L2 English grammar development of false beginners in an extensive reading program: A dynamic usage-based approach

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03000
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Hiroshima Shudo University
• Principal Investigator: Tode Tomoko 広島修道大学, 人文学部, 教授 (00410259)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 用法基盤言語学 / 多読 / 主語の習得

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Previous studies have shown that learning the subject-predicate construction is not easy for many Japanese learners of English because of the typological difference. From the perspective of usage-based approach, the abstract subject-predicate construction develops gradually in processing instances in language use. One of the usage-inspired approaches to pedagogy is extensive reading.
This study firstly conducted frequency analysis of usage of the subject in a series of levelled readers for extensive reading. Then the study longitudinally analyzed story production written by high school students engaging in extensive reading of the levelled readers. The results of the input analysis revealed that the levelled readers presented optimal input in which the subject usage began with easily identifiable subjects, more metaphorical usage gradually introduced. The production data revealed exemplar-based development in which the learners drew on concrete expressions in the readers.

Free Research Field

第二言語習得

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

多読は英語学習を促進させる有効な教育アプローチということは我が国で認知されているが，その有効性を，世界的に注目を集めつつある用法基盤言語学の視点で，多読教材及び多読に取り組む学習者の筆記産出を分析し，事例基盤言語発達を示した点に学術的意義がある。また，日本語を第一言語とする英語学習者にとって困難な主語の習得について，具体的な指導法として，教育現場に提言できるという点で社会的意義がある。