Teacher-Training Guidebook for Foreign Language Activities for Japanese ES

NOTE: To date, this is an uncopyrighted translation (at least, that's my understanding) from selected chapters of the 'Elementary School Foreign Language Activity Training Handbook' (Shogakko Gaikokugo Katsudo Kenshu) for teachers.

Contents

Theory:

01. Basic Principles of Foreign Language Activities (English Activities) at Elementary Schools (ES)

02. Current Status and Challenges of Foreign Language Activities at ES

03. Roles of Homeroom Teachers in Foreign Language Activities at ES

04. Effective Team-Teaching

05. Creating an Annual Teaching Plan

06. Basic Theory of Language Acquisition

07. Foreign Language Activities Related to Other Subjects (Japanese Language and Others)

08. Evaluation in Foreign Language Activities at ES

09. Views on International Understanding, Intercultural Communication and International Exchange

10. Collaboration between ES and JHS for Foreign Language Activities

Practice:

11. Creating Units/Lessons

12. Methods of Developing Teaching Materials

13. Methods of Evaluation

14. Activities Focusing on Listening

15. Activities Focusing on Speaking

16. Points to Keep in Mind for the Introduction of Letters

17. Activities Focusing on Communication

18. Use of Songs and Chants

19. Effective Use of Games

20. Activities to Deepen the Experiential Understanding of Languages and Cultures

21. Team-Teaching Procedures

22. Lesson Study

THEORY

01. Basic Principles of Foreign Language Activities (Mainly English) at Elementary School

I. Basic Principles for the Introduction of Foreign Language Activities

The following three points are the main reasons for introducing Foreign Language Activities (FLA) at the elementary school (ES) level:

• Drawing on the Flexible Adaptability of ES Students: Children today have a considerable number of opportunities for exposure to foreigners and foreign cultures through various types of media, including TV, and are thus thought to have little resistance to FLA. Furthermore, even though children are currently introduced to English phrases through greetings and self-introductions in junior high school, it is thought these activities are more suitable at the elementary school level. In addition, the flexible adaptability of ES students helps foster a positive attitude toward communication and familiarize them with English sounds and basic expressions, and is thus an important factor for fostering their communication abilities.
• Responding to the Advance of Globalization: The demand for FLA in ES has been growing with the advancement of globalization all around the world. Moreover, requests to make it compulsory are expressed by many parents, guardians and administrative officials. Meanwhile, there are designated schools, such as research and development schools¹, where teaching English as a subject² is carried out and studied. It is essential to improve foreign language education at elementary schools in order to foster the communication abilities and international perspectives of our children, who are to be responsible for our future society.
• Ensuring Equal Educational Opportunity: As of 2007, over 97% of elementary schools conduct FLA, mainly during the time set aside for Integrated Study. However, the teaching content and the number of lessons allocated to English activities vary significantly between schools. The number of schools teaching English as a subject has also been increasing. Considering these circumstances, it is necessary to ensure equal educational opportunity and a smooth connection between ES and junior high school (JHS). Therefore, it is necessary to provide the proper teaching content at the ES level and establish a solid English foundation for the students to use when they enter JHS.

II. Views on the Introduction of Foreign Language Activities

It is an educational challenge to foster children’s verbal communication abilities to understand people around them and express themselves. It is also important for teachers to develop children’s abilities to understand foreign cultures and explain Japanese culture to others. FLA should be conducted in order to respond to this challenge.

FLA at elementary schools has been established as a part of education to foster communication abilities in a broader sense. Language is a medium to communicate with others and is essential in order to coexist with people from other cultures in our globalized modern society. Within this framework, FLA will contribute to the synergistic improvement of children’s Japanese language abilities through active comparison between foreign languages and the Japanese language. In this setting, children are exposed to various languages different from their L1 language, hopefully noticing the interesting aspects and richness of the languages, and are able to form a respectful attitude towards them. In other words, the primary objective of FLA is not to acquire the skills needed to use conversational expressions and grammar of a foreign language. Conducting suitable communication activities in a foreign language at elementary schools will establish the foundations of students’ communication abilities, which are further developed at JHS and high school (HS).

02. Current Status and Challenges of Foreign Language Activities at Elementary School

As stipulated in the Course of Study revision in 1998, English activities are conducted at each school’s discretion during the time set aside for Integrated Study for the purpose of international understanding. The activities should be conducted with the following in mind: “...to provide experiential learning opportunities suitable for the elementary school stage, such as exposing students to foreign languages, familiarizing them with foreign ways of life, cultures, etc. in a manner that suits each school.”

According to the Survey on Implementation of English Conversation Activities at elementary schools in 2007, 97.1% of all public elementary schools conduct English or other special activities during the time set aside for Integrated Study. In grade 6:

• 97.3% of all schools implementing English activities conduct “...activities to familiarize students with English songs and games.”
• 96.6% of all schools “...practice simple English conversation phrases (greetings, self-introductions, etc.).”
• 80.3% of all schools “...practice English pronunciation.”
• The annual average of hours for English is 15.9 unit hours (one unit = 45 minutes) and this figure has been increasing each year.
  

Meanwhile, an increasing number of public elementary schools have been designated as research and development schools where English is taught as a subject. In fiscal 2006, the 77 research and development schools designated by MEXT, as well as schools in 78 special zones for structural reform, taught English as a subject. Of the private schools that responded to a MEXT survey, 135 out of 148 schools indicated that they taught English. According to the report provided by these schools, their students' motivation toward and interest in learning English have increased and their English skills have improved to a certain extent.

The above developments, however, are not always positive. Various types of English Activities independently introduced by each municipality and local elementary schools can cause anxiety among students, parents and guardians, and might have unfavorable effects on English language education at junior high schools. Therefore, it is necessary to establish common teaching content for elementary schools.

How should municipalities and local elementary schools that have already implemented English Activities in the lower or middle grades cope with this situation? Naturally, those schools will mainly utilize flexible time within the curriculum, which can be used at a school’s discretion, for grades 1 through 4, and the Period of Integrated Study for grades 3 and 4. In utilizing the Period of Integrated Study, the teaching content should comply with the principles of the Period of Integrated Study. Moreover, it is possible to incorporate the introductory content and activities on verbal sounds provided in Eigo Noto into the lessons for grades 1 through 4. Considering the connection with English language education at junior high schools, however, it is advisable to unify the teaching content up until the end of grade 6.

While making multifaceted decisions based on the developments following the implementation of Foreign Language Activities, further study on the teaching content and evaluation of students' progress will be necessary, regarding the most appropriate grade for the introduction of Foreign Language Activities and its treatment as a subject.

In any case, Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools should be implemented effectively in order to foster students' communication abilities.

03. Roles of Homeroom Teachers in Foreign Language Activities at ES

I. Abilities Required of Instructors of Foreign Language Activities in ES

Improving students' foreign language skills is not the primary objective of Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools. The objective of Foreign Language Activities is “to form the foundation of students' communication abilities through foreign languages while developing the understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences, fostering a positive attitude toward communication, and familiarizing studentswith the sounds and basic expressions of foreign languages.” In order to realize this objective, the following three abilities are expected of instructors of Foreign Language Activities:

• The ability to create teaching content and activities that suit their students' developmental stages and capture their attention and interest
• The ability to motivate their students to actively communicate with others
• The ability to familiarize their students with the sounds and basic expressions of the foreign language

II. Characteristics and Importance of Homeroom Teachers
The abilities mentioned in the above A and B require the instructors to have a deep understanding of their students. The instructors must formulate topics and activities through which students will be motivated to convey their thoughts to others and learn more about others. Homeroom teachers are able to do this since they know the interests and daily lives of their students and the kind of knowledge and skills their students have acquired in other subjects. Even if they do not speak English fluently, their positive attitude toward interaction through English will serve as an extremely important catalyst to enhance students' interest in foreign languages. Thus, homeroom teachers are indispensable in Foreign Language Activities.

