The application of "context effect" to the teaching of the reading of Japanese classics for novice readers

The aim of this study was to examine the applicability of "context effect" to the teaching method of Japanese classics for readers lacking proficiency in grammar and words. A total of 100 junior college students in two classes participated in the experimental teaching program. The teaching materials were : (1) a story of Edo period as the main material ; (2) a comic the source of which was the story as the contextual material. In the program, students were asked to read the comic and the original story, then were asked to answer the syntactical and semantical questions on the story. Each question was categorized 2(context-dependent/independent) x 2(context-available/unavailab!e). The subjects' responses to questions on the original story during classworks, and their impressions of the teaching method were analyzed. The result was that the use of the material providing context was effective in order to assist subjects' reading comprehension of the original story. The result suggested that the top-down type of teaching method was useful to novice readers.