Transcript Japan’s and China’s Approach to Initial Elementary

Koji Uenishi
Setsunan University
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It is said that young learners can benefit from the
age factor and that they have potential
advantages when starting to learn a foreign
language at an earlier stage.
English language teaching (ELT) at primary
schools in Asian countries, including Japan, has
been conducted.
Hard to state that they have practically arranged
sufficient conditions for conducting significant
foreign language teaching at primary school level
in Asian countries.
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In Japan, ELT has regularly been implemented at
primary schools from April 1, 2011, even though
the teaching of English is conducted in so-called
foreign language activities (gaikokugo-katudou),
not as an English subject.
Several problems on practical teaching of the
target language: the teaching staff members and
teaching content or materials.
Same problems on ELT at primary schools
occurred in Meiji Era, starting around 1865
(Okuno, 2009)
In Korea, English became a regular subject in 1997
and third to sixth graders have been learning English
once or twice a week since 2000.
 Jung and Norton (2002) investigated the issues on
planning and implementing the English program at
primary schools in South Korea.
→they found that policymakers were concerned about
issues in planning the program: teacher training,
implementing communicative language teaching and
potential impact on students’ native language and
identity.
→it is shown that head teachers’ leadership and
teacher training are of great importance in
implementing the program.
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In China, it was announced that English teaching
would be formally introduced at primary schools
in 2001.
Nationwide English education has been
implemented at primary schools since 2005. At
present, in urban cities, such as Beijing and
Shanghai, English is taught as a formal subject
from the first grade.
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At junior and senior high school levels, English teaching
textbooks from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and
Thailand were analyzed and discussed from the
viewpoint of:
vocabulary (Hettarchchie, et al. 2008; Miura, et al. 2008)
grammatical items: infinitives (Uenishi, et al. 2008;
Uenishi, et al. 2007) and verbs (Abe, et al. 2008; Asai, et
al. 2007).
→A series of comparative research shows grammar and
vocabulary teaching at secondary education in Japan is
not well-organized, compared to ELT in neighboring
countries in Asia.
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Perspective of grammatical items (Abe, et al,
2009; Hosaka et al, 2009; Watanabe, et al. 2008).
Exploration of the regularity of Asian countries’
materials focusing on wh-interrogative questions
(Uenishi et al, 2009; Uenishi et al, 2010).
→ it was shown that Japanese textbooks tend
not to be well-organized in terms of organization
compared to Chinese and Thai primary school
textbooks.
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At primary schools in Japan the main focus of
language teaching is listening and speaking to
familiarize students with English language and
enhance their interest in the language and culture.
Reading and writing, in principle, have not been
taught there. It is expressly stated in the New Course
of Study (2008) established by the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
(MEXT) that, hopefully, the latter two skills should
be touched on and enhanced at junior high schools.
Nevertheless, in Eigo Noto 2 (2009) for sixth graders,
the English alphabet is treated and it requires the
teacher to teach how to write the English letters and
basic words.
The teaching content and materials are left to
individual primary schools (MEXT).
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In this paper, the process and methods of
introducing the English alphabet between
Chinese and Japanese textbooks.
Objectives:
(1) How the alphabet is shown to primary school
students in China and Japan is discussed.
(2) The methods of teaching the English
characters and words in both countries are
examined and what to learn from teaching the
English alphabet and words in China is discussed.
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Each textbook was first digitized and then
analyzed in terms of the content, especially the
introduction of the English alphabet. With regard
to alphabet learning, the learning stage should
be taken into account; that is, the stages
between the exposure to the letters and practical
writing.
(1) Eigo Noto textbooks at primary schools in Japan
(G 5 and G 6)
(2) New Horizon at junior high schools in Japan (JH 1)
(3) Starting Line Students’ Book at primary schools in
China (Books 1-3)
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Regarding the introduction of the English
alphabet in China and Japan, the content of
primary school textbooks in China (Books 1 to 3)
and primary and junior high schools textbooks in
Japan was analyzed.