III. Roles of Homeroom Teachers
Homeroom teachers have to fulfill the following roles in the three stages (design, implementation and evaluation) of the lesson:

• Design
• Draw up a teaching plan based on the students' interests, and create teaching content and activities
• Cooperate with the ALT to prepare teaching materials and aids.
• Implementation
• Give instructions to the ALT and the students as well as lead and manage the lesson.
• Participate in activities together with students and demonstrate a positive attitude toward using the foreign language.
• Discover what aspects of the lesson the students are having difficulties with and assist the students appropriately.
• Evaluation
• Mainly evaluate the students' interest, motivation and attitudes in terms of active use of the foreign language for communication as well as students' international understanding.

As described above, homeroom teachers are expected to both prepare and conduct activities as they have the best understanding of their students. During the actual lesson, homeroom teachers lead the lesson while paying attention to the students' responses, observe and evaluate students' attitudes toward using the foreign language, thus linking the current lesson to the next lesson.

I. Differences Between Homeroom Teachers Teaching Alone Vs. Team-Teaching

• Homeroom Teachers Teaching Alone. Homeroom teachers, teaching all subjects as well as being in charge of the students in their homerooms, have a deep understanding of the students in terms of both their academic studies and their daily lives. In other words, they have a deep understanding of each student's interests and likes. They are well aware of what kind of knowledge and skills their students have acquired as well as their daily lives through conferences with the students' parents and guardians and home visits. They can talk to and support each student in areas ranging from his/her lessons to school life in general.  T
  hese characteristics can incorporate the activities appropriate for their students into their lessons as well as conduct interesting lessons by incorporating the knowledge and skills students have acquired through other subjects. Therefore, homeroom teachers, who deeply understand their students, can create lessons in which their students learn in a comfortable and relaxed manner. However, if homeroom teachers conduct the entire Foreign Language Activities lesson by themselves, they frequently end up teaching in the same pattern, and may not be able to offer detailed guidance to each student due to the limitations of teaching alone. Hence, it is important for homeroom teachers to constantly seek out various kinds of information concerning activity examples, teaching materials and teaching methods in order to improve their teaching.
• Lessons Taught Through Team-Teaching. As several instructors are involved in team teaching and roles are shared, it is possible to conduct activities that are not possible when homeroom teachers teach alone and give more individualized and detailed guidance to students. Furthermore, in team teaching, each instructor can offer his/her own ideas in planning, so it is possible to teach in a different way than usual and prepare a variety of teaching materials. However, when the roles of instructors are not clear, not only instructors but also students feel uneasy and students cannot engage in the activities smoothly, which can be detrimental to students' learning. Thus, it is important for instructors to hold meetings before lessons and clearly understand the teaching content, activities and their respective roles.

• Deep understanding of the daily lives and interests of the students
• Ability to flexibly respond to the students' reaction
• Knowledge and skills regarding the teaching of languages and cultures
• Ability to develop a curriculum

• Instructors proficient in the foreign language (ALTs, non-homeroom teachers in charge of Foreign Language Activities, etc.) can provide and teach usage and pronunciation of the foreign language appropriate to given situations.
• Homeroom teachers and instructors proficient in the foreign language can demonstrate their interactions using the foreign language in the classroom so that students realize that language is a tool for communication.
• It is possible to create opportunities in which students are motivated to communicate with instructors proficient in the foreign language.
• Instructors proficient in the foreign language can share with students the various customs and views of foreign countries through their own personal experiences, and arouse the students' interest in foreign countries and languages.
• Homeroom teachers can help students realize that Japanese people and foreigners are the same as people despite the differences in languages, views and customs by conducting lessons together with instructors proficient in the foreign language.

• Homeroom teachers and ALTs
• Homeroom teachers, ALTs and non-homeroom teachers in charge of Foreign Language Activities
• Homeroom teachers, ALTs and local people proficient in the foreign language
• Homeroom teachers and non-homeroom teachers in charge of Foreign Language Activities
• Homeroom teachers and local people proficient in the foreign language

• Design. ALTs and local people proficient in the foreign language should:
• Cooperate with the homeroom teacher in terms of foreign language teaching when he/she creates a lesson plan, teaching content and activities.
• Cooperate with the homeroom teacher, and prepare teaching materials and teaching aids.
•  
  Implementation. ALTs and local people proficient in the foreign language should:
• Talk to the students, using the language materials in a natural situation, and encourage them to speak, using the materials voluntarily.
• Describe to the students the customs, cultures and other aspects of various countries including their own.
• Have the students experience the usage and pronunciation of the foreign language.
• Evaluation. ALTs and local people proficient in the foreign language should:
• Reflect on the lesson, focusing on the students' attitudes toward communication in the foreign language and their understanding of languages and cultures.

05. Creating an Annual Teaching Plan

I. Elements to Be Included in the Annual Teaching Plan
There are different views regarding annual teaching plans. In this guidebook they are comprised of the following elements:

• Abilities the students should acquire in one year (goals)
• Specific teaching content
• Major activities
• Criteria and methods of evaluation

Teachers must have a full understanding of the objective of Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools, when they make their annual teaching plan.

II. The Objective of Foreign Language Activities in ES
As mentioned in Chapter 1 “Basic Principles of Foreign Language Activities (English Activities) at Elementary Schools,” the main purpose of introducing Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools is not for students to acquire foreign language skills, but “to form the foundation of students' communication abilities through foreign languages while developing the understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences, fostering a positive attitude toward communication, and familiarizing students with the sounds and basic expressions of foreign languages.” In other words, this passage can be summarized as follows:

• To have students deepen their understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences
• To have students experience communication in a foreign language
• To have students become familiar with the sounds and basic expressions of a foreign language

III. Making Various Annual Teaching Plans
In making an annual teaching plan, instructors must have a full understanding of the circumstances of students, including their developmental stages and interests, as well as such conditions as school hours allocated to Foreign Language Activities and the starting age of foreign language learning. At the implementation stage, it is vital to have students experience communication in a systematic manner according to the plan. In addition, it is necessary to constantly review and make additional changes to the annual teaching plan according to students' changing developmental stages and interests.

Tables 1 and 2 show the annual teaching plans for Eigo Noto. Each school may develop their own teaching plan based on this annual teaching plan which suits the school and the students.

<Table 1: Annual Teaching Plan for Eigo Noto 5: 35 hours>

<Table 2: Annual Teaching Plan for Eigo Noto 6: 35 hours>

06. Basic Theory of Language Acquisition

I. Learning a Second Language
Learning a second language includes both “second language learning” with a narrow meaning and “foreign language learning” with a broader meaning. These two may be differentiated by the use of a target language. “Second language learning” with a narrow meaning refers to the situation where an individual is learning a target language in an environment where that language is predominantly spoken. For instance, a native Japanese speaker studying English, which is his/her target language, in the United States. On the other hand, “foreign language learning” refers to the situation where an individual is learning a target language in an environment where that language is not used frequently in daily life and considered a foreign language. For instance, a native Japanese speaker studying English, which is his/her target language, in Japan. It is necessary to understand that the amount of exposure to the target language in “foreign language learning” significantly differs from the amount of exposure in “second language learning.” Thus, the processes of “second language learning” and “foreign language learning” are quite different from each other. In addition, the process of acquiring a native language is different from those two processes. It is advised not to directly apply the process of native language acquisition by children to Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools in Japan.

II. Start with Activities Focusing on Sounds
As mentioned above, the process of native language acquisition and that of foreign language learning by children are hardly the same. Nevertheless, a program where words are learned first through sounds is necessary for Foreign Language Activities when the burden and developmental stages of the students are taken into consideration. It is better for students to first get a lot of exposure to the foreign language through listening to songs and speeches by ALTs, and then proceed to speaking activities.

III. Spiral Learning
With regard to repetition in learning processes, oral practice, as seen in “pattern practice” (sentence structure practice), is typical today. Though this is temporarily effective, students cannot acquire the foreign language by merely mechanically repeating what is said. However, long-term effects can be expected by repeatedly conducting activities which promote communication on topics more closely related to students' daily lives and by repeatedly using expressions of greater need with visual and other information. It could be said that spiral learning (a way of learning in which the same content is repeatedly taken up throughout the syllabus) will lead to more effective foreign language learning than mechanical repetition.

