Introducing a "Trans-Languaging" Approach to Early English Language Education

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00820
• 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: Otemae University (2022); Doshisha University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Uematsu Shigeo 大手前大学, 国際日本学部, 教授 (40288965)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: トランス・ランゲージング / 英語力 / 早期英語教育 / バイリンガル教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we gave up our initial elementary school research due to the Corona disaster and asked Japanese university students with high English proficiency at the CEFL A1 level about their acquisition paths. About 50 and a half hours of structured interviews were conducted with the collaborators (n=16) on such topics as "Encounters with English," "How to develop and maintain English proficiency," and "English education in Japan. According to the summary, about half of the respondents thought that they gained English proficiency through intensive classes given by native English-speaking teachers (n=10 or so) when they were in university-affiliated junior and senior high schools. Returnees also say that they have gained English proficiency equivalent to their age. In addition, some graduates of non-affiliated schools had attended English-language cram schools or international schools since childhood, with their parents investing in these schools.

Free Research Field

第二言語習得論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は小学校外国語（英語）授業に「トランス・ランゲージング」(TL:Translanguaging)の概念を導入することにより、学習者が言語間優劣を感じることなくやり取りし、多様化する社会におけるコミュニケーションを成立させる教授法であるかどうか、効果検証を目指した。しかし長引くコロナ禍のため、研究対象と手法を変更せざるを得なくなり、申請者が勤務する大学の英語最上位クラスの学習者を対象とした、TL頻度、英語習得方法、維持方法などの半構造化インタビューを実施した。CEFL A1レベルの日本人大学生の英語力に関する貴重な資料であると考える。