The purpose of this paper is to reveal contents, features, and purposes of "Kotobano hon, A Guide to Standard Japanese", which was used in Kagoshima prefecture in the Showa period 30's as part of research to clarify an effective way to teach Standard Japanese. The book was written by the Board of Education and the research group on the Japanese language in Kagoshima prefecture in order to help less-experienced teachers teach standard Japanese. It aims to enable students to use Standard Japanese without any difficulty. Therefore, the book was based on children's daily lives and experience. "Kotobano hon" includes correction of Kagoshima dialect and many models of Standard Japanese accent and intonation. It also refers to uses of the book. It suggests that it should be practically used in special lessons with audio equipment. In many classroom situations, students read the book aloud and practice dramas of model conversations. The significant characteristic of this book is that it is a text from which children can learn systematically and experientially.
View full abstract