Nishio Minoru (1889-1979)was a leader in the field of literature teaching, in the postwar years, showing the way of future development and raising the general level. The evolution of his ideas falls into three periods. In the first period(1945-52), he emphasized literature instruction in the context of the acquisition of language skills(the autonomy of reading); in the second(1953-69), the stimulation of sensitivity to issues (the recovery of reading); and in the third(1969-79), the nurturingf of literary sensibilities(the development of reading). Literature instruction has declined since Nishio Minoru's death. Our task is to develop his work, to offer instruction brimming with vitality. We must demonstrate, on one hand, the way to rebirth in the world of fiction, and on the other, the "defamiliarization" of the actual world as a means to its critique.
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