This thesis suggests improvements on instruction of negative questions. In a given context, the choice of expressions other than negative questions can result in cultural incoherence. Given that the goal of learners is to be able to interact effectively, instruction must facilitate the learning of negative questions.
The learning process of cognitively mature learners of Japanese as a foreign language is conscious and affected by their first language. Since the amount of instruction time is limited, instructional materials should utilize their cognitive maturity.
Both declarative knowledge of what negative questions are and procedural knowledge of how to use negative questions, are necessary. Therefore, instruction should not only provide information, but experience in practice. Although information enables learners to talk about negative questions, their knowledge of negative questions needs to be demonstrated in communication. First, this thesis investigates the important functions of negative questions, and then reviews instructional materials by investigating their efficacy in facilitating the development of declarative and procedural knowledge.
It is found that the speaker's choice of negative questions over other expressions can be attributed to the speaker's anticipation of the addressee's agreement to his/her proposition, and the speakers' avoidance of imposition of proposition, and the speakers' avoidance of imposition of his/her proposition. Particulary, the latter is important given interaction in Japanese culture. For instance, when what the speaker's wants to convey in the utterance can threaten communication if expressed with declaratives or imperatives, negative questions should be utilized to maintain an appropriate distance with the addressee. Instructional materials do not necessarily provide sufficient information for the development of declarative knowledge, and mechanical practice is not always followed by contextualized practice.
I suggest 1) reconsideration of the overall organization of instructional materials, and 2) contextualized practice after mechanical practice. The overall organization, if organized by structural complexity, can avoid introducing expressions similar in the speaker's intent, and enhance the appropriate use of negative questions repeatedly as well as coherently. Practice should be provided under such an organizational principle. Mechanical drills for building lower level skills should be combined with those for higher level skills, enabling learners to demonstrate the appropriate utilization of negative questions in context.