Hasumi Nishikawa Seminar

2021.09.08 / Building a "Community of Learning" for Foreign Language Learning and Plurilingualism

and Copy and Originality

The core of activities at SFC is the "seminar" (kenkyukai). Faculty and students engage in cutting-edge research activities, thinking together, and students develop advanced expertise by tackling real-world problems.

The Nishikawa Seminar offers two research groups: "Building a 'Community of Learning' for Foreign Language Learning and Plurilingualism" and "Copy and Originality." Both are structured around reading circles (rindoku), supplemented with mid-term and final presentations.

The texts for the reading circles are selected to help students learn terminology and foundational knowledge. Of course, the two seminars reference different literature.

In the foreign language learning seminar, we consider and analyze what is important for creating a "community of learning," which holds the potential to solve the challenge of maintaining and improving motivation in language learning. The ultimate goal is to actually realize a "language learning community." Furthermore, we spend a significant amount of time, sometimes repeatedly, in reading circles to deeply absorb literature that teaches the importance of cultivating "intercultural competence." This is a foundational concept for language learning appropriate for a future society aiming for mutual cultural understanding based on plurilingualism.

In the "Copy and Originality" seminar, we look at historical shifts. For example, in France up until the age of Classicism, the artistic view was that the value of art lay in achieving perfect Greco-Roman beauty through the "imitation" of the works of master role models. However, with the emergence of Romanticism around the beginning of the 19th century, a shift occurred where originality and novelty, rather than classical imitation, came to be valued. This value system has been passed down to the present day. Moreover, there have been many paradoxical attempts to pursue such originality through imitative acts (such as plagiarism, quotation, homage, etc.).

Building on this historical transition, we examine contemporary society and culture through the issues surrounding "copy and originality." We primarily use translations of French texts for our reading circles and discussions. The aim is that by doing so, students can absorb specialized terminology and, through discussion, deepen their understanding of difficult texts that are hard to comprehend alone, linking them to concrete phenomena relevant today.

Since both seminars include students who have never read French, we read Japanese translations. The reason we keep the door open without making French knowledge a prerequisite is our hope that it will become a place where diverse students can interact and gain a wide range of insights.

[Building a "Community of Learning" for Foreign Language Learning and Plurilingualism]

There was a student who had studied French at SFC and wrote her graduation thesis on the unique French expression of praising through negative phrasing. Although she had learned these expressions in class and understood them intellectually, she felt a sense of unease using them while actually living in France during her study abroad. She said that after discussing it with locals and using the expressions in daily life over time, it finally "clicked" for her. From this experience, she realized the gap between learning a language in a classroom and actually using it in daily life, and she compiled her findings into her graduation thesis. It was very interesting.

There was also a study that attempted to raise motivation for foreign language learning through music. The student created a weekly playlist of Indonesian pop music and had subjects listen to Indonesian songs every day, tracking the changes in their motivation for language learning through interviews and journals. I found the transformation in the learners' consciousness to be thrilling and extremely interesting.

[Copy and Originality]

A student who dealt with the evolution of the classical rakugo repertoire from the Edo period to the modern era was particularly memorable. Rakugo has been telling the same stories as part of its repertoire since the Edo period, but this student focused on what is called Heisei rakugo. She noticed that while conveying the chic and human sentiment of the Edo period, the content of the stories was being updated from traditional rakugo to suit modern audiences. For example, some classical rakugo stories are told along the aesthetic lines that "a 'good woman' is one who respects a man's position." If these were performed as-is today, modern audiences would likely react negatively, seeing them as male chauvinistic. Therefore, in Heisei rakugo, while the main points of the story are retained, parts are minorly changed to align with the values of people today. It became an interesting graduation thesis that focused on how the classical repertoire of popular entertainment is adapted to fit the changing times.

Other interesting research has been conducted on a wide range of topics, such as sampling in hip-hop and derivative works (niji-sosaku).

In recent years, with the development of the internet and social media, there has been an increase in both the tools for disseminating information and the number of writers themselves. I get the impression that society as a whole is being pushed to "broadcast" or "share" information. However, much of this, as typified by "summary sites" (matome sites), involves the same information being copied and pasted, and on Instagram, similar photos circulate as if they were all based on some template. It's a curious phenomenon, making one wonder whether people today are seeking originality through their posts, or if they are seeking homogeneity.

This brings me to the 19th-century French poet I study, Lautréamont. The values of his time, about 150 years ago, strongly pursued originality. In such an era, dealing with what was present or popular was already too late, so he sought to create a literary revolution with works that anticipated the future, aiming to be appreciated by posterity. He chose "plagiarism" as his method. Under the guise of "new poetry," he intentionally stole from others' works, inserting them into his own writing, or plagiarizing aphoristic texts from famous authors everyone knew, like Pascal, and then applying mechanical rewrites, such as changing negative sentences to positive ones. I find it fascinating that in an age where originality was demanded, he used the rejected practice of "imitation" in the form of plagiarism, thereby inverting the value system. He is famous as a pioneer of the technique of expressing originality by quoting past works, and I believe this is a theme that remains relevant to our modern times even in the 21st century.

