articulate both the expectations students have for related subjects and the issues that they face. Some of these issues were subsequently documented in a research paper. Lastly, in the final year of the project, the co-translation into English of Yamakawa Shuppansha’s Shosetsu Nihonshi, which has long occupied the top adoption rate among secondary school Japanese history textbooks, was completed.

Free Research Field

日本史、英語教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

英語で日本史を学ぶという授業において、どのような教授法が効果的なのかについて語学力向上とグローバルな視野の育成というふたつの観点かからその指導法を検討し、新たな教材開発を目的とした本研究のひとつの意義は、それぞれ別個のものとして発展してきた語学教育と日本史研究の双方を組み合わせることにより、グローバル化が進む現代社会の需要に応えた点にある。また本研究による実践と指導法の模索は、今後の社会情勢の変化にも対応した英語教育の充実に貢献し今後におけるひとつのモデルケースを提示した。また新たな教材として日本史教科書の英語版の共訳を完成させることが出来た。