JALT2025 - Tokyo

Argumentation in French and English: A Japanese Perspective

Nov 1, 2025, 2:30 PM

30m

National Olympics Memorial Youth Center / 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター

Research-oriented Presentation (30-minutes) Japanese and Other Language Teaching & Learning Room 308

Speakers

Sophie Otsuru (Juntendo University)Mr クリストフ　美智仁 ダルモン (Nanzan University)

Description

Although some Japanese learners of French and English have achieved fluency in these languages, they often struggle with argumentation. The presenters suggest that this difficulty stems from excessive reliance on examples. Corpus data indicate that argumentation in French and English requires clear explanations, whereas in Japanese, examples alone are sufficient. Consequently, these learners frequently fail to address prompts and perform poorly on exams. The presenters advocate for explicit instructions to support these learners.

Summary

Although some Japanese learners of French and English have achieved fluency in these languages, they often struggle with argumentation. The presenters suggest that this difficulty stems from excessive reliance on examples. Corpus data indicate that argumentation in French and English requires clear explanations, whereas in Japanese, examples alone are sufficient. Consequently, these learners frequently fail to address prompts and perform poorly on exams. The presenters advocate for explicit instructions to support these learners.