accommodating the new “foreign language …a085/niigata...accommodating the new foreign language...

Accommodating the new “foreign language activities” class

University of Niigata Prefecture N.E.A.R Conference Sean Mahoney

Fukushima University mahoney@ads.fukushima-u.ac.jp

25 May 2013

What are Foreign Language Activities (FLA)?

• Generally, primary-level English

• Aim: to foster desire to communicate.

• sounds & basic phrases, creating foundation

for later skills (cf. Korea since ‘97).

• Focus: richness of languages & joy of use

Mahoney&Inoi, 2013 n=2,873

• 学習・指導の一致性 continuity/harmony and

links in teaching and learning FL between primary (FLA) and secondary (English) classes

• 1802 Primary homeroom teachers (HRT) • 515 Jr high English teachers (JTE) • 387 Primary ALTs* • 169 Jr high ALTs*

Grade 5&6 HRTs

• April 2011: 35 hours/year of FLA

• experienced teachers with varying levels of English ability and interest in it

• 31.7% confident teaching FLA (Benesse, 2010)

Homeroom teachers’ English?

If they had the time…

• Training in progress

• Still, 9.5% have licence to teach English

• In-service training & conferences

• Assistants: Licenced primary teachers (university, or the new J-Shine), ALTs, volunteers, JTEs, EAAs

Survey Results

• Almost 60% said they taught with ALTs at least half of the time

• But: almost 30% of HRTs teaching over half their FLA classes alone

• Just 20% with ALT all the time

Textbooks?

• Optional

• Government produced text changed from “Eigo No-to” to “Hi, friends!” in April 2012

Hi Friends! (recommended text for grade 5, p.16)

Ibid., p.17

Connections to junior high

• … make sense (?) – but there are different aims and children.

• Analysis of link types (Matsukawa&Ohshita, 2007)

Re: Links with jr high

• About 37% or HRTs want more links (cf. 61% of JTEs)

• 55% of HRTs say a linked curriculum’s necessary (JTE: 76%)

• 21% say it’s actually possible (JTE: 52%)

The HRT counterpart: JTEs

• Can/do JTEs help? 38.3% of JTEs have taught FLA at local primaries

• Are JTEs aware of curricula at local primary school(s)?

JTEs: Do they know what’s coming?

Back to HRTs: Concrete link types

• We asked HRTs about specific primary to secondary (English) link experiences

• Categories adapted from Matsukawa & Ohshita, 2007

n=788 Helpful for 601

Not Helpful for 187

Cf. Jr high JTE opinion

n=375 Helpful for 352

Not Helpful for 23

n=488

Helpful for 395 Not Helpful for 93

Cf. Jr high JTE opinion

n=292 Helpful for 254

Not Helpful for 38

n=296 Helpful for 198

Not Helpful for 98

Cf. JTE

n=188 Helpful for 152

Not Helpful for 36

n=1120 Helpful for 1102

Not Helpful for 18

Cf. Results from JTEs

n=177 Helpful for 147

Not Helpful for 30

n=261 Helpful for 197

Not Helpful for 64 *****No equivalent for JTEs*****

n=260 Helpful for 185

Not Helpful for 75

Cf. JTEs

n=164 Helpful for 132

Not Helpful for 32

How are new FLA classes going?

Do junior highs note a difference?

Conclusions

• Ideal linking activities are perceived differently between school levels.

• Until it’s a core subject, in-service training will remain limited.

• Training of new primary teachers will not include much reference to FLA classes.

• New ALT role: as valuable link (Japanese skills)

• Little support for HRTs until FLA is a core subject→ No core English without trained teachers→ Little support without making English a core subject

• EAA roles increasingly important

• TIME for teachers to communicate & improve

References • Hashimoto , K. (2011). Compulsory ‘foreign language activities’ in

Japanese primary schools. Current Issues in Language Planning. 2011, 1–18.

• Koster, Cor. (1986). English FLES in The Netherlands: How good must a teacher be? The modern language journal, 70(1), 8-12.

• 西子 みどり。 (2011)。『 韓国に学ぶ英語教育―小学校の英語教育導入への提案』。 東京図書出版。

• 松川禮子・木下邦辛（2007）。『小学校英語と中学校英語を結ぶー英語教育における小中連携―』。高陵社書店。

• バトラー後藤裕子。（2005）。『日本の小学校英語を考える：アジアの視点からの験証と提言』。三省堂。

• ベネッセ。（2010）。第２回 小学校英語に関する基本調査（教員調査）。http://benesse.jp/berd/center/open/report/syo_eigo/2010/