IV. Motivation Is Vital in Language Learning
Though a direct link has not been proven between motivation and language learning, it is quite obvious that enhanced motivation will increase students' drive and interest, which will lead to a higher quality of learning. Therefore, it is important to actively enhance students' motivation toward Foreign Language Activities. It is necessary to conduct appropriate prior research on factors regarding students such as students' joy of experiencing success, their enjoyment in taking on difficult challenges, etc. Then, drawing on the results of such research, teachers are able to discover various factors which will be utilized to motivate students.

07. Foreign Language Activities Related to Other Subjects (Japanese Language and Others)

It is advisable to relate the lessons in Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools to those of other subjects as a cross-curricular program. Even students in grades 5 and 6 will find the lessons intellectually challenging and interesting when they can utilize the knowledge and experiences they have already gained in other subjects and through international understanding. In addition, since the objective of Foreign Language Activities is “to form the foundation of students' communication abilities,” it is important to actively link Foreign Language Activities to Japanese language education and other educational activities in terms of their content and methods with a view to developing students' linguistic abilities.

With regard to the connection with Japanese language education, teachers are required to construct educational content for Foreign Language Activities which will synergistically improve the students' Japanese language skills. To achieve that, teachers expose students to foreign languages, have them realize the interesting aspects and richness of languages, and enhance their interest in and respect for languages.

Table 3 shows specific examples of teaching content and their related subjects proposed at research and development schools.

08. Evaluation in Foreign Language Activities at ES

Evaluation is indispensable for any kind of lesson, including Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools. As such, it is necessary to comprehend the following two aspects of evaluation.

• Collect and record information on students' progress in learning. (Tests are one form.)
• Interpret the collected information and make value judgments.

There is a tendency for teachers to be overly cautious about value judgments and become critical about collecting information regarding students' progress in learning as well. However, it is essential to clarify what is happening in lessons and what students are learning based on the basic principle of evaluation: “the objective and evaluation should be inextricably linked.” Teachers will be able to reflect on their own lessons in order to improve their lessons by rating their students' objective attainment level. It will also enhance students' motivation for learning. In other words, evaluation is one part of the entire teaching process.

The report from the National Curriculum Standards Reform for Kindergarten, Elementary School, Lower and Upper Secondary School and Schools for Special Needs Education issued by the Central Council for Education on January 17, 2008 states, “It is appropriate to conduct a certain number of activities as a unit, considering the objective and content of Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools, but numerical evaluation used for subjects is not suitable for Foreign Language Activities.”

Evaluation is possible by combining the following methods:

I. Observing Student Activities
Observation of students' activities and its documentation must be done continuously over a long period of time, not just for one lesson. In addition, it is important for several teachers to keep records of their students' activities.

II. Interviews
Conduct interviews to ask the students about their lessons and their awareness of foreign languages. Interviews should be conducted through conversations with students both during and after lessons. There are different types of interviews, such as interviews with prepared questions, those with improvisational questions as well as prepared ones, and those including only improvisational questions. Regardless of the type of interviews, it is advisable to conduct these interviews when the students are in their usual state of mind, such as during lunch breaks and short breaks between lessons, in order to collect their true feelings. More accurate data may be obtained through systematically planned interviews conducted in a casual atmosphere during the school day in addition to questionnaires.

III. Checklist
Keep records using a specially designed check list during lessons (for example, the frequency and content of remarks).

IV. Questionnaires
Questionnaires are the most commonly used method, though their validity and reliability are not so high because students' frank opinions and thoughts may not be expressed depending on the timing, methodology or the person in charge of the questionnaire. Conducting written questionnaires which include students' self-evaluations as well as a simple 5-point scale evaluation (such as “fun,” “ somewhat fun,” “normal,” “not really fun,” “not fun at all,” etc.) can help conduct a more accurate evaluation.

V. Check Eigo Noto
Check students' listening by the answers that they have written in Eigo Noto during the activities and comprehend their progress in learning.

In Foreign Language Activities at ES, numerical evaluation is not carried out. Its evaluation should be conducted comprehensively by utilizing various evaluation methods instead of persistently using the same one. At the same time, teachers should think of an evaluation method that will suit the students and encourage them to enjoy and actively engage in Foreign Language Activities.

09. Views on International Understanding, Intercultural Communication and International Exchange

As globalization of societies and economies has been rapidly advancing, it is important to foster understanding of foreign cultures and positive attitudes toward living in harmony with people with different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, guidance in international understanding and intercultural communication is essential in foreign language education.

Described below are points on international understanding, intercultural communication and international exchange.

I. International Understanding

• Objectives of Education for International Understanding. It is particularly important to promote education for international understanding in order to foster the following: positive attitudes toward recognizing differences and discovering similarities among a variety of life styles and customs of various cultures, and positive attitudes toward respecting other countries and contributing to peace and development in the international community.
  Furthermore, in order to resolve common issues faced by the international community, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) advocates "Education for Sustainable Development" or ESD. ESD fosters individuals who contribute to developing sustainable societies by thinking globally, regarding the issues as their own and taking action in their daily lives. It is necessary to promote education for international understanding as one of the vital measures of ESD.
• Elements of Education for International Understanding. The following could be listed as elements for international understanding:
• Consider each person to be a precious presence and deepen understanding regarding human beings.
  The origin of mankind, our common traits as human beings, various lifestyles, human rights, respect for life, establishing individuality, human security, etc.
• Deepen understanding of various cultures around the world.
  Cultural universality, cultural diversity, cultural values equality, cultural assimilation, cultural transformation, cultural exchanges, multicultural coexistence, ethnocentricity, cultural pluralism, etc.
• Develop interest in current issues and challenges faced by the world, and deepen understanding
  regarding them.

Increasing global interdependence, changes due to globalization, surfacing of global issues (such as the environment, peace, development, economic disparity between developed and developing countries, international conflict, diseases), etc.

II. Intercultural Communication

• What Is Communication? The function of communication is establishing relationships with others through sharing thoughts and emotions as well as transmitting and conveying information and knowledge. In addition, the characteristics of communication include “mutual relationships" and “change and continuity.” Communication includes both verbal and nonverbal interactive activities where both the speaker and the listener will change the content of conversation and expression methods in response to the reactions of the other party. In this sense, communication can be regarded as a “process.”
•  
  Mutual Understanding. It is difficult even among Japanese people to accurately convey one’s thoughts and emotions. It is even more difficult to achieve a complete understanding among people from different cultures who have different lifestyles and values, etc. Miscommunication and misunderstanding among people with different cultural backgrounds are inevitable in communication. What is important here is to overcome such difficulties and consider these situations starting points for deepening mutual understanding and enhancing communication abilities to achieve a consensus. It is important to develop positive attitudes toward listening to the other party in order to comprehend the other party’s intention as accurately as possible. At the same time, it is also important to develop the ability to express oneself clearly to the other party.
• Points on Intercultural Communication.
• Basic Stance of Consideration for Others:
• To effectively convey one’s thoughts, construct appealing logic to persuade the other party as well as carefully select words and change one’s tone of voice.
• To accurately comprehend the other party’s intentions, enhance the ability to promptly ask questions,
  summarize, and guess the other’s emotions behind his/her words.
• Importance of Nonverbal Expressions:
• Physical action (body movement, facial expression, eye contact, etc.)
• Use of space (interpersonal distance, etc.)
• Contact behavior
• Paralanguage (voice characteristics including pitch, speed and tone as well as silence, etc.)
• Use of time (sense of time, etc.)

