1. Why Japanese are poor at Speaking English: National Character or not?
B13479 Kaori Tanokashira

2. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

3. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

4. Table1) point allocation of TOEFL
スキル
スコアの範囲
レベル
Reading
0～30
高 (22～30) 中 (15～21) 低 (0～14)
Listening
Speaking
0～30 に換算
優 (26～30) 良 (18～25) 限定的 (10～17) 弱 (0～9)
Writing
優 (24～30) 良 (17～23) 限定的 (1～16)
総合スコア
0～120
Educational Testing Service (2015)

5. Table2) ranking of TOEFL scores in Asia (2014)
Countries
Reading
Listening
Speaking
Writing
Total 1
Singapore 24 25 98 2
India 22 23 91 3
Pakistan 21 90 4
Malaysia 89 5
Philippines 6
Bangladesh 20 84 7
Indonesia 8
Republic of Korea
・・・ 27
Japan 18 17 70 28
Afghanistan 14 16 69 29
Cambodia 15 19
ETS TOEFL (2014)

6. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

7. 2. Defining Terms
Why Japanese are poor at Speaking English: National Character or not?
Japanese:
native to or an inhabitant of Japan; also their descendants, culture and language
(Hawkins 1986:558)

8. 2. Defining Terms
Why Japanese are poor at Speaking English: National Character or not?
National Character:
he enduring personality characteristics and unique life styles found among the populations of particular national states.
Encyclopedia.com (2014)

9. 2. Defining Terms
Why Japanese are poor at Speaking English: National Character or not?
National Character:
he enduring personality characteristics and unique life styles found among the populations of particular national states.
Encyclopedia.com (2014)

10. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

11. 3. Evidence for National Character
3-1) Politeness 3-2) Harmony/Grouplism

12. Figure1:Statics of Japanese Character (2013)
The Institute of Statistical Mathematics (2014)

13. 3-1 Politeness
どちらかと言うと、欧米人に比べて、日本の方がなかなかプライベートなことは聞いてこないし、自分の私生活のことも進んで話そうとはしません。(Araki 2000:28)
Enryo: deprive opportunity to improve English speaking skill by ” preventing people from imposing on or presuming too much of one another”(Suzuki 1996:97)

14. Figure2) impression of Communication Japan vs. USA students
Barnlund 1979: 62

15. 3-2 Harmony/Groupism Harmony:
Self-assertion is strongly he must sacrifice personal needs and emotions so as to avoid confrontation in the group(Suzuki 1996:91)
Suter’s studies: Asian vs. Middle Eastern students

16. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

17. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

18. 4. Evidence for not (Other factors)
4-1) Language difference
4-3) Environment for English

19. 4-1 Language difference Pronunciation: Not normal for Japanese
Lingual movement:
Big difference
Root:
English, German and Dutch→western Germanic
(Shimizu 2012: 32)

20. 4-2 Environment for English
ある条件下にいれば、新しい言葉を覚えずにいることの方がむすかしい、ということさえあろう。日本人として英語がよくできたことで有名な人も、もちろん彼らの天分も全く無関係ではなかったろうが、たいていは時勢や彼らの個人史の中に英語がうまくなって当然の条件が備わっていたことを発見できる。(Ota 1981:229)

21. Figure3)using English experience Japan vs. Korean students
 Benesse Holdings, Inc. (2014)

22. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

23. 5.Analyzing Evidence
3-1) Politeness --existing claimer 3-2) Harmony/Groupism --not only for Japanese

24. 3-1) Politeness
Claimer: a person who makes a claim; claimant. (Dictionary.com )
ジャポニカ学習帳の表紙から消えた「昆虫」 　しかし、10年ほど前から「表紙の昆虫が気持ち悪い。ノートを持てない」という苦情が届き始めたといいます。 しかも、そのクレームは保護者からだけでなく、現場の教師からも届きました。苦情を受けて、2012年にジャポニカ学習帳の表紙から昆虫は姿を消すことになります。(quotated 新刊JP編集部) 　

25. 3-2) Harmony/Groupism
従来の日本文化論において、日本社会・文化の特徴であると言われてきた、「集団主義」「閉鎖主義（閉鎖）」「年功序列」「甘え」などは、実際のところ、日本だけに固有なものではなく、広く東アジア（中国、韓国、フィリピン）などの農耕社会に当てはまる特徴である。(Otsuka 2015:37)

26. 5.Analyzing Evidence
3-1) Politeness× --claimer 3-2) Harmony/Groupism× --not only for Japanese

27. 5.Analyzing Evidence
4-1) language difference --Korean 4-2) Environment for English --increasing number of foreign visitor and education projects for JET

28. 4-1) language difference
日本語も韓国語も言語類型論においてが同じく膠着語に分類され、しかも、もともと語頭に濁音およびラ行音が立たないなどという共通した特徴があります。(Okimori 2014: 1)
→Korean : agglutinative language, SOV form
a lot of similarity between Japanese and Korean

29. 4-1) language difference
ETS TOEFL (2014)

30. 4-3) Environment for English
MIC (2011)

31. 4-2) Environment for English
JET program (The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme)
我が国における外国語教育の充実を図るとともに、地域レベルでの国際交流の進展を図ることを通じて、我が国と諸外国との相互理解を増進し、もって我が国の国際化の促進に資するため、語学指導等を行う外国青年を招致する事業（昭和62年～）
Figure6)Transition of JET programme visitors (2005)
MEXT (2005)

32. 5.Analyzing Evidence
4-1) language difference --Korean × 4-2) Environment for English --increasing number of foreign visitor and education projects for JET△

33. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

34. Conclusion National Character or Not?? This answer is ……
NOT (national character)
3-1) Politeness×
--claimer
3-2) Harmony×
--not only for Japanese
4-1) language difference
--Korean×
4-2) Environment for English
--increasing number of foreign visitor and projects for JET programme △

35. Outline Introduction Defining Terms Evidence for National Character
Evidence for (Not)Other Factors
Analyzing Evidence
Conclusion

36. Thank you for listening!