DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE'S PROMOTION OF C. C. FRIES' ORAL APPROACH IN JAPAN, 1956-1968.

摘要

The major purpose of this study is to reveal and illustrate the challenges inherent in the process of creating cross-cultural, directed contact change in educational institutions and practices.;To reveal and illustrate these points, a historical case-study approach is employed. The particular case studied is the attempt by the Rockefeller-funded English Language Exploratory Committee (ELEC) to reform English language teaching (ELT) in Japan by promoting Charles C. Fries' Oral Approach.;In addition to published accounts, sources of data include interviews (in Japan and the U.S.A.), Fries' correspondence about his work in Japan, and Rockefeller Foundation documents regarding ELEC. In keeping with the nature of this data and the study itself, a qualitative analysis is employed.;Chapter one explains the nature of this study and the rationale behind it. Despite the large number of attempts to reform ELT, few studies have investigated this subject and none dealing with the diffusion of ELT innovations in Japan have been reported.;It rests on the thesis that creating an innovation is not sufficient to bring about change. Successful, directed contact change requires both a careful analysis of the target setting, which takes into account the potential barriers to change, and an appropriate implementation strategy to overcome them.;Chapter two provides background and a chronological overview of the ELEC effort in Japan, from the early exploratory phase until the time Rockefeller support was "phased out.".;In order to arrive at conclusions which can make the ELEC story truly useful, however, it is necessary to analyze the ELEC experience. Chapter three develops the "hybrid" model/framework used to conduct this analysis.;Since the first major element in the analytical model is antecedents, chapter four discusses the historical development of various characteristics of the Japanese ELT system.;Chapter five uses the "hybrid" model to analyze the ELEC effort to reform Japanese ELT, noting both facilitating and inhibiting factors.;The final chapter draws conclusions regarding the reform of Japanese ELT and the usefulness of the perspective and model used in this study. It also notes this study's limitations and makes recommendations--for both researchers and would-be reformers.