Studies in Japanese Language Pedagogy

Retrospective and Overview

Abstract

If we look at the articles published in the first issue to the latest issue of the Journal of Japanese Language Teaching (Nihongo Kyōiku), we find three discemible periods with respect to the contents of the articles. The former half of the first period (from No. 1 to No. 70) was a groundbreaking period in which most of the articles published in the Journal were devoted to the establishment of the conventional approach to Japanese-language pedagogy. Articles that formed a prelude to the coming change in pedagogy began to appear in the issues published in the latter half of the first period. The communicative approach to language teaching was selected as the specially featured topic in No. 73, issued early in the second period (from No. 71 to No. 125), and pros and cons of the communicative approach were discussed. However, after that issue no serious discussion on the topic continued in the Journal. Articles dealing with Japanese linguistics and Japanese language acquisition in the context of Japanese-language pedagogy were in full flourish in this period. Articles arguing for new directions in research on Japanese language teaching appeared in the third period (from No. 126 to No. 151). This overview concludes with remarks on the importance of research that will pursue and refine the principles involved in the acquisition and instruction of Japanese, whether it concerns curriculum or methodology, in order to bring about substantial results in this academic endeavor.