Harnessing the Power of Narratives in Teaching English

日本の学校英語教育においては，「実践的な英語コミュニケーション能力の育成」という目標が強調されるにつれて，ナラティブは実用的価値が低いとみなされ，教材から駆逐されつつあり，特に検定教科書については，テクスト・タイプは説明文に過度に傾斜している現状である。しかしながら，そのような認識はナラティブについての浅薄な理解に基づくものである。言語コミュニケーションにおいてナラティブそのものが占める部分は大きく，また，事実的・論理的なコミュニケーションにおいても，ナラティブ性はコミュニケーションの成否を左右する。すなわち，ナラティブは「実践的な英語コミュニケーション能力の育成」にとって無視できない価値を持つ。本稿では，そのような認識から，中学校・高等学校における英語指導の中で，ナラティブの教育価値を活かそうとした実践について報告する。中学校では，物語の分析と創作を指導し，高校では，科学プレゼンテーションにナラティブ性を取り入れることを指導した。As one of the four major text types (narrative, descriptive, expository, argumentative) narrative has become less and less respected as Japan’s English language education policy has increased emphasis on skills that are more practical. The materials in authorized textbooks are mostly expository, with practically no room for the other three text types. Narrative texts are regarded as impractical in that they only serve as personal entertainment for the readers. However, this view of narrative texts comes from a superficial understanding of their functions in human communication. Narrative texts account for a major part of linguistic communication. Even factual and logical communication in academic and business settings depends on narratives. Thus, narrative texts must play an essential part in English teaching that targets practical communication skills. This paper reports the author’s attempts to use narrative texts to foster junior and senior high school students’ practical English skills. The major parts of such attempts involved the students in the ninth grade creating their own narrative texts based on an analytical framework and students incorporating narrativity into their scientific presentations

Cohesion before Coherence in the Teaching of Paragraph Writing

本稿は，パラグラフ・ライティング指導における「つながり」（cohesion・結束性）と「まとまり」（coherence・一貫性）の指導順序に関して考察する。「つながり」と「まとまり」は，旧来よりパラグラフ・ライティングにおいては重要な要素と指摘されてきたが，概念的な理解に留まることが多く，実践的には必ずしも，それらの指導方法について体系化がなされてきたわけではない。筆者の指導経験上，「まとまり」を焦点化する指導だけでは，「まとまり」を作る力を生徒に身に付けさせることが困難であった。むしろ，「つながり」を焦点化して指導することにより，かえって「まとまり」の面でも好影響が見られた。両者がパラグラフ・ライティングにおいて同等に重要な要素であることは言を俟たず，また，常識的に考えて，両者に同時並行で配慮することが現実的ではある。しかし，本稿では，あくまで1つの可能性として，「まとまり」を指導する際，あえて「つながり」から指導を始めることが効果的ではないかという提案を行う。This article discusses which of cohesion or coherence should be focused on first in the teaching of paragraph writing. Although the two have traditionally been referred to when discussing the teaching of paragraph writing, they have formed more of a slogan than practical guidelines, on which instruction is systematically based. Through his teaching experience, the author has found that students often have difficulty in composing a coherent paragraph when they receive instruction that selectively focuses on coherence. However, when they are instructed on cohesion, their writing improves not only in terms of cohesion but also of coherence. It is true that cohesion and coherence are equally important in writing a well-organized paragraph, and it is neither effective nor practical to focus on either one of them independently of the other. Nonetheless, there can still be a favorable order in which to teach them, and this article suggests a “cohesion before coherence” principle as a possible guideline to help students write not only cohesive but also coherent paragraphs

