Studies on the way function word sequences work in English spoken language

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K00582
• 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: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Sawada Shigeyasu 金沢大学, 外国語教育系, 教授 (00196320)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 話しことば / spoken kanguage / 機能語連鎖 / TOEIC文法論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to introduce a new theoretical concept called "functional word sequences" and explore their role in spoken language. In the 2021 academic year, I attempted to investigate previous literature for the definitions of functional words and content words, but found it to be a particularly challenging task. Ultimately, this distinction must be made, based on observation, for a convenient purpose. In the 2022 academic year, I defined functional word sequences using a hybrid criterion based on "parts of speech" and "frequency of occurrence," and published a study titled "On the Role of Functional Word Chains in Spoken Language." In the 2023 academic year, referring to Sawada (2016), I authored a study asserting that the four prominent features pervasive in spoken language rely on functional word sequences.

Free Research Field

英語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、機能語類連鎖という新規概念を導入して、生成文法論などの普遍主義的言語観に対するアンチテーゼである定型性研究に、定型性を捉える基準について、一つの方向性を与えたことである。
社会的意義は英語教育に関するものである。コミュニケーションを教える時代においては、文法教育を軽視せず、話し言葉には話し言葉に固有の文法的な制約や仕組みが存在すること、それを踏まえて教育を行なうことの啓発に資することである。