1. The Comparative Education Society of Asia 2016
Jan
Future directions and considerations for English education at elementary schools in Japan
Shinji Okumura
Mukogawa Women’s University, Japan

2. The recent trend around English in Japan (context)
In the recent globalization,
many companies emphasize English skills for business
purposes. (e.g., NEC, Fujitsu, Sony)
some companies use English as an official language. （e.g. Fast Retailing, Rakuten）
The facilitation of English education
Strong demands from the business community

3. The strategic plan (2002) & the action plan (2003) by Mistry of Education (MEXT)
Main objective
To have Japanese people acquire English abilities
One of the policy initiatives
Support for English conversation activities in elementary schools
(e.g., Providing in-service training, developing curriculum, supplying Assistant Language teachers)

4. English education at elementary schools in Japan (2002-2010)
Foreign language conversation activities could be conducted during the period of Integrated Study
The main objective
To become familiar with foreign languages and the daily lives and cultures related to the given languages.
English education was not compulsory.

5. English education at elementary schools in Japan (2002-2010)
Issue
Differences of the implementation frequency
and content among the schools (Okumura,
2011).
This caused the problem of continuity
between elementary and secondary schools.

6. English education at elementary schools in Japan (2011-current)
From 2011 the English activity becomes a required domain from the fifth grade of public elementary schools.
Objectives
To foster a positive attitude toward communication.
To form the foundation of students’ communication abilities.
To develop the understanding of languages and cultures through
various experiences.
To familiarize students with the sounds and basic expressions of
English.

7. English education at elementary schools in Japan (2011-current)
Overview
Instructors: Classroom teachers (and Assistant
Language Teachers)
Materials: “Hi Friends!” 1 & 2
Activities: Songs, chants, games, conversation
activities
Hours: One hour a week (35 hours a year)
Assessment: Not for English skills but for
attitudes/motivation.

8. Practices of the English activities (5th grade)

9. Outcomes of the current English activities
Students’ motivations for English learning are enhanced.
Students are able to become familiar with English sounds.
Positive attitudes toward English communication in English classes at secondary schools. (MEXT, 2015)

10. Problems of the current English activities
Classroom teachers’ English ability is quite low.
Many teachers do not have adequate English
teaching skills and techniques.
Schools and teachers rely upon outsourcing
of Assistant Language teachers.
Supplementary materials are not sufficient.
Funding for the English activities is not enough.
(Okumura, 2010; Takahashi, 2015; Yoshida, 2015)

11. The English Education Reform Plan corresponding to globalization (2014)
MEXT has promoted:
(1) the provision of English Language Activities classes 1-2
times a week for third and fourth graders.
(2) the provision of English Language Subject classes 3
times a week for fifth and six graders (MEXT, 2014).
These programs will be officially provided in the next revision of the Course of Study from 2020.

12. Issues for the future English education at elementary schools
Facilitation of pre/in-service teacher training
Development and enrichment of teaching materials
Supply of Assistant Language Teachers
(Native speaker teachers)
Development and mutual understanding of assessment for students’ English skills

13. Further considerations for the future
Supply of specialist teachers
Use of ICT (e.g., YouTube, Skype, Edmodo)
Global involvement for the provision of authentic opportunities for English communication
(e.g., communicating with students in foreign countries through Skype)

14. References
MEXT (2014). English Education Reform Plan corresponding to Globalization.
Retrieved from
MEXT (2015). Heisei 26nenndo Eigo kyooiku kaizen no tameno eigoryoku choosa
jigyoo houkoku. [2014 Report on the investigation of English ability to
reform English education]. Retrieved from
Okumura, S. (2010). Foreign Language Activities and Foreign language. In
Y. Murata & M. Yamaguchi (Eds.) Education in Contenporary Japan –System and
Content- (pp ). Tokyo:Toshido.
Takahashi, M.(2015). Shoogakkoo no eigo kyooiku wo kyooka suruniha. [How to
reinforce elementary school English]. Pp Global keiei[Global
management],
Yoshida, K. (2015). Shoogakko no eigo ha nani wo doo oshieru bekikika. [What should
be taught and how should be taught for the elementary English]. pp
Kyooiku to igaku, [Education and Medical Science]