III. International Exchange

• Effects of International Exchange on Education. The following effects can be expected by conducting international exchanges at schools with students:
• Less resistance toward foreigners and more willingness to interact with them.
• More interest in various countries and ethnic groups around the world and broaden perspectives.
• Understand the idea that we are all the same as people regardless of differences in skin color, language, etc. This will enable them to recognize the injustice of racial prejudice and discrimination.
• Realize the necessity for communication abilities, information application skills, etc.
• Deepen their cultural and interpersonal understanding, regarding such things as the hopes and joys of people in their daily lives.
• See Japan in relation to other countries and gain an awareness of themselves as Japanese.
•  
  Examples of International Exchange Activities. The following are examples of international exchange:
• Exchange of works created by students
• Periodic exchanges with schools for foreign residents in Japan
• Exchanges with sister schools
• Exchanges with schools abroad
• Exchanges through the Internet
• Exchanges with foreigners working at various facilities
• Exchanges through mutual school visits
• Exchanges with foreigners residing in the local community
• Points in Conducting International Exchange. The following points should be considered when conducting international exchanges:
• Clarify the objectives of the international exchange, have each students set his/her own objective, and enhance his/her commitment.
• Emphasize prior and post learning. Continuous exchange is desirable.
• Diversify the content of international exchange. Engage in not merely games, lunch and question-and-answer sessions but also in other activities such as speeches, debates and collaborative learning in accordance with the objectives.
• Invite people appropriate for the objectives of the international exchange.
• Promote common understanding among all the teachers and place importance on forming a cooperative working system.
• Clarify the placement of each international exchange in the annual teaching plan and its relation to the school’s objectives.
• Do not specify the international exchange partner, but aim to obtain opportunities for exchange with
  people from different countries around the world.
• Systematically administer the exchange including budgets and dealing with various matters on the day of the exchange.
• Foster communication abilities that might be helpful in interacting with foreigners on a daily basis, such as a sense of humor and the ability to respond flexibly as the occasion demands.

10. Collaboration between ES and JHS for Foreign Language Activities

I. Collaboration Between ES & JHS Concerning Lesson Content and Procedures

• Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools are conducted in order to foster a positive attitude toward communication and develop the understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences, etc. In order to further develop these at the junior high school level, it is necessary to have students frequently engage in activities promoting communication and self-expression.
•  
  At the elementary school level activities are done mainly through sounds, so the lessons do not center on vocabulary or grammar. Therefore, at junior high schools sufficient language activities must be conducted so that students fully acquire vocabulary and grammar at the junior high school level, drawing on the foundation of communication abilities fostered at elementary schools. However, students will be caught off guard if junior high school English lessons are conducted in the conventional style of explanations given mainly in Japanese. Therefore, teachers must design their lessons in the following order: fully review through focusing on sounds by giving example sentences including expressions frequently used in elementary school classes, then move on to reading and writing activities, then practice word order in a concise manner, and so on. Learning the grammar of the language will be facilitated after sufficient learning of sounds, as this will allow the students to more easily comprehend the content.
• At the elementary school level, the main focus of the activities is placed on listening and speaking. At the junior high school level, however, activities in the four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing should be interrelated, with the goal of their balanced development in learning the foreign language. Therefore, it is necessary to further develop the activities of the four areas in a correlated manner at a more advanced level at the junior high school level compared to Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools.
• A full understanding of language materials and topics handled in Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools is necessary to develop a better method of utilizing textbooks at junior high schools. Since activities such as self-introductions are covered in Eigo Noto and actually conducted in many elementary schools, the students will grow bored if they are given the same exercises again. While it is important to effectively utilize items the students have already learned, excessive and repetitive drills will bore them and reduce their motivation to learn. It is vital that the teachers select appropriate content and methods in accordance with the interests of the students.
  

• It is essential to develop opportunities to exchange information on the objectives, teaching content, teaching methods, etc., in order to foster mutual understanding of the circumstances of Foreign Language Activities at the elementary schools located in the junior high school’s district. Furthermore, it is also important to deepen understanding by visiting each other’s classes, etc. It is advisable for the elementary schools to provide a list of the topics and language materials (expressions and vocabulary) covered to junior high schools.
•  
  Some municipalities are assigning junior high school teachers to elementary schools for a period of one to two years as teachers qualified for specific subjects, providing these teachers with opportunities to directly experience Foreign Language Activities implemented at elementary schools. This can also be a means to enhance the collaboration between elementary and junior high schools.
• It is also important for elementary and junior high schools to collaborate on the formulation of curricula etc., reviewing Eigo Noto, its accompanying reference manuals and other materials provided by MEXT.

• Reflecting Students' Interests When Forming the Foundation of Communication Abilities. Teachers should design activities in each unit that reflect students' interests and wishes. In short, student-centered activities should be designed. However, activities should not be designed only according to students' desires. Simply designing activities that students like and ignoring communication activities based on the Course of Study can hardly be called “student-centered.” It is important to incorporate the process described in Chapter 6, “Basic Theory of Language Acquisition,” into the activities while taking students' interests into consideration. In other words, it is necessary to incorporate the following process into each unit: First, listening to an adequate amount of the foreign language; second, obtaining first-hand experience through activities; and then speaking one’s mind by selecting the appropriate words.
• Drawing on the Discoveries and Thoughts of the Students. "Student-centered" activities start with students' interests, but students will eventually become bored with activities that are simply fun. Activities must allow for students' discoveries, thoughts and excitement and include opportunities for them to express these. As the intellectual curiosity of 5th and 6th grade students increases, they will ask about the aims of activities. Thus, it is important to design activities which enable students to realize the purposes of activities and the abilities they are acquiring.
• Balancing Activities. The following are the major types and formats of activities. They should be incorporated into units in a well-balanced manner.
• Types of Activities: songs, quizzes, skits, chants, reading a picture book aloud, speeches, games, role-playing, tasks to create works, etc.
• Formats of Activities: class, group, pair and individual

• Objective. Clarify what students should acquire.
• Types of Activities. Incorporate activities to achieve objectives. For example, design a smooth flow of activities throughout a unit, starting with listening, then mimicry, memorization and acquisition, and finally voluntary speaking.
• Format of the Activities. Consider what types of communication activities will meet the objectives.
• Specific Expressions. Consider the expressions to be used in the communication activities. Avoid expressions that are difficult for students.

• Form a Foundation for Communication Abilities. Lessons should not center on pattern practice or dialogue memorization for skill improvement. They should, however, include communication activities to foster a positive attitude toward communication and deepen the experiential understanding of languages and cultures.
• Flow of Activities. Students will become bored and their motivation will decrease if the same or similar games are played for a long time simply because they are fun. It is important to incorporate, in a well-balanced manner, a variety of activities in the various formats as described above.
• Utilize a Variety of Equipment. Instructors can utilize a variety of equipment such as CDs, DVDs, computers, etc., to arouse students' interest.
• Create Opportunities for 1-on-1 Interaction Between Students/Teachers. In order for students to understand a foreign language, it is important for them to gain confidence through such successful experiences as understanding what others say and conveying their own emotions, feelings and ideas. Therefore, teachers should create opportunities to interact with each individual student through greetings or other simple exchanges.
• Sustaining Motivation. When conducting, for instance, two to four types of activities in one lesson, it is recommended to conclude all activities with the students feeling that they want to do a little more. This will allow students to maintain their motivation from one activity to the next.
  

• Warm-Up. Exchange greetings in English and have students become aware of the start of Foreign Language Activities. Engage in icebreaking activities such as a song, a chant, or a short game.
• Introduction and Development. Instructors introduce the teaching content and expressions through games, quizzes and reading picture books, etc., assisting students' understanding by gestures or by pointing to specific objects. It is important to utilize words and expressions that students have already learned and to constantly incorporate in a spiral manner the content that teachers want students to acquire into activities.
  Furthermore, in order to allow students to become accustomed to the target expressions of a lesson, it is advisable to have students repeatedly listen to and use such expressions in songs and chants. Even in one lesson, it is preferable to design activities in a gradually stepped manner, starting with listening, then mimicry, memorization and acquisition, and finally voluntary speaking.
• Conclusion. Teachers should speak to students, giving compliments or other comments on their specific attitudes and expressions during each lesson. Moreover, as a method of reflection on each lesson, it is advisable to have students give a presentation or write about what they liked and why. It is also advisable to conclude each lesson in such a way that students sustain increased motivation for the next lesson.

12. Methods of Developing Teaching Materials

Eigo Noto is available as a common teaching material, but in order to effectively utilize it, teachers, in some cases, need to develop teaching materials and aids for themselves. Teachers should first keep the objective of Foreign Language Activities in mind and consider what kind of teaching methods, materials and aids are required to achieve the objective. Then, they should observe their students' interests and develop teaching materials and aids suitable for their students by relating them to their students' lives. For example, it is effective to utilize picture cards created by students in Arts and Handicrafts lessons as teaching materials, thus connecting the teaching materials to students' other lessons.

