type:P(論文)

日本語教育界では学習者の増加と共に多様化が顕著だ。そのような学習者の多様化にあわせた教育を提供しようと,レディネス調査やニーズ分析を実施し,様々なカリキュラムや教材が作成・出版されてもいる。一方,教育史を見ると,産業化社会を背景とした近代の教育はボビット,タイラー,ブルームらの教育改革に代表される効率主義的改革によって大きな進歩を遂げた。しかし,ポスト産業化時代の到来による社会機構の変動によって近代的な教育モデルはゆきづまってしまったが,それにも関わらず効率主義的な近代教育制度を引きずってしまったがために様々な破綻を生じさせてしまった。これは日本に限らず先進諸国が直面している問題である。そして今,新しいパラダイムとして「文化的実践への参加としての学び」という学習観が提唱されている。近代教育が終焉・破綻した背景を考察してみると,日本語教育も今や発展途上的な段階を終えて,ポスト近代化時代を迎えようとしているのだと言える。本稿では,このような経緯を踏まえて,日本語教育においても新たな学習観は必要であり,その新たなパラダイムとして「文化的実践への参加としての学び」という学習観を採用することを提言した。また,このような学習観を採用することによって,教員養成や教員研修のあり方,カリキュラムや教材,評価のあり方など,今後考え直していくべき課題についても指摘した。

This paper begins by introducing the trend of discussion in general education. Most of the educational reforms in the 20th century were based on behaviorism, influenced by modern industrialism. Experts in education recently warn that although those educational reforms brought significant progress, clinging to them has caused serious problems especially for children's learning. The modern educational system worked very well in creating huge numbers of workers with a sufficient amount of knowledge upon the urgent request of the market in the past, however, it failed to create workers who can make appropriate decisions by linking their knowledge and information all together in complicated situations as required by the recent post-modern market. This mismatch of teaching and learning made people reluctant of learning, which is one of the current issues of education in Japan today. Next, this paper demonstrates that Japanese language education has a history quite similar to that of education in general. During the past 20 years, learners of Japanese have increased in numbers as well as diversity. Concomitant with this, their learning environment has established rapidly. Teaching and learning Japanese language is nowadays quite sophisticated and has become a well known academic field. Not only business needs, but even just the slightest stimulus can leads people to learn Japanese these days. In this respect, it can be said that Japanese language education has now completed its modern stage and arrived at the post-modern stage. However, the teaching style and philosophy remain the same as in the modern stage. Therefore, this paper discusses the necessity for a new paradigm for Japanese language education, and suggests that "cultural learning", according to Saeki (1995), can be the new paradigm to motivate people to genuine learning. Finally, this paper points out that Japanese language teachers should reconsider the methods of teacher training, student assessment, and curriculum development, in order to orient themselves and students toward the new teaching and learning paradigm.