(way of) literary composition
o1 Pro.iconSpelling is an educational practice in which children write essays about their daily experiences and thoughts, and was influenced by pragmatism in the United States (John Dewey et al.). In other words, it is considered "Japanese pragmatism-like" in that it emphasizes the idea of learning through "practice and experience in reality" and allows students to develop their own meaning through the act of writing, rather than just cramming knowledge into their brains. Spelling education was characterized by an attitude of connecting personal experience and society through writing and fostering learning that is useful in real life. GPT.icon What is spelling?
historical background
Spelling (composition) has been emphasized in Japanese education, especially before World War II, as a way for children to record their daily events and experiences in writing and express their thoughts and feelings.
In particular, the "spelling education movement" of the 1930s aimed to record what children felt and thought in their daily lives and to nurture their ability to face society through self-expression.
Objective.
Self-expression on the subject of everyday events to promote communication and empathy with others.
Emphasis is placed on connecting the individual to society through the act of writing.
Evaluation as Japanese Pragmatism
Emphasis on practical and social aspects
Pragmatism is a philosophy that emphasizes real-life usefulness and concrete results over theory and abstract arguments.
The spelling is also characterized as pragmatist in that it deals with concrete content based on everyday life and experience, rather than abstract themes.
Bridging the individual and society
While spelling expresses an individual's inner feelings and experiences, it also creates empathy and connection by sharing them with society and others.
The act of writing is valued as a social practice, based on "experience" and "action," which pragmatism emphasizes.
Practicality of self-expression
Spelling positions self-expression not merely as a creative activity, but as a means of solving real-life problems and participating in society.
Children reflect and write about their daily experiences, reaffirming their own positions and ideas, which they then act on.
Spelling and Comparison with Other Cultures
Western Writing Education
The English-speaking essay style, which emphasizes logical argumentation and persuasion, is related to pragmatism but tends to focus more on individual problem solving and persuasion.
The spelling is unique in that it places greater emphasis on the connection to society and others, and the importance of empathy and sharing.
Oriental context
The spelling reflects the characteristics of Japanese culture, which emphasizes harmony with the whole over the individual while expressing one's inner self.
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