3.1.1 Japanese textbooks
Table 1 Titles of each unit and lesson in Books 1-3
Lessons
Book 1 (G5)
Book 2 (G6)
Units
Book 3 (JH1)
1
Hello.
That’s right.
1
Welcome, Ms. Green.
2
I’m happy.
Aa Bb Cc
2
At School.
3
How many?
3
Ms. Green’s First Class
4
I love Japan.
Let’s
enjoy 1
When is your
birthday?
Happy birthday to
you.
4
I like apples.
I can swim.
5
Let’s go on a picnic.
5
I don’t like blue.
Turn right.
6
The Green
6
What do you want?
I want to go to Italy.
7
Canadian School
8
First Trip to Canada
9
Christmas is coming.
10
Niagara Falls
11
New Year’s Days
Let’s
Read.
The Hungry Lion.
Let’s
enjoy 2
Learn the world
heritage sites.
What time do you get
up?
7
What’s this?
8
I study Japanese.
9
What would you like? I want to be a teacher.
Let’s
enjoy 3
Please help me.
Learn the names of
various jobs
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In Eigo Noto 1 (2009), any number of pictures are
made use of in all lessons, but no or few words or
letters are shown to the fifth graders in Japan except
for the titles of each lesson, activity titles such as
Let’s Listen, and the titles of songs: What do you
want?
Basically, focusing on listening, students are
supposed to do some different activities such as
sections called Let’s Play and Let’s Chant.
The purpose of the textbook: to encourage the
learners to get accustomed to foreign languages,
especially English by adopting any number of
activities such as games and songs.
It is considered that to urge students to get used to
unfamiliar languages is appropriate for young
learners.
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Desirable that some more English words should be used
in the textbooks. Students are exposed to different
foreign languages, especially English.
Even though students listen to English words or
sentences in class, they are seldom or never seen unless
the teacher shows English words to them, using
vocabulary cards or on the blackboard.
Units
Titles
Letters
Units
(Let's learn.)
Titles
Letters
(Let's learn.)
1
School
9
Classroom
A, S, D, F, G
2
Body
10
My Room
H, J, K, L
3
Animals
11
Toys
Q, W, E, R, T
4
Revision
12
Review
A, S, D, F, G, H, J,
K, L, Q, W, E, R, T
5
Numbers
13
Shapes
Y, U, I, O, P
6
Colours
14
Clothes
Z, X, C, V, B
7
Fruit
15
Food and
Drink
N, M
8
Revision
16
Review
All characters
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In Book 1 for first graders, the words and sentences
necessary for English learning are written in the
textbook.
The purpose: English learners exposure to as many
English letters as possible, not required to learn the
alphabet in ELT.
To prevent them from disliking the foreign language, the
words or sentences shown along with attractive pictures
and photos.
Conversations: English sentences written in each
balloon; good way to accelerate more exposure to
English letters and words.
The aim of Book 1: to provide students more chances to
see English words and sentences in a natural way, not to
get them to learn the English alphabet in the first grade.
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The latter half of Book 1 is produced with the aim of
urging students (1st graders) to become aware of the
English letters connecting the uppercase letters with the
positions of fingers in a keyboard.
→ the English letters will be smoothly introduced to
primary school students; policy that aims at enhancing
students’ greater interest in English and culture and
having them get accustomed to English learning.
To facilitate the introduction of English letters, the
keyboard of the computer is used in certain units and
they can connect the position of each finger with the
capital characters.
By using the keyboard which is familiar to them, the
intake of the English alphabet along with pronunciation
of each letter will be further promoted. The learning of
capital English letters in the latter half of Book 1 is
followed by the next volume Book 2.
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The extent of exposure to written English words is increased
gradually from grade to grade.
First graders just look at words and sentences as well as each
capital letter.
Second graders look at them more closely―small and capital
letters are shown to learners in the text and, concurrently,
they are requested to physically write all the English alphabet.
The period of exposure to English words is necessary to get
used to English letters or words as well as to enjoy listening to
and speaking English.
