Research on the learning of Japanese humor by students of Japanese through watching rakugo performance

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23652028
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Study of the arts/History of the arts/Arts in general
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: SAKAI Takako 筑波大学, 人文社会系, 教授 (40215588)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): BUSHNELL Cade 筑波大学, 人文社会系, 准教授 (30576773) ; YAMADA Toru 筑波大学, 人文社会系, 助教 (60706943)
• Research Collaborator: YANAGIYA Sankyo 落語協会, 落語家 ; KAMEI Atsuro 筑波大学, 大学院人文社会研究科 ; TO Zen 筑波大学, システム情報工学研究科
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 落語 / 笑い / 日本語学習者 / 理解

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Rakugo is an oratory art of Japan which features a unique format. While the essence of Japanese culture is distilled within rakugo, it has often been avoided as being too difficult for learners. In order to bring to light Japanese learners’ understandings of Japanese humor, we have developed research materials and considered methods for analyzing learners’ understandings of them. The materials consist of approximately 20 hours of audio/video recordings of live rakugo performances for foreign students. The materials include recordings of a breadth of varieties of rakugo, including tellings by both Edo and Kamigata performers, and performances keyed to both elementary and intermediate/advanced level learners. These materials were then edited and transcribed. As a methodology for analyzing learners’ understandings of the materials, in addition to conversation analysis, instruments such as survey questionnaires, and responses through drawing were also employed.

Free Research Field

日本語教育