A Comprehensive Study on Enhancing Learners' Intercultural Competence in English Language Classroom

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370725
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College
• Principal Investigator: Nakayama Natsue 共愛学園前橋国際大学, 国際社会学部, 准教授 (50406287)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KURIHARA Fumiko 中央大学, 商学部, 教授 (60318920)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HISAMURA Ken 田園調布学園大学, 子ども未来学部, 教授 (30300007) ; OKADO Hiroko 名城大学, 人間学部, 教授 (70352896) ; OSAKI Satsuki 創価大学, 文学部, 准教授 (70546366)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 異文化間能力 / 英語教師の異文化授業力 / 異文化指導法 / 英語検定教科書 / 『言語教師のポートフォリオ(J-POSTL)』

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research is to examine the cultural descriptors of the J-POSTL (or the Japanese Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages: JACET SIG on English Language Education, 2014) and to contextualize the pedagogical competences needed to develop students’ intercultural competence (IC) in class. For the first stage, we have studied existing IC frameworks to understand and extract IC factors that could be dealt with in Japanese EFL class. For the second stage, to understand IC lessons in Japan, we have re-analyzed the J-POSTL survey (JACET SIG, 2012) to understand teachers’ perception towards teaching IC lessons, and found out the importance of overseas training. Then, we analyzed government-approved junior high school textbooks and found out that they mainly dealt with surface culture. Also, through classroom observation, we found out that teachers’ IC is more important than types of textbooks they use.

Free Research Field

異文化アプローチによる言語教育