The following are some examples of teaching aids that may be used in Foreign Language Activities: Maps, world maps, globes, wall charts, panels, advertisements, English posters, picture cards, brochures, various objects, works by children, character dolls/figurines, puppets, photographs, supplementary reading materials, picture books (big books), worksheets, karuta cards, interview cards, color cards, marbles, chips, world coins, CDs, DVDs, videos, computers (the Internet), etc.

It is recommended that teachers organize these teaching materials and aids within the school according to purposes, situations and circumstances. Thus, teachers of various grades can share/utilize all the resources.

Another effective measure is to arrange a classroom specifically for Foreign Language Activities. Classrooms equipped with posters, photographs, picture books, and works created by students in lessons will create an atmosphere that will help enhance students' motivation. In addition, information and communication technology can be effectively utilized for teaching a class with considerable individual differences among students. Teachers can utilize review videos created with the cooperation of the ALT in order to offer individual instruction during their free time.

On the other hand, when using commercially-supplied teaching materials, teachers need to check whether those materials match the objectives of the lessons and activities, teachers’ purposes, the circumstances of students, class size, etc.

Points to Keep in Mind in Developing Teaching Materials

• Match the Objective. The materials need to suitable for activities that focus on speech sounds.
• Specific Purpose. The aspects of desired development need to kept in mind.
• Suitable. The materials need to be suit to the students' developmental stages, interests and and something they can relate to in their daily lives.

13. Methods of Evaluation

The overall objective of Foreign Language Activities as stated in the Course of Study is to form the foundation of students' communication abilities through foreign languages while developing the understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences, fostering a positive attitude toward communication, and familiarizing students with the sounds and basic expressions of foreign languages.

Evaluation should be made by integrating various methods, based on the following three pillars of the objective stated above:

• To develop the experiential understanding of languages and cultures through a foreign language
• To foster a positive attitude toward communication through a foreign language
• To familiarize students with the sounds and basic expressions of foreign languages

In grade 5, in particular, teachers should mainly evaluate students' performance in the activities related to their school and daily lives, which place the importance on the relationship among students. In grade 6, they should evaluate students' performance in activities related to international understanding, while also placing importance on the relationship among students. It should be noted that teachers should not evaluate students' acquisition of expressions or “skills.”

Rather than numerical evaluation, evaluation by statements that describe students' progress should be used.

Concrete evaluation methods include teachers’ observations of students' activities and presentations, teachers’ Eigo Noto checks, and students' self-evaluations and peer evaluations. It is possible for students to set up the methods and goals for their own presentations and evaluate each others’ performances. Teachers do not need to evaluate students' progress in terms of the acquisition of target expressions, but rather teachers should evaluate students' development through observing their activities. When lessons are carried out through team teaching, the native speaker’s opinion can also be used as a reference for evaluation.

The following are examples of evaluation according to each pillar. (“L～” stands for the lesson number in Eigo Noto).

• To develop the experiential understanding of languages and cultures through a foreign language:
• Students learn the various ways of counting numbers around the world. (Eigo Noto 1 L 3: Activity Observation)
• Students ask about the subjects other students study in elementary schools in places like China, Australia, etc. (Eigo Noto 1 L 8: Activity Observation)
• Students study shapes of alphabet letters and try to recognize them. (Eigo Noto 2 L 1: Activity Observation)
•  
  To foster positive attitudes toward communication through a foreign language:
• Students explain their self-created time schedules. (Eigo Noto 2 L 8: Presentation Observation)
• Students ask/answer questions about their own future careers. (Eigo Noto 2 L 9: Activity Observation)
• Students learn various kinds of expressions. (Eigo Noto 1 L 8: Presentation Observation)
• To familiarize students with the sounds and basic expressions of foreign languages:
• Students sing a song using numbers 1 through 10. (Eigo Noto 1 L 3: Activity Observation)
• Students learn the difference in sounds between Japanese words borrowed from English and the original
  English words and try to pronounce them in natural English. (Eigo Noto 1 L 6: Activity Observation)
• Students listen to local times in different places around the world and understand what time it is in Japan.
  (Eigo Noto 2 L 7: Activity Observation)

14. Activities Focusing on Listening

Getting familiar with a language starts with “listening.” It is necessary to first incorporate an adequate number of activities to practice listening to a foreign language rather than expecting students to immediately “speak.” In particular, it is advisable to include activities for listening to simple speeches by the ALT or songs and stories using CDs and other audio-visual teaching materials in a lesson. Listening is essential to communicate with others. Fostering students who can effectively understand others’ intentions and convey theirs is required, given that “good listeners are good speakers.” It is important to have students become accustomed to the sound of a foreign language in meaningful contexts, and to help them recognize the meaning of the words they hear as well as acquire a positive attitude to understand their meaning. This is one of the objectives of Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools and listening activities must be planned with this in mind.

The following should be kept in mind in establishing activities focusing on listening.

I. Conduct Purposeful Listening Activities
When conducting listening activities such as listening to picture books being read, songs and chants related to animals, give tasks before listening, such as “listen and find out what animals are in the story” or “listen and find out in which order the animals appear.” This will help develop positive attitudes toward listening. It is also effective to create opportunities where students have clear purposes for listening, such as listening to the ALT’s explanation of games and activities in order to participate.

II. Have Students Repeatedly Listen to Materials Rich in Content, Patiently Waiting for Them to Understand
Teaching materials must have meaningful content in order to conduct listening activities with a purpose. Teachers should design activities that enable students to guess the meaning by analogy. In activities, teachers should expose students to as natural a conversation as possible and use different expressions, gestures and specific objects in order to assist students' understanding. It is important to have students feel that they understand the content (i.e. were able to make analogical inferences) by grasping the meaning of the whole without being forced to recognize every sound or word they hear. Furthermore, teachers should consciously secure enough time for students to think, and should not demand students' immediate comprehension or rush them in any way.

III. Have Students Concentrate on Listening by Using Body Movements Through TPR, etc.
Having students respond with words to what they hear is one type of learning activity, but listening and speaking at the same time may place a burden on students. Teachers should not hastily ask students to speak just because they want to check their students' understanding. It is preferable to conduct activities using Total Physical Response (TPR) so as not to put an excessive cognitive burden on students. While at times students may respond in Japanese, this should be interpreted as a sign that they are listening closely.

IV. Positively Evaluate Even Students' Limited Understanding
It is necessary to start by complimenting students when they are able to understand even a single term they hear in order to foster their attitude toward understanding the overall meaning through chunks instead of being trapped in the mentality that they must follow everything. The students will gain greater confidence by repeating experiences of changing from “I don’t understand” to “I understand a little.” The teachers must give feedback with comments that will allow students to feel confident.

V. Learning Before and After Listening Activities
There are many activities in which students enjoy cooking with foreigners while listening to instructions given in a foreign language. But if students just listen to instructions in the foreign language and engage in cooking, that is not enough. Thus, it is necessary to introduce students to related expressions prior to the activity and carry out follow-up activities to reflect on what they have learned. Consistency between teaching content and experiential activities is important for spiral learning.

VI. Utilize Expressions Students Have Heard
Phrases that students have repeatedly heard and wish to use are easy to incorporate into speaking activities. Therefore, it is important to understand the students and utilize many expressions that students want to use and those deeply related to their daily lives.

15. Activities Focusing on Speaking

One method of expressing oneself is speaking, but students are afraid to express themselves when they feel uneasy, thinking “What if I make a mistake?” Therefore, it is very important for teachers to accept students' incorrect or ambiguous use of expressions. Teachers need to compliment students for their attempts to speak and create a class environment where students know, “It’s okay to make a mistake.” The following are the points to be kept in mind in conducting activities focusing on speaking as well as the details of the activities.

I. Create a Fear-Free Atmosphere for Making Mistakes
It is important for teachers to pay close attention to what students are saying. Furthermore, teachers must not interrupt students in order to correct small mistakes. Teachers should show students that they are not there to judge whether what students are saying is right or wrong. Instead, teachers should subtly rephrase students' words during a conversation as a communication partner. In addition, it is important for teachers to encourage students to speak up, and to create an atmosphere where speaking voluntarily is evaluated positively and mistakes are accepted. When the ALT is present, it is also advisable that the homeroom teacher should play the role of a learner and show students his/her positive attitude toward speaking English.