→in Chinese textbooks, the picture is drawn beside the word
or expression related to it from the early stage;
It is useful or productive for learners not only to learn English,
but also to do the future learning of the English alphabet.
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Students are exposed to English letters for at least
one year in Japan and China (3.1).
In Japan, in terms of the content, the period and the
way to show the alphabet is not enough for students
who start to learn English.
In this section: practical teaching of writing the
alphabet and words in China and Japan
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In Eigo Noto 2, all the English letters are introduced from Lesson
1 for the purpose of making students learn the letters. Even
though teachers cannot afford the time to teach the alphabet in
English lessons, they should spend more time making students
practice writing the English letters including small ones.
In Lesson 1, Book 2, capital and small letters from A (a) to Z (z)
are introduced; various types of activities: ‘find the letters in the
pictures’ and ‘play the card game of letters.’
Students get used to English letters in the classroom through
the activities: ‘complete the letters’ and ‘arrange the letters to
complete famous people’s names’.
Urged to copy the letters they arrange or find; good procedure
in this lesson in terms of the aim of urging students to get
accustomed to the English letters and teaching them to write
the alphabet. →This kind of activity will have to be done earlier
in terms of the exposure to the English alphabet.
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The following lessons are conducted with the
aim of exposing students to English letters and
encouraging them to notice capital and small
ones in various ways, by matching capital and
small letters or by filling in missing letters.
At the same time, students start to learn how to
physically write English words such as signs and
names from Lesson 2.
In Eigo Noto 2, young learners start to learn how
to write the English alphabet while exposed to
the English letters and words. →MEXT’s
announcement seems to be contradictory.
(the Roman letters seem to be taught in
Japanese language lessons.)
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In Book 3 (JH1), a variety of topics are utilized in
order to fascinate students and to motivate them
into English learning; English teaching starts in
earnest for students in schools from this stage.
In terms of acquiring letters or words, students are
more exposed to them and are required to learn
writing in each unit.
Four skills integrated to develop learners’
comprehensive English skills.
The alphabet is introduced to students on the
introductory pages before Lesson 1; followed by the
section, ‘Let’s memorize English words.’
Introduction of the English alphabet has been
conducted systematically considering the learning
stages and their interest.
From Book 1 for first graders English words are used
along with the pictures, which is contrary to the
method of ELT in Japan.
It is supposed that in China they have the key concept
that students should be exposed to the written words
or sentences according to the learning stage.
Units
Titles
Letters/words
(Let's learn/review.)
Units
1
Family
f i l y a m (family)
9
2
Friends
i e f d s r n (friends)
10
3
parks
a r s k p (parks)
11
4
Revision
aelk
12
5
Streets
e t s e t s r (streets)
13
6
Beijing
i i e j b n g (beijing)
14
7
Festivals
e l v f Iis t a s
(festivals)
15
8
Revision
ternlan
16
Titles
Letters/words
(Let's learn/review.)
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg
spring summer fall winter
Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn
Weather
sunny cloudy windy rainy
Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt
PE Class
throw climb jump walk
Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Revision
Spring is warm and green.
What time is it?
Time
It's 12:00. It's time for lunch.
When do you get up?
My Day
I get up at 7:15.
The Days of It's Wednesday today.
the Week
Let's go and play football.
4 weeks in a month
3 months in a season
Revision
4 seasons in a year
12 months in a year
Seasons
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From Unit 9 to Unit 11 in the second graders’ textbook,
students are supposed to practice writing some words,
along with a set of capital and small English letters.
e.g. in Unit 9 they learn to write half of the alphabet, the
names of seasons (i.e. spring, summer, fall, winter);
in Units 12 and 16 simple sentences and phrases are
taught to students (e.g. Spring is warm and green.),
along with the rest of the alphabet.
After students have had sufficient exposure to English
letters and words, the teacher can move on to the next
stage where learners are asked to write the alphabet and
words.
→This integrative approach is excellent enough to
encourage them to learn the new language, taking into
account the learners’ affective aspects (i.e. nervousness,
anxiety) in language learning.
Units
Titles
Introduction of Letters
(Learn the letters.)
