Yoshihiko Nitta
Language Education, Simple Language, Haiku, Functional Grammar, Meta-Sentence, Kernel Sentence
In this paper we propose a new language education technique based on HAIKU-like Simple Sentence composition. HAIKU is a typical Japanese simple sentence that represents a fruitful message in a very simple concise form 5-7-5 letters. HAIKU-like simple writing style is now spreading all over the world. Thus we think HAIKU can make a good baseline for language education. In order to treat the semantics of HAIKU-like simple sentence, we propose a kind of functional grammar FG. In our FG, every sentence is composed of two categories: kernel sentence and meta-sentence. Meta-sentence can be understood as a sentence structuring operator, while kernel sentence is a simple structured, mono-predicate sentence. Kernel sentence is a starting point of language education; that is every language learner must learn some basic set of kernel sentences. Our proposed method requires that some set of kernel sentences are already acquired in the learner’s brain. Meta-sentence takes kernel sentence(s) as its object variable(s) and then convert it(them) to produce Haiku-like sentence. Outputted Haiku-like sentence may be fragmental (because of its extreme simplicity), but still holds strong message passing ability. We assert that the most substantial part of language education consists in teaching meta-sentences together with their usage. We will show typical examples of meta-sentences that can generate eloquent HAIKU-like sentences.
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