Growing process of Japanese assistants dispatched to secondary schools in the English speaking countries: Release from anxiety about English proficiency promoted by "catch-up" for learners
Academic Archives of Yamaguchi Prefectural University Volume 15
Page 73-77
published_at 2022-03-31
Title
英語圏中等教育機関日本語アシスタントの成長のプロセス : 学習者への「キャッチアップ」が促進する英語力不安からの解放
Growing process of Japanese assistants dispatched to secondary schools in the English speaking countries: Release from anxiety about English proficiency promoted by "catch-up" for learners
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to visualize the process of moving from anxiety to liberation of English proficiency held by Japanese assistants (hereinafter referred to as JA) dispatched to secondary schools in English speaking countries, and to show the growth and essential role of JA.
As a result of analyzing the monthly reports of 16 JAs by paragraph and topic in four stages of their terms abroad, immediately after dispatch, 3 months, 6 months, and just before the end, it turned out that it went from the "English wall", through the stages of "thinking about the ideal way of learning a foreign language", "breaking down the English barrier", and to "releasing the anxiety of English proficiency". By the time the anxiety was released, the importance of the role of "catch-up" for students that JA supports was inferred. JA is a person who can "speak things that teachers cannot speak", and through "catch-up", students can not only catch up with the delay of learning but also teach English to the JA, while the JA can strengthen one’s position as JA and gain motivation for learning English. It can be guessed that a warm, personal relationship between the JA and students, that grows on an equal footing with each other, is established.
In intercultural learning, JA and students have a mutually beneficial relationship and can break away from stereotypes of each other, and in a multilingual environment, English is regarded as one of the tools because of the enjoyment and acceptability of language exchange. It was suggested that those are factors that promote the development and growth of JA's English proficiency.
As a result of analyzing the monthly reports of 16 JAs by paragraph and topic in four stages of their terms abroad, immediately after dispatch, 3 months, 6 months, and just before the end, it turned out that it went from the "English wall", through the stages of "thinking about the ideal way of learning a foreign language", "breaking down the English barrier", and to "releasing the anxiety of English proficiency". By the time the anxiety was released, the importance of the role of "catch-up" for students that JA supports was inferred. JA is a person who can "speak things that teachers cannot speak", and through "catch-up", students can not only catch up with the delay of learning but also teach English to the JA, while the JA can strengthen one’s position as JA and gain motivation for learning English. It can be guessed that a warm, personal relationship between the JA and students, that grows on an equal footing with each other, is established.
In intercultural learning, JA and students have a mutually beneficial relationship and can break away from stereotypes of each other, and in a multilingual environment, English is regarded as one of the tools because of the enjoyment and acceptability of language exchange. It was suggested that those are factors that promote the development and growth of JA's English proficiency.
Source Identifiers
Creator Keywords
日本語アシスタント
英語圏中等教育機関
英語力
成長のプロセス
キャッチアップ
Resource Type
departmental bulletin paper
Date Issued
2022-03-31
File Version
Version of Record
Access Rights
open access
Relations
[ISSN]2189-4825