Japanese - U.S. Diplomatic Historical Study of Japanese Language Teaching Methods in the Postwar Era

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K00599
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02090:Japanese language education-related
• Research Institution: Fukuoka University of Education
• Principal Investigator: TAKEMOTO Hideyo 福岡教育大学, 教育学部, 教授 (50294484)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 日本語学校 / 日本語 / 日本語教授法 / 宣教師

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study clarified how the postwar Japanese language teaching method was established and practiced, based on (1) the establishment of the Kyoto School of the Japanese Language, (2) Naoe Naganuma's Japanese language teaching method, and (3) Yoshiro Sakatani's theory of Japanese language schools.
As a result, it was clarified that Naoe Naganuma's method of teaching Japanese at the Tokyo School of the Japanese Language propagated to the Kyoto School of the Japanese Language. I also pointed out the importance of the role played by Darley Downs, the prewar principal of the School of Japanese Language and Culture. The Japanese language teaching method of Fumiko Koide was found to be related to the process of establishment of International Christian University.

Free Research Field

教育史学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで未解明であった占領期の日本語教授法について、日米相互の一次資料の調査収集を行い、日本語教授法の生成過程を歴史的に分析した。東京日本語学校や京都日本語学校の日本語教授法は、長沼直兄の日本語教授法が採用されたことが明らかになった。また長沼が抜擢されたのは、戦前の日語文化学校の校長であり、インターボード連合委員会の現地委員会の主事であったアメリカ人宣教師のダーリー・ダウンズの果たした役割が大きいことを解明した。