FeasibilityofCLILintheelementaryschoolinJapan

ShigeoUematsuDoshishaUniversity2016.7.1AsiaTEFL

EnglishStartedinJapan

•  InJapan,EnglisheducaFonisgivenaveryhighlevelofimportance,asdemonstratedbytheMinistryofEducaFon,Culture,Sports,Science&Technology(MEXT)’sdecisiontoimplementEnglisheducaFonfromprimaryschoollevelasof2011.

Movements

•  ImplementaFonofEnglishac3vi3esingrades5&6in2011(onceaweek)

•  ImplementaFonofEnglishasasubjectingrades5&6in2020(twiceaweek)

•  ImplementaFonofEnglishac3vi3esingrades3&4in2020

TheoverallobjecFveofthecurrentEnglishac3vi3esandCLIL

•  “ToformthefoundaFonofpupils’communicaFonabilitythroughforeignlanguage”(MEXT)

•  CLILapplicaFoninEnglishacFviFesfosteredaposiFveaVtudeinclass,moFvaFngstudyofthetargetlanguage(Gonzalez,2011)

CLILisprevalent,butdiffersfromCBI

•  CLILbecamepopularinEuropeinthecontextofECwhitepaper(1995).

•  ‘1+2policy’,thatisforEUciFzenstohavecompetenceintheirmothertongueplustwoCommunityforeignlanguages.

•  “…butitmaybeasecondlanguageorsomeformofheritageorcommunitylanguage’(Coyle,2010)

TwotypesofCLIL

•  Strongversion:awholesubjectfromthecurriculumbetaughtandassessedintheFL(English).Englishasalinguafranca(Graddol,2006)

•  Weakversion:arelaFvelysmallpartofasubjectistaughtintheFL,oaenincollaboraFonwithalanguageteacher.(Baker,2006)

Strongversion

•  With“Booklet”includesthenecessarymathvocabs,“Languagesupport”(grammarbook),and“Woksheet”whichincludesacFviFes,NeusGau(Spain)grade5studentshavebeenveryposiFveinlearninggeometry.AccordingtoPitarch(2014:66),“ThisimpliesthataffecFonwithstudentsisafeaturetoconsiderCLIL…notinfluencenegaFvelyintheprocessoflearningmathwherearsitisveryposiFveintheacquisiFonofforeignlangauge.”

Anexperiment

•  Background•  Pupils(4thgraders)haven’tstartedEnglishlanguagelearningyet,butthehomeroomteacher(myco-researcher)thoughtitaniceopportunitytoletpupilsexperiencedifferentlanguageandculture.HeconvincedthattheydowelcomeEnglishnaFvespeaker’sclass.

Howdopupilsrespond?•  201512.11(Fri)3rdand4thperiod.•  AtSelementaryschoolinOsaka.•  Class:“LifeandpeopleintheUS” (30min)plusQ&A(15min)attwoclassesofGrade4byProf.Hubert,mycolleague.

•  WithappropriateassistancethroughJapanesewheneverwethinknecessary,whichmightfacilitatetheirunderstandingoftheideas.

QuesFonnaires

•  Consistedof15items.ThehomeroomteacherandImadethem,aaerextensiveliteraturereview.

•  Answers:yes/no

•  Posttestadministeredwithinaweek.

ObjecFvesofanelementaryCLILclass

•  ToprovidethepupilswithopportuniFestobecomefamiliarwiththeaforemenFonedvocabularybylearningthecontentwithintheirage-appropriateintellectualinterest.

•  Tofosterthepupil’sposiFveaVtudetowardcommunicaFonbyprovidingthemwithopportuniFestouseEnglishasamediumoflearning.

ObjecFvesofanelementaryCLILclass

•  Toencouragepupils’experienFallearningusingcogniFveskills,notonlytocomprehendandmemorizethetargetvocabulary,butalsotoapplytheseskillstoproduceseveralproducts.

•  ToencouragethepupilstounderstandlanguageandculturebylearningaboutinternaFonalmamersinEnglish.

IntroducingCLILatelementaryschools•  Yamano(2013)conductedthree45minutestriallessonsforthe5thgraders,dealingwithScienceandArtsandcraasfocusingonanimals(1st;individualworktomakeanimals,2nd;groupworktomaketheclasszoo,3rd;aclassdiscussionabouttheideastohelpanimals).

•  Sheincorporated4Cs(content,communicaFon,cogniFon,andcommunity)inherlessons,thoughthecogniFoncontainedonlyLOTS;memorizing,understanding,andapplying.

•  Elementaryschoolteachershasavarietyofsubjectknowledge.Theycan“teach”whattheylikeinEnglishtomakeitmorefunforthelearners.(Yamano,2013)

IntroducingCLILatelementaryschools

•  Nigo(2013)conductedthree45minutestriallessonsforthe6thgraders,dealingwithMath(1st;addingandsubtracFngnumbers,2nd;numbersupto100,3rd;employingmulFplicaFontable),usingvariouscards,songs,andquizzes.Hereportednearly100%ofpupilscouldcatchandtellthesoundof1-100inEnglish,andmorethan90%ofthemcoulddealwithmulFplicaFoninEnglish.Thatgreatlyhelpedthosewho“usedtohate”math.

IntroducingCLILatelementaryschools

•  ByteachingsomeporFonofsocialstudiessuchasaskingpupils,“Whichishigher,Mt.FujiorMt.Aso,”theythink,check,geVngtotheanswer.(Yoshida,2015)

Feasibilityatelementaryschool•  CLILcanfostermainlylowerorderthinkingskills(i.e.remembering,understanding…)ifteachershaveagoodcommandofEnglish,enoughknowledgeinthetargetsubject(content),andhaveFmetoprepare.

•  Theclasscanbefun.TheemploymentofCLILmayfacilitatelearning.TeachercanencouragepupilstosearchrelaFngknowledgeusingInternet,askquizzes,makestories(withpictures)inEnglish.

Feasibilityinmiddleschoolorhigher

•  LackofproperEnglishlanguageskillforsubjectteacher(WhynotinL1?)

•  LackofsufficientEnglishlanguageskillsforEnglishteachertocommunicatewithstudents(ThiscausestheconvenFonalgrammar-translaFonmethodologytosurvive)

•  Lackofenoughprep-timeforteacherstoofferClILclasses.

Challenges

•  MEXT(2016.3)announcedthatsecuringtwoEnglishclassesingrades5&&turnedouttobedifficult.

•  EducaFonalbudgethitthelowest.(3.5%perGDP)in2015.(Norway,6.5%,U.S.,SouthKorea,4.7%)

Conclusion

•  EducatorsshouldunderstandthatCLILcanbeincorporatedintoelementaryEnglisheducaFonifitfacilitateslearning(music,art,PEotherthancoresubjects).

•  PolicymakersshouldunderstandtheimportanceoftheroleofeducaFonandmakemoreeffortsforfundingeducaFon.

•  MEXTshouldreviewthepre-serviceandthein-serviceteachertrainingforEnglishteachersbasedonawidespectrumofdiscussionsandresearch.

I needyourperspecFves!

•  IstheintroducFonofCLILeffecFveinsecondary,collegeleveltofosterHOTS?

(analyzing,evaluaFng,creaFng)•  HasearlyEnglisheducaFonsuccessfulinyourcountry?Why/whynot?

ThankyouforyouramenFon!

ThisresearchisaidedbyGrant-in-AidKAKENHI15K02805

ShigeoUEMATSU

suematsu@mail.doshisha.ac.jp