A a, E e, I i, O o, U u
cake bee bike nose music
H h, J j, K, k hand jump kite
B b, C, c, D d, G g, P p, T t, V v
book cat door girl pencil tea, van (Fill in
letters in the underlined parts.)
Let’s read and write together.
Think and write.
Dear friend,
My name is ( ). I’m from China. I’m (
) years old. I’m in Class ( ). I go to ( )
School. My teacher is ( ). …
1
Myself
2
Y y, Q q, W w, R r
yellow queen water rabbit
My Body
L l, M m, N n, F f, X x, Z z, S s
lion mouth nose fish box zoo school
Listen, write and say. (Write names
suitable for pictures.)
Who is Mike? ( )
Who is Tom? ( )
Who is Monster? ( )
3
(Fill in the small letters… students write small
letters beside capital ones.) A , B , C …
My Food
Find and color (the alphabet).
Fill in the big letters. a, b, c, …
What do you want for the picnic?
I want ( ), ( ) and ( ) for the picnic.
Write your favourtite food and say:
I want ( ), ( ), ( ) and ( ) for lunch.
Fill in the big letters.
n, o, p, …
Revision Let’s write (both letters).
Aa, Bb, Cc, …
Blank with a picture.
I want ( ) and ( ) for breakfast.
I want a ( ) and a ( ) for lunch. etc.
4
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One of the advantages of the Chinese textbooks:
Students can enjoy the short story using the target
language in ‘Fun time’ at the end of each unit.
e.g. in Unit 1 there are eight squares in the cartoon. The
story describes a boy’s dream, in which he dreams of
asking a dog to open a bag and show the things in it, one
by one. Lastly, an angel jumps out of the book and the
boy and the dog are surprised at it. Then he wakes up.
→This sort of story can lead to students’ greater interest
in English and enhance their motivation in language
learning.
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In Book 3, third graders are first required to write again the
letters they have already seen (or write) at the first and
second grade levels.
At the same time they write English words along with
pictures. Practicing writing each English letter is finished by
Unit 4. After that, they read words or phrases and write them
in all units. Students not only write letters but draw pictures
while looking at certain words or sentences.
The textbook is well organized with a view of not boring
students with excessive spelling exercises.
Step-by-step learning methods are established in the Chinese
textbooks (Book 1 through 3).
→These textbooks well-organized in terms of learning to
write the English alphabet.
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In this paper, the content of the English alphabet in EFL
textbooks is focused on in China and Japan.
Japan: The New Course of Study established by MEXT
states that the English alphabet needs not to be taught
at primary schools.
If teachers teach the alphabet, it should just be used as
an aid only to improve communication among students.
China: With the pre-stage introduction to English
letters and words in China, students are frequently
exposed to English words and sentences.
→before students start to learn how to write English,
they have already been accustomed to reading and
listening to English letters, words and sentences.
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The content of Books 1 and 3 textbooks is well organized
for students to easily learn to read and write letters and
words.
From the viewpoint of teachers, Chinese textbooks are
well devised for them to teach writing systematically and
in a step-by-step way at the early stage of English
language teaching.
→Comparison of the teaching content in Chinese and
Japanese textbooks: improvements can be applied to
future Japanese textbooks as follows.
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(1) Before Japanese students start to learn to read and write
English letters and words, they should be exposed to more
English letters and words. They should be used with pictures
and photos rather than just seeing the pictures and photos
and hearing the words related to them. English letters and
words become more natural for them when they open their
textbooks.
(2) Japanese teachers should have a better approach in which
students are introduced to letters. One of the methods is to
use drawings of a standard English keyboard that students
are familiar with.
(3) The content in Chinese textbooks seems to be more
inviting than that in Japanese textbooks: a short story called
‘Fun time’ in each unit. Students are possibly more attracted
to such stories and then they feel like learning English more.
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Further research should be promoted to examine
other countries’ primary school textbooks.
From the different point of views of grammatical
items, it will also be quite intriguing to analyze
English textbooks at primary schools and to
compare them among different countries.
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