We obtained fifty-two recall data when the titles of twenty well-known Japanese songs that most Japanese people learn in school were given. Song memory is based on the associative chaining of units of melody and lyrics. The parts found to be well memorized were the beginning of the songs, parts that share words with the titles, and the end of the songs. We found various kinds of errors in the recall of song lyrics, which we classified into four groups: song confusion, lyrics confusion, word construction, and misused characters. The primary constraints on word construction are the number of syllables, vowels, parts of speech, and syntactic contexts. Word construction is based on rationalization that transfers things reasonable and natural to information receivers. We found some interesting errors that change the image of the original song lyrics. Based on these findings, we present a model for recalling songs from a title and a model of error recall in Japanese songs.

抄録全体を表示

The main purpose of this paper is to survey new topics in 8 English Reading textbooks authorized in 2007 by the Ministry of Education in Japan. It cannot be denied that each textbook obtains its own character, but it is surprising that every textbook has very similar topics. Generally, it consists of the following 7 common kinds of themes: 1) world peace, 2) environmental problems, 3) physically challenged people, 4) foreign countries, 5) English, 6) science, 7) literature. Probably because the nation experienced the sheer misery and was completely defeated in the Second World War, the government of Japan seems to expect the people, especially, the young students, to study and appreciate the value of world peace and human rights, both of which are believed to have been gained after the war. Japanese authors of the English textbooks, who are mostly university professors understanding the national policy, are also eager to realize the ideal world without war, poverty and any sort of discrimination. Perhaps their attitudes are not wrong in the least; but are they really right in choosing topics for the students who want to learn English? Is there any possibility of the authorized textbooks preventing Japanese students of English from enjoying learning the foreign language at school? The students wanting to be able to use English do not always want to become such moral cosmopolitans as the Ministry of Education has expected them to be. It is too rude to call the authorized English textbooks boring. On the contrary, some stories are really good. Despite the moral lessons, they are definitely worth reading. For example, Bethany Hamilton in “Soul Surfer,” or Christina Santhouse in “Life with Half a Brain” might move the students even to tears. “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf” will help the students think about their own life. Yet the textbooks with one exception lack in laughter. The Ministry of Education as well as the textbook authors should change their too serious views on ideal English textbooks as soon as possible, and encourage the students to much more enjoy studying English with some good, humorous stories.

抄録全体を表示

本稿は空間的広がりを持たない文字テクストのうちジャパニーズ・ロックの歌曲を対象として，「まち」という舞台（空間）がいかなる情緒や想いと結びついているのかについて，記号表現というシニフィアンと記号内容というシニフィエの二つに焦点を当てながら分析を試みた。その際，研究対象時期を2000年以降とし，2000年代と2010年代に区分して，BʼzとMr.Childrenの全歌曲について分析・考察した。分析の結果，2000年代においてはBʼzの歌曲タイトルという記号表現と「まち」表現とが結び付いていないこと，他方，Mr.Childrenの歌曲タイトルは「まち」と何らかのかたちで結び付いた記号表現として出現していることが明らかとなった。また，記号内容としての歌詞の分析からは，BʼzとMr.Childrenに共通して，倦怠感や孤独感といったネガネティブな感情を持ちながら「まち」で生活する様子を綴っている。そうしたネガティブな感情に立ち向かう意思や自らを鼓舞するかのような表現も両グループの歌詞に通底している。2010年代になると，両グループともに歌曲のタイトルの付し方に変化が見られるが，2000年代と変わらず，Bʼzのタイトルでは「まち」表現との関連が弱いこと，そしてMr.Childrenのそれでは日本語タイトルが「まち」表現の記号表現として働いていることが改めて確認された。一方の記号内容としての歌詞分析からは，両グループともに，2000年代に見られた倦怠感や孤独感といったネガティブな雰囲気を纏った歌詞が消えた。また，Bʼzの「まち」表現の曲においては過去・現在・未来のいずれかを歌っている一方で，Mr.Childrenのそれにおいては現在・未来のいずれかに想いを馳せるかのような歌詞となった。

抄録全体を表示