II. Have Students Experience the Necessity and Joy of Speaking
At the initial stage of learning, start with repeating words and games so that students can experience the joy of speaking. Then, gradually move away from just using expressions provided by the teacher, and allow students to select the content that they wish to express and expressions to describe it in accordance with their intellectual levels so that they can experience the joy of speaking.

III. Use Standard Expressions
Particularly at the initial stage, students will be able to experience communication by repeatedly using the simple standard expressions below. It is also possible to incorporate these expressions into various activities and utilize them during daily lessons.

• Greetings: Hello. / How are you? / I’m [good/OK/fine].
• Classroom English: Listen. / Repeat after me.
• Asking for Repetition: Pardon? / Can you say that again, please?
• Asking How to Say Something in English: How do you say ～ in English?
• Courtesy Expressions: Excuse me. / Thank you.

IV. Meaningful Repetition
Repetition is necessary in foreign language learning, but merely mechanically repeating expressions provided by teachers can reduce students' motivation to learn. Therefore, it is advisable to utilize chants and songs in order to practice pronunciation, stress, and intonation as well as practice expressions and content that students want to talk about. For example, setting higher-grade students' goals of reading a picture book to lower-grade students can make the preparatory practice meaningful for the higher-grade students, even if it involves some degree of mechanical practice.

V. Activities Making the Best Use of Limited Expressions
At the initial stage, it is natural that students are only able to use a limited number of expressions. Therefore, it is necessary for students to understand that their range of expression may be broadened through utilizing various gestures, facial expressions, and tones of voice. It is also effective to teach expressions regarding colors, shapes, sizes, etc.

VI. Other
Accuracy as well as fluency in speaking is usually expected as more time is spent on Foreign Language Activities. But teachers must be careful not to excessively demand accuracy as this increases students' fears of making mistakes.

Furthermore, there have been instances where students make lengthy presentations including show and tell by simply reading off scripts prepared in katakana. In order to prevent this and to enable students to speak without reading scripts, it is advisable for students to share their presentations with other members of their group by dividing the task and reducing each student's load.

16. Points to Keep in Mind for the Introduction of Letters

I. When to Start Introducing Letters
The four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing should be considered as correlated components rather than as four separate, individual areas. As such, it is important to consider the fact that the activities for one specific area can be related to the other three areas as well. In the framework of communication, however, as listening forms the basis in developing the other three areas, listening may serve as an essential factor for students who are exposed to a foreign language and its culture for the first time. In other words, it is critical to conduct instruction by focusing on listening at the initial stage, although the four areas are correlated to each other. This can be easily understood when considering the procedure of native language (Japanese) acquisition. In one’s native language, having an almost fully established command of communication through sound is a prerequisite for reading and writing. For Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools as well, it is important to introduce letters at the stage when the students are adequately familiarized with the sound of the foreign language. Even in grades 5 and 6, when students may well want to develop their intellectual curiosity toward letters, lessons on sound should be conducted first and the introduction of letters should be postponed until the students develop interest in reading and writing letters. In Eigo Noto, units are designed so that the students will be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet in Eigo Noto 6.

II. Benefits of Introducing Letters
Letters should be introduced to students after they have adequately familiarized themselves with the sound of the foreign language and start showing an interest in letters; for example, when students start paying attention to the letters on picture cards, or when they start having the desire to write their names using the letters of the alphabet. The following can be thought of as the benefits of introducing letters into the lessons:

• Letters will serve as clues to remember and help retain information.
• Understanding of the content will be facilitated through visual information from letters in addition to audio information from sounds and, as a result, this will facilitate students' interest in the foreign language.
• Introduction of letters into the lessons is in line with the intellectual curiosity of the students.

III. Procedure for Introducing Letters
While lessons are conducted focusing on sounds, students' recognition of letters can be enhanced through “playing with letters.” In introducing letters into the lessons, it is crucial that students first get accustomed to the letters of the alphabet. It is advisable that the following stages be considered when introducing letters.

• Stage 1: Getting Accustomed to Letters
  Enhance the students' ability to recognize letters by displaying the letters of the alphabet, posters written in English, picture cards with letters, etc., in the classroom. Another method could be having students collect names of the objects whose names are represented by the letters of the alphabet (e.g. FAX, TEL, etc.).
• Stage 2: Differentiating Between Upper/Lowercase Letters
  Differentiating between the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet is more difficult for students than expected. As such, have students learn how to differentiate between the two sets of letters by playing games using letter cards, such as matching the upper case and lower case letters of the alphabet.
• Stage 3: Getting Accustomed to Letter Combinations
  Students become accustomed to the letters that comprise the words they are already familiar with through their sounds. This can be achieved by playing games while using pictures as clues, such as bingo, hidden-word puzzles, etc. Activities at this stage are related to a basic reading level. It should be noted that this stage is not covered in Eigo Noto.

17. Activities Focusing on Communication

As described in Chapter 11's How to Compose Units and Lessons, there are various types of communication activities. It is necessary for ES teachers to design activities focusing on communication in accordance with the objective of Foreign Language Activities. In other words, teachers select natural situations related to students' interests and daily lives and arrange activities where students listen to and use expressions established as teaching content. The method of organizing these activities will be explained below using examples.

I. "Let’s Introduce Our Likes/Dislikes" (Lesson 4 in Eigo Noto 1, to be taught in four hours)

• Objective:
• Become aware there are many loan words in Japanese that originated from English.
• Actively discuss likes and dislikes with classmates.
• Introduce their likes/dislikes in English.
• Activity: Creating/Introducing Like/Dislike Table:
• The teacher introduces his/her likes and dislikes using the “Table of Likes and Dislikes” he/she created prior to the lesson. (Hour 1) <Demonstrate in order to give students a preview of the activity at the end of the unit.>
• The students familiarize themselves with expressions conveying likes and dislikes through quizzes, games and chants. (Hours 1 – 4) <Teach in order to familiarize students with expressions conveying likes and dislikes.>
• The students fold a large sheet of drawing paper into four quarters, draw three happy faces and one sad face in the four squares, and create a table. (Hour 3)
• The students receive the picture cards of foods, colors, animals, sports or other things that they may like or dislike from their teacher (or the students who play this role), and affix the cards to their tables. (Hour 3) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their teacher and classmates.>
• The students introduce their likes and dislikes using the “Table of Likes and Dislikes” they created. (Hour 4) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>

II. "Let’s Make Our Own Lunches" (Lesson 9 in Eigo Noto 1, to be taught in four hours)

• Objective:
• Develop interest in foods around the world.
• Ask classmates what they want and respond to questions about what they themselves want, using polite expressions.
• Try to give presentations on their original lunches in an active manner.
• Activity: Creating Original Lunch
• The teacher introduces the foods he/she likes to eat using picture cards. (Hour 1) <Demonstrate in order to have students communicate with their teacher.>
• The teacher demonstrates to the students how to make a tray on which they will place the picture food cards. The students receive a sheet of drawing paper of the color they like and make a tray. (Hour 3) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their teacher and classmates.>
• Through quizzes, games and chants, the students familiarize themselves with the names of different foods and the expressions to ask classmates what they want and to respond to questions about what they themselves want. (Hours 1 – 4) <Teach in order to have students familiarize themselves with the names of different foods, how to ask someone what he/she wants and how to express what they themselves want in response to questions.>
• The students receive picture cards of the foods they want from their teacher (or the students who play this role), and make their original lunches by affixing the cards to their trays. (Hour 3) < Teach in order to have students communicate with their teacher and classmates.>
• The students introduce the lunches that they made to the class. (Hour 4) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>

