This article describes a classroom project designed to foster metalinguistic awareness and interpretive skills among advanced-level learners of Japanese through the comparative analysis of translated picture books. Drawing on The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and its two Japanese translations, learners examined how lexical and stylistic choices shaped tone, perspective, and cultural framing. Activities included translation equivalence exercises, class discussions, and revision of learner-generated translations. Learners engaged in meaning negotiation, reflecting critically on their linguistic choices and developing heightened sensitivity to both Japanese and their native languages. Findings suggest that comparing published translations and revising one's own can effectively deepen language awareness and promote interpretive flexibility in second language classrooms.
Megumu Tamura (Sun,) studied this question.