An Inductive Approach to Teaching Logical Writing in a High School EFL Classroom

書き手の主張を読み手に納得してもらうためには論理性が必要である。このこと自体は中学・高校の英語指導の場においては当然のことと認識されており，まとまりのある文章，特に意見文を書かせる際には，論理性を担保する方法を指導するのが一般的である。そこでは，文章の構成が一定の型に沿っていることをもって「論理的である」とみなす場合が多い。しかし，文章の論理性を高めるためには，そのような形式面の指導だけでは限界もある。なぜならば，文章の論理性は，本質的には表現形式ではなく表現内容に依存するものだからである。表現内容は個々の文章で異なる個別性の高いものであるので，特定の文章において読み手の納得を得る論理を，表現の一般型だけに依存して構築するのは難しい。そこで，むしろ個別の表現内容から出発し，帰納的なプロセスで論理を組み立てる指導を行った。意見文における構成として望ましいとされる演繹的な構成を最初から作ろうとするよりも，具体に立脚するため生徒にとっては取り組みやすく，文章の論理性を高めることに役立った。In persuasive writing, clear logic is vital for the writer’s claim to be accepted by the reader. This importance of logic is widely recognized by English teachers at the secondary school level, where teaching of logic is considered an essential part of the teaching of persuasive writing. In teaching logic, it is general practice to judge the logicality of a piece of writing based on whether it follows a specific discourse structure. However, such a formal approach has its own limitation because the essence of logic resides not in the superficial structure of a passage but rather in the contents of the discussion. Since the contents of discussion are topic-specific, the writer cannot build an effective logic based only on a general superficial structure. To overcome this limitation, the author focused on the specific content of each piece of writing which his students wrote, and taught them to build their logic through an inductive process before finally reaching a deductive logic, which is standard in persuasive writing. This approach contributed to improving the students’ logic by enabling them to explore specific contents before reaching more abstract reasoning

Improving the Writing Skills of Senior High School Students Through the Use of The Copying Booklet

本稿は，高校レベルにおける英語ライティング指導の一環として「視写（copying）」を活用した実践について報告する。また，その背景として，視写という言語活動が持つ意義や期待される効果について概観する。従来，学校英語教育において，視写は，他の言語活動を行うための補助的な活動としてしか用いてこられず，視写そのものに積極的意義を見出して指導の対象とすることはほとんどなかった。しかし，国語教育・日本語教育においては，さまざまな言語活動を支える基礎として視写それ自体を対象とする考え方があり，その考え方は英語教育にも適用できる。具体的には，語句・構文など文章の細部への意識を高め，ただ読んだり聞いたりするだけでは気づきにくい事項に気づく機会を生徒に与えることや，パラグラフの構成について「お手本」を真似ることによる一種のイメージ・トレーニングができることが挙げられる。そういった効果に関して，本稿では，筆者の作成したオリジナル教材『視写の書』を使用した指導実践を生徒対象のアンケート結果を通じて検討し，継続した実践への展望を探る。This article reports on a classroom activity focused on the use of copying as part of teaching writing skills to English as a foreign language (EFL) students (all senior high school students), with a brief overview of the significance and effects that copying provides to language learning. Traditionally, copying has rarely been a focus of instruction in EFL classrooms, serving only as a sub-skill of other “major” skills. However, in the teaching of Japanese as a first and second language, this has been viewed as an essential skill that enables a variety of other “higher” skills. The perception of copying as a language learning activity is applicable to EFL classrooms, as it can provide the students with opportunities to be conscious of the details of sentences and passages by allowing them to notice what can be missed if they only read or hear those sentences and passages. Copying can also expose students to good examples of language use, thus helping them to form an image of “good English.” The expected positive effects of copying are discussed based on the results of a student questionnaire, where students were instructed by the author to improve their writing skills through copying. In the process, they used an original resource developed by the author, The Copying Booklet. Based on discussions with students, this article also recommends improvements to this classroom practice

A Systematic Use of Symbols in Teaching English Grammar in Junior High School: Developing Teaching Materials based on“ Constructions”

本稿は，中学校検定教科書の英文について，「構文」の観点から分析し，その分析に基づく体系的な英文法指導を2017年度中学1年生で行った実践事例を報告する。その実践においては，「記号研方式」を基盤とする記号付与方式を活用することで英文の構文を可視化し，そのことによって異なる文法項目を統一的な枠組みで生徒に提示した。その結果，記号付与による構文の可視化によって，英文法学習における生徒のつまずきを解消できた事例があった。また，別の論点として，検定教科書の英文を構文の観点から分類すると，出現する構文に偏りがあり，それが生徒の習熟度にも影響している可能性が示唆される。本稿では，当校で使用した検定教科書について，そのような偏りを調査した結果を報告し，それが生徒に与える影響と，今後の指導への可能性を考察する。A method for teaching English grammar was systematized by classifying textbook sentences based on their “constructions” instead of their grammatical items. The Japan Association of Applied Semiotics for English Teaching (JAASET) method was referred to in systematizing this teaching method, which applies a set of symbols onto English and Japanese sentences to visualize the differences in their constructions in a unified manner. Thus, different grammatical items could be presented in a simple framework to enhance the students’ understanding. It was also clarified that particular types of constructions appear more frequently than others in textbooks. This imbalance may lead to students’ imbalanced exposure to different construction types, which results in students’ imbalanced acquisition of them. This study was based on teaching first-year students in junior high school classes