It's common for students' research topics to be reflected in their employment. A student who researched the evolution and originality of advertising went into the advertising industry, and a student who studied character design in derivative works joined a major global entertainment company. It's gratifying to see students' personal tastes and individuality directly reflected in their career choices. In addition, some students have gone on to graduate school. One of them, after studying abroad as an undergraduate at a French university, enrolled directly in a local graduate school and is apparently studying psychology.

We asked Mana Kato, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies belonging to the "Building a 'Community of Learning' for Foreign Language Learning and Plurilingualism" seminar, and Akane Nagashima, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Policy Management belonging to the "Copy and Originality" seminar, about the appeal of the seminar.

[Building a "Community of Learning" for Foreign Language Learning and Plurilingualism]

In this seminar, each student conducts individual research on foreign language education and intercultural education. I (Ms. Kato) chose this seminar because I had experience studying abroad and was interested in different cultures. Many students in the seminar as a whole have experience living abroad, and others have joined after taking Professor Nishikawa's French classes. Of course, there are also students who have not yet studied the language or have no overseas experience.

Some members also study abroad through various means, such as exchange programs or taking a leave of absence for self-funded study abroad (for which they can receive credit). I feel that the welcoming atmosphere, which makes it easy to return to the seminar after studying abroad, is another good point.

While individual research is the main focus, we also hold reading circles to solidify our knowledge of the research field. Each part is assigned to a person, and groups present on the content of the book, followed by a discussion based on the presentation. Professor Nishikawa creates a very home-like, welcoming environment, so we can deepen our mutual understanding while interacting with students who have rich backgrounds, including overseas experience.

Once every six months, we hold a joint seminar with the Takahiro Kunieda Seminar, which also specializes in "foreign language education," providing an opportunity to interact with graduate students.

[Copy and Originality]

While learning about the issues surrounding copy and originality, we also examine contemporary society and culture. Since many of the issues of copy and originality relate to the arts, my impression is that many students are interested in artistic fields like music and architecture. Research themes are diverse; classic topics include music and architecture, while more recent themes include contemporary culture, such as manga.

As long as it relates to copy and originality, you can pursue what you're interested in or what you love, so it's a seminar with a free atmosphere.

The professor leads the seminar's progress and also selects the literature for the reading circles. For our individual research, she provides feedback on necessary points and insights, but at the same time, she respects our stance of discovering issues and tackling them on our own. I feel that she trusts in the students' own abilities.

[Building a "Community of Learning" for Foreign Language Learning and Plurilingualism]

I gained three things: "intercultural understanding," "knowledge of foreign language learning methods," and "the ability to think deeply about different cultures and foreign languages."

For example, in the seminar, we have opportunities to think about the detailed definitions and meanings of even everyday words like "diversity." Also, if we use such highly abstract words with ambiguous definitions, the professor will point it out.

If I hadn't joined the Nishikawa Seminar, I don't think I would have had the opportunity to learn about intercultural understanding in detail or think about it in my daily life. I find it very appealing that we can naturally learn about foreign language education methods through discussions, and that we can hear stories about the cultures and languages of countries we've never visited from other students.

[Copy and Originality]

Since each student has a different research theme, I was able to acquire diverse perspectives, thinking, "Oh, there's that point of view." A graduate who was researching derivative works linked manga and anime culture to content consumption, and I was impressed that the field of copy and originality could be expanded that far.

In the reading circles, we read quite difficult literature (Japanese translations of works written in French), so my ability to decipher texts was strengthened. The professor explains things while incorporating her knowledge of France and of copy and originality, so I feel that this learning is only possible because of her.

I'm really glad I joined because I can pursue what I love. It's interesting to hear about what other seminar members love, and it's fun to be able to deepen my thinking while meeting diverse people, going beyond the theme of copy and originality.

To live in our diverse modern society, you will need the ability to mutually respect others who have different cultures and values from your own. However, this is not easy. It is easier said than done. That's why I recommend learning another person's language when you are young. Stepping outside your usual world to learn about and try to understand another's language and culture is one of the easiest ways to update your own potential. At the same time, paradoxically, your understanding of your own language and culture will deepen. In that sense, I truly hope you will challenge yourself to learn a new language other than your familiar Japanese or English.

Hasumi Nishikawa, Senior Assistant Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Faculty Profile

◎SFC Language and Communication Courses

At SFC, all students, regardless of their faculty, must take Language and Communication Courses and can learn a variety of languages. Systematized courses are available as a foundation that all SFC students need for their research.

At SFC, you can encounter a variety of values. Because unique students with a wide range of backgrounds gather here, you can acquire ideas you could never have come up with on your own, and before you know it, your own perspective has broadened. The campus, surrounded by greenery that creates a unique atmosphere not found at other campuses, and its state-of-the-art facilities provide the perfect environment for expanding your potential. Over these four years, without even realizing it, the campus has become a comfortable and calming place for me.

(Mana Kato)

The strength of the students who gather in this seminar is their dedication to pursuing what they love and want to do. Each person has a unique theme, and we advance our research while inspiring one another. Although we are working on completely different things, it is reassuring to be in an environment where you can spend time with people who share the same level of passion for what they "love." This can be said for SFC as a whole, and I feel every day that it is a fascinating place of learning.

At SFC, if you continue to take initiative, you will surely find an environment and companions who will support your aspirations. I'm glad I was able to take the first step toward my dream here.

(Akane Nagashima)

Interview and Production Cooperation: Takeo Kuwabara Seminar MC Team