III. "Let’s Create a Well-Balanced Meal" (Lesson 9 in Eigo Noto 1)

• Objective:
• Develop interest in foods around the world
• Using polite expressions, ask classmates what they want and respond to questions about what they themselves want.
• Try to give presentations on their own lunches in an active manner.
•  
  Activity: Introducing Nutritiously Well-Balanced Meals (This activity should be conducted in connection with the “Think about a nutritiously balanced meal” unit covered during the homemaking class.)
• Using picture cards, the teacher introduces the foods he/she likes to eat. (Hour 1) <Demonstrate inorder to have students communicate with their teacher.>
• Through quizzes, games and chants, the students familiarize themselves with the names of different foods and how to ask what classmates want and how to respond to questions about what they themselves want. (Hours 1- 3) <Teach in order to have the students recall the nutrients and well-balanced meals that they studied during homemaking class, and also to familiarize them with the names of different foods, as well as expressions to ask classmates what they want and to respond to questions about what they themselves want.>
• Each student thinks of his/her meal in terms of the nutritional balance, interacts with his/her teacher (or students who play this role), and receives picture cards of the ingredients necessary for his/her meal. They place the picture cards on the well-balanced meal board, draw pictures of the meal and complete a well-balanced meal. (Hour 3) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>
• The students get into groups and quiz each other on the meals they each created. They guess what foods are in their meals by asking and answering questions about the ingredients and the colors of the nutrients. (Hour 4) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>
• Each group of students selects a representative, who in turn introduces his/her meal in front of the class in a quiz format. (Hour 4) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>

IV. "Let’s Create an Alphabet Quiz" (Lesson 1 in Eigo Noto 2, to be taught in three hours)

• Objective:
• Develop interest in the uppercase letters of the alphabet.
• Actively find and read the upper case letters of the alphabet
• Recognize each uppercase letter of the alphabet through its sound.
• Activity: Quiz Creating/Presenting Based on Things Around Them
• Through quizzes, games and chants, the students familiarize themselves with the letters of the alphabet and how each of them is pronounced. (Hours 1 – 3) <Teach in order for students to familiarize themselves with the letters of the alphabet and to learn how each of them is pronounced.>
• Students find objects around them whose names are represented by the letters of the alphabet. <Teach in order for students to familiarize themselves with the letters of the alphabet and to learn how each of them is pronounced.>
• The teacher gives the students three hints about an object that is represented by the letters of the alphabet, and asks them what the object is.(The teacher should find the object in advance.) (Hour 2) <Teach in order to have the students communicate with their teacher.>
• Each student comes up with three hints about the object that he/she found (hints can be given using drawings), gives the hints, and asks what the object is and gives the answer. (Hour 3) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>

V. Let’s Make an Original Picture-Card Show" (Lesson 8 in Eigo Noto 2, to be taught in four hours)

• Objective:
• Develop interest in stories from different countries
• Create/Perform original plays using English
• Listen to a complete story in English and comprehend the content.
• Activity: Listen/Create/Present Original Story
• The teacher reads a picture book to the students. <Conduct in order to have students develop interest in the story, in creating original plays and in giving presentations.>
• The teacher gives quizzes on the content of the picture book and the students answer them. (Hours 1 – 3) <Present in order to have students communicate with their teacher and classmates.>
• Through songs, chants and games, the students familiarize themselves with the vocabulary and expressions that appear in the picture book. (Hours 1 – 3) <Teach in order to have students familiarize themselves with the vocabulary and expressions in the picture book.>
• The students divide up into groups and create their own stories by changing the characters, vocabulary and expressions in the picture book without changing its main story line, and then present their stories to the class in the form of a picture book, picture-card show or play. (Hours 2 – 4) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their teacher and classmates.>
  

VI. "Let’s Introduce What We Want to Be in the Future" (Lesson 9 in Eigo Noto 2, to be taught in four hours)

• Objective:
• Develop an interest in the names of different career.
• Introduce various occupation names and have students ask each other what they want to be in the future.
• Familiarize themselves with the expressions that are necessary in order to ask and answer questions about the careers they wish to pursue.
• Activity: Future Occupation Speeches
• The teacher shares his/her dream from the time when he/she was in grade 6. (Hour 1) <Teach in order for the students to have a preview of what they will do at the end of the unit.>
• Through quizzes, games and chants, the students familiarize themselves with the names of different professions and expressions that are necessary in order to ask and answer questions about what they want to be in the future. (Hours 1 – 3) <Teach in order for students to familiarize themselves with the names of different careers and expressions to ask and answer questions about what they want to be in the future.>
• With their classmates, the students ask and answer questions about what they want to be in the future. (Hour 3) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>
• The students prepare and give speeches in front of the class on what they want to be in the future. (Hour 4) <Teach in order to have students communicate with their classmates.>

18. Use of Songs and Chants

Songs and chants should be used effectively in lessons while taking the following benefits into consideration.

Songs and chants can:

• Reduce psychological resistance and increase interest in learning.
• Secure the opportunity to repeatedly practice rhythm and intonation unique to a foreign language.
• Used as drills to familiarize students with different expressions and facilitate a smooth transition to the next activity.
• Help memorization and concentration.
• Serve as a cultural resource.

Songs and chants will increase students' interest in learning a foreign language and also serve to teach content. At the initial stage of learning, experiencing the joy of sounds and rhythms is more important than learning the meaning of the songs. Furthermore, the aspect of international understanding including the songs’ cultural backgrounds should be emphasized. However, since songs with slanderous and cruel content are not appropriate for classroom use, songs should be selected very carefully.

I. Selecting Songs and Chants for Lessons
It is advisable to start with songs that have simple repetitive melodies. This is because they are easy to listen to and to sing along with and will enable students to practice the same expressions. It is also effective to sing songs with gestures in accordance with students' developmental stages.

Furthermore, songs that could not be sung without carefully looking at their lyrics should be avoided. Using katakana in order to sing a song should be avoided as much as possible. In addition, teachers should utilize songs in accordance with the clearly established objectives for using them. For example, in using “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” there have been many cases where the gestures do not correspond with the lyrics. This does not pose a problem if it is conducted as mere play, but matching the words with the gestures can be vital to meet the educational objectives.

Chants allow students to get accustomed to the natural pronunciation, intonation and rhythm of a foreign language, as well as lower the psychological hurdle of speaking aloud. There is, however, a risk of creating unnatural rhythms and intonations by forcing words into the form of the chant. Expressions come first and chants need to be matched to the expressions, not vice versa.

II. Points to Keep in Mind When Using Songs/Chants
Clear objectives are necessary when using songs and chants. It is convenient to develop and share a database of teaching materials such as preexisting songs and chants at each school. Moreover, teachers can use songs and chants that students revised or rearranged themselves, as this will facilitate students' self-expression.

In short, the following should be considered when using chants and songs:

• Use songs with as easy expressions as possible.
• Use songs with easy repetitive melodies.
• Use songs with natural pronunciation, intonation and rhythm.
• Try to use songs and chants revised or rearranged by teachers and students.
• Have students repeat phrase-by-phrase.
• [Englipedia Added] Use songs that are popular with the children and lesson-specific. It increases motivation and desire to learn.

19. Effective Use of Games

One of the representative activities in Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools is playing games. Games not only enhance students' motivation to learn but also provide an opportunity for students to become accustomed to pronunciation, vocabulary and expressions in the foreign language. However, selecting games that do not meet specific teaching objectives would lead to mere competition, and thus would be a waste of time. Therefore, game selection requires careful attention. The following should be considered in regard to games.

I. Clarify the Purpose of Games
Games should be used for communication activities. It is necessary to clarify the purpose of the games, i.e. whether they are used to develop listening, speaking, both listening and speaking, or used as drill activities or free conversation. If the purpose is not clear, students will not engage in games as teachers originally intended, but simply start the game and then finish it hastily.

II. Consider Expressions Used in Each Game
The expressions used in games should match the expressions and content to be learned. Students are able to practice them in a natural manner through games. Therefore, it is important to select expressions and situations that meet the objectives of lessons and are based on students' lives.

III. Stress the Importance of Interactions
Interviews are often used in games. However, if the students' sense of rivalry becomes too strong, they might neglect communication in games. Teachers should instruct students not to play hastily and encourage them to use expressions such as “excuse me” and “thank you” when appropriate.

IV. Create a Database of Games
Creating a database of available games with the following information for use at school is recommended.