Developing Contents for English Department SSH Subjects

2018年度に始まった本校SSH第4期の教育課程では，第3期に比べて英語科が関与する領域が広がった。主には学校設定教科「SAGAs」内の科目担当という形での関与であり，第3期までにはなかった，新たなコンテンツの開発が課せられた。特に，英語の技能を伸ばすという外国語科の本来的な教科内容を超えて，教科内容の専門的な背景やその研究に深く踏み込むコンテンツの開発が求められたことは，通常の教科指導の中で蓄積してきたノウハウだけでは対応できないため，英語科にとっては難しい課題であった。高校2年生ASコース「サイエンス・コミュニケーション」については，第3期までのコンテンツを修正・発展させることができたが，高校１年生「総合科学」および高校２年生GSコース「クリティカル・コミュニケーション」については，完全に新しいコンテンツを開発する必要があった。2018年度は，市販教材の助けも借りながら，コンテンツ開発に取り組んだが，将来的には本校独自の教材を作ることも視野に入れている。本稿では，それら英語科が担当する学校設定科目について，2018年度においてどのようなコンテンツを開発したかを報告する。Hiroshima University High School’s Super Science High School (SSH) projects have begun their fourth term of designation, in which the curriculum requires more from the English department than in the previous terms. The English department is involved in the development of SAGAs, a newly set of school subjects. In SAGAs, unlike during the previous terms, the English department is responsible for subjects including contents that are outside the scope of regular English classes as set by the national course of study. This poses new challenges for the English teachers who could not rely on their repertoire for teaching language skills. The only subject inherited from the previous program was AS Science Communication. The other subjects, i.e., General Science for first-year students and Critical Communication for second-year students, required totally new contents. In 2018, ready-made materials were adopted because of the impracticality of developing all the contents from scratch. However, our goal is to specially design original materials for the school’s SSH programs. This paper reports on how the English department developed the required contents for the SSH subjects

Circulating interleukin-18: A specific biomarker for atherosclerosis-prone patients with metabolic syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increased risk of the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Interleukin-18 (IL-18), which is a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine with important regulatory functions in the innate immune response system, plays a crucial role in vascular pathologies. IL-18 is also a predictor of cardiovascular death in patients with CVD and is involved in atherosclerotic plaque destabilization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to determine if circulating levels of IL-18 can serve as a specific biomarker for distinguishing MetS patients from pre-MetS subjects, we studied 78 patients with visceral fat deposition and 14 age-matched control subjects. Increased levels of IL-18 were observed more frequently in patients with MetS than in pre-MetS subjects and were positively associated with waist circumference. Serum levels of IL-18 were significantly reduced by a change in weight caused by lifestyle modifications. There was a significant interaction between waist circumference and serum IL-18 concentration. Weight loss of at least 5% of the body weight caused by lifestyle modification decreased IL-18 circulating levels relative to the reduction in waist circumference and blood pressure, suggesting that this degree of weight loss benefits the cardiovascular system.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>IL-18 may be a useful biomarker of the clinical manifestations of MetS and for the management of the risk factors of CVD.</p

Effects of ezetimibe add-on therapy for high-risk patients with dyslipidemia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ezetimibe (Zetia^®) is a potent inhibitor of cholesterol absorption that has been approved for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Statin, an inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis, is the first-choice drug to reduce low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) for patients with hypercholesterolemia, due to its strong effect to lower the circulating LDL-C levels. Because a high dose of statins cause concern about rhabdomyolysis, it is sometimes difficult to achieve the guideline-recommended levels of LDL-C in high-risk patients with hypercholesterolemia treated with statin monotherapy. Ezetimibe has been reported to reduce LDL-C safely with both monotherapy and combination therapy with statins.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To investigate the effect of ezetimibe as "add-on" therapy to statin on hypercholesterolemia, we examined biomarkers and vascular endothelial function in 14 patients with hypercholesterolemia before and after the 22-week ezetimibe add-on therapy. Ezetimibe add-on therapy reduced LDL-C by 24% compared with baseline (p < 0.005), with 13 patients (93%) reaching their LDL cholesterol goals. Of the Ezetimibe add-on therapy significantly improved not only LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and apolipoprotein (apo)B levels, but also reduced levels of triglyceride (TG), the ratio of LDL/HDL-C, the ratio of apoB/apoA-I, and a biomarker for oxidative stress (d-ROMs). Furthermore, ezetimibe add-on therapy improved vascular endothelial function in high-risk patients with hypercholesterolemia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, ezetimibe as add-on therapy to statin might be a therapeutic good option for high-risk patients with atherosclerosis.</p