Focus on Form　による「英語Ⅰ」の指導効果についての探求

Focus on Form is a new approach which was suggested by Long in 1988. This approach encourages learners to acquire both communicative and grammatical competence.In 2003, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology [Here in after, MEXT] published Regarding the Establishment of an Action Plan to Cultivate “Japanese with English Abilities”. The reason why MEXT announced this is to make clear that the aim of second language learning has changed. To put it briefly, the new aim was not the acquisition of knowledge which concerning the culture, manners and customs in English-speaking areas, but rather, to enhance the learners’ communicative competence. Moreover in 2008, MEXT announced a new Course of Study. It is constructed on a theme of “synthesis” on the grounds that many English classes have focused primarily on grammar for a long time and it seems that Japanese English teachers and scholars have conceived various methods to break with former teaching patterns objective and to cultivate Japanese person who can attempt to communicate with people from other countries in English fluently. However in fact, teachers and students, especially junior high school and high school students, cannot ignore the university entrance examinations. Though MEXT has proposed to make students who are more communicative or have communicative competence, the real examination such as the University Entrance Exam Center Test or questions for entrance examinations measures the knowledge of grammar or interpreting an English text mainly. In consequence, grammar cannot be ignored. Accordingly, I would like to think about an effective grammar teaching methodology that is not skills such as the Grammar Translation Method, but can develop both grammatical English and the communicative competence of students. This is “Focus on Form.” I would like to investigate in this thesis this approach and whether it can be utilized in an actual Japanese EFL classroom.修士（教育学