• Purpose. Fostering a positive attitude toward communication, experiential understanding of languages and cultures, or familiarizing students with sounds and basic expressions of a foreign language.
• Format. Activities for individuals, pairs, groups or for the whole class, competitive or cooperative activities, relaxing or energetic activities.
• Content. A topic related to other school subjects or students' daily lives, types of expressions and vocabulary used.
• Target. Targeted grade, suitability for students.
• Necessary Equipment. Kinds of teaching aids, types of classrooms.

The following are some games and activities that focus on listening:

• Fruit Basket. This game resembles a combination of the games “Musical Chairs” and “Duck Duck Goose.” Students, wearing fruit cards, sit on chairs arranged in a circle. When the name of a certain fruit is called, students wearing that specific fruit card have to move to other chairs. This game can be played using other expressions learned, such as colors, shapes, animals and items in students' daily lives.
• Touching Game. When teachers say, for example, “Touch something red,” students will then try to touch the indicated objects.
• Three Hints Quiz. This is a type of game where teachers provide clues and students guess what the object is.  For example, "I am black and white. I am from China. I like bamboo leaves. (panda)

These activities are basically teacher-oriented activities focusing on listening. It is possible to change them into student-centered activities by having them give quizzes or instructions to their classmates. Each game will become more meaningful when modified to suit your students. 

The following are some games that focus on dialogues:

• Telephone Game. students form a line and one student whispers what (s)he hears to the next student down the line. Children relay a dialogue-style message or a command down to the end of the line, and the student at the end of the line answers the question or responds to the command through gestures.  Let's say for example there are five students in a group.  The conversation would look like this:
• Student 1: "Do you like dogs?" (whispering to Student 2)
• Student 2: "Do you like dogs?" (whispering to Student 3)
• Student 3: "Do you like dogs?" (whispering to Student 4)
• Student 4: "Do you like dogs?" (whispering to Student 5)
• Student 5: "Yes, I do." or "No, I don’t."
•  
  Interview Bingo. This activity utilizes what students have learned in a lesson, combining interviews with a bingo game. Students write down the information that they have collected on a worksheet. For example, they conduct interviews asking, “Do you play tennis?” The student who gets all “yes” answers in one row, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally, will shout out bingo. Recording the names of their classmates who answered “Yes/No” in corresponding cells on the worksheet will deepen students' understanding of their fellow classmates rather than just writing circles meaning “yes”.
• Shopping Game. The necessity of the activity could be enhanced by shopping with a specific purpose, such as shopping for the ingredients for salad and curry that the students cook during homemaking class instead of simply shopping for what they want.

Finally, other activities such as role-playing, skits and plays can be used. These activities can enable students to learn words in context and practice natural dialogues.

20. Activities to Deepen the Experiential Understanding of Languages and Cultures

One of the aims of Foreign Language Activities at elementary schools is to “develop the understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences.” Through Foreign Language Activities, students come to realize the existence of various languages and cultures in the world, deepen their understanding of the language, traditions and culture of Japan, and introduce their local communities and schools including the community’s specialties. Examples of teaching content are described as follows:

• Exposure to Simple Expressions around the World, Including Greetings. Students experience greetings not only in English but also in other languages around the world, and learn the unique pronunciation, rhythm, and gestures of each language.
• Notice Differences in Various Letters. Students learn that various letters are used in the world including the alphabet, and learn the origins and compositions of various letters.
• Recognize the Existence of Loan Words. Students collect loan words used in their daily lives, check to see how well the ALTs understand them and learn the origins of the loan words. Students also research about Japanese words and expressions used in other countries.
• Learn About Cultures/Locations of Various Countries. Students learn about cultures, languages, gestures, letters and locations of countries in the world. Furthermore, they learn about the designs and colors of national flags.
• Learn About the Daily Lives of People in Those Countries. Through experiential activities, students learn that there are different lifestyles in the world, including foods, clothes and games. Students also engage in exchange activities with ALTs and foreign exchange students. It is important that this content should be linked to students' understanding of the Japanese language and traditional culture mainly through experiential activities. Instructors are also expected to promote students' discoveries through associating these activities with other school subjects. Furthermore, it is important for ALTs to provide easy-to-understand explanations in English and homeroom teachers may give additional explanation in Japanese as required in order to deepen students' understanding.

21. Team-Teaching Procedures

Various forms of team teaching are described in Section 4 - Effective Team Teaching. In this section, team teaching by the homeroom teacher and ALT is discussed. The roles of the homeroom teacher and the ALT are explained as involving two stages, namely, meeting before the lesson and during the lesson, and by using a unit plan and lesson plans. In the “during the lesson” stage, the roles of the homeroom teacher and ALT are discussed according to the objectives of the activities.

I. Meetings Before & During Lessons
The homeroom teacher makes a unit plan suitable for his/her own classes as shown in Table 4, based on the teaching plan each school creates in advance. During the meeting, the homeroom teacher informs the ALT of what s/he wants the ALT to do as well as the ALT’s role in the unit, which is detailed in Table 4. After the homeroom teacher explains the activities and their objectives s/he prepared in advance, s/he can ask the ALT to offer advice regarding the activities and the target vocabulary in order to make the lesson more effective. 

<Table 4 Unit Plan>

In all the lessons/activities in Table 4, the following points are important for each teacher:

• Homeroom Teacher:
• Constantly monitor the class and control the flow/pace of the lesson so all students can participate in the activities comfortably.
•  
  Assist students in understanding the English being used.
• Be aware of when to switch roles from a main teacher to a more supporting role of assisting.
• Work together (team-teach) with the ALT throughout the entire lesson to provide a best learning environment for the students to learn in.
• Assistant Language Teacher:
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Encourage the students to speak out.
• Be aware of when to switch roles from a main teacher to a more supporting role of assisting.
• Work together (team-teach) with the HRT throughout the entire lesson to provide a best learning environment for the students to learn in.
  

In team-teaching, it is important for both teachers to fully utilize each other’s qualities and fulfill their individual roles in the classroom, thus allowing the students to engage in Foreign Language Activities without anxiety, even when encountering unknown words, and develop a positive attitude toward communication using a foreign language, which is the objective of Foreign Language Activities.

22. Lesson Study

I. Objectives of Lesson Study
The following are the objectives of lesson study held at schools:

• To improve the teaching abilities of each teacher and maintain or improve the school’s standard of teacher quality.
• To enhance mutual understanding among teachers, and have them share a common goal for improving their teaching abilities.
• All teachers share their concerns, problems and challenges through observing students during other teachers’ lessons.
• Improve the teaching skills of each teacher by learning, through actual observation of lessons, excellent teaching methods and techniques for developing teaching materials.

II. Implementation Methods of Lesson Study
As a means of lesson study, Foreign Language Activities’ lessons are to be opened up for observation with a lesson study workshop held after the observation. The following are the points to be remembered in conducting lesson study at schools:

• Create an annual training plan, and hold lesson observation sessions and lesson study workshops according to the plan.
• Establish a school system so that all teachers can take part in lesson observation sessions and lesson
  study workshops.
• Hold a lesson plan study workshop with in-house study groups and discuss the lesson plan made by the teacher giving the lesson before the lesson observation session.
• Invite experts who can provide practical advice, and establish a system to receive professional instructions at school.
• Videotape lesson observation sessions and keep records of lesson study workshops.

III. Points to Be Discussed in Lesson Study
Points to be discussed at lesson study workshops held at schools are as follows. The issues and challenges unique to each school should be included as well:

• Composition of the unit and the flow of the lesson
• Objectives of the unit and the objectives of the lesson
• Analysis of students, teaching materials and teaching methods used in the unit
• Communication activities of the lesson
• Vocabulary and expressions used in the unit
• Effects of the lesson’s teaching method and points to be improved
• Classroom English used during the lesson
• Teaching assistance system (roles of homeroom teacher, ALT, etc.) of the lesson
• Concrete criteria and methods of evaluation regarding the unit

1 Research and development schools are allowed to follow a curriculum which is not stipulated in the Course of Study and engage in the development of a new curriculum and teaching methods.

2 Foreign Language Activities is not regarded as a “subject” as stipulated in the 2008 revision of the Course of Study for
Elementary Schools.

This page was last modified on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 11:37:08 AM