2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Linguistic features and acquisition process of emotional expression in writing and speaking by Japanese learners of English

Research Project

Project/Area Number	20720153
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Foreign language education
Research Institution	Juntendo University
Principal Investigator	KANEKO Ikuyo Juntendo University, スポーツ健康科学部, 准教授 (00360115)
Project Period (FY)	2008 – 2009
Keywords	感情表現 / 日本人英語学習者 / 第二言語習得 / 言語特性 / 習得過程 / ライティング / スピーキング / 発表的技能
Research Abstract	This study observed the similarities and differences in emotional expressions regarding writing and speaking by English as the first and a second language. Production experiments were carried out to investigate the usage of emotional expressions by native speakers of English and Japanese college students. In the writing experiment, the two groups of subjects were instructed to write a love letter and a letter of condolence. We observed different features in the patterns of the letters written by the native speakers of English and those by the Japanese learners respectively. In the speaking experiment, all the subjects were instructed to read a love letter and a letter of condolence to make tape letters. The results indicated that it was easier for the Japanese learners to express the emotion of condolence than emotion of affection.