| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,450,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2007: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Since the present Course of Study for Elementary School was implemented, the number of schools that conduct English language activities as International Education in the framework of the Period for Integrated Study has steadily increased. Foreign Language Activities are to be embedded in the curriculum as a compulspary course in the new Course of Study that was announced by MEXT last March. On one hand, the implementation of English activities in the primary curriculum is welcomed by most of the guardians and the business sectors. On the other hand English activities in the primary level are criticized from the perspective of International Education, where multilingualism and multiculturalism are the key concepts for mutual understanding and coexistence.
Aiming at developing an integrated curriculum of International Education and Foreign Language (including English) Education, we have repeated one trial and error after another, examining innovative foreign language practices aboard and
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our own practices with public primary schools in Japan. We conducted English language activities with international students from Asian nations as ALTs dealing with Asian matters as the topic in the classes for the first two years, Language Awareness activities by the Japanese teachers only for the third year, and multilingual activities by a Japanese teacher with an international student who can use some European languages as an ALT for the fourth year. As a result of the practices, the following three points were clarified:
1. Even if the teachers were those from Asian nations and the teaching materials are Asian oriented, it was difficult to foster the children's positive attitudes toward the diversity of languages, although it might be possible to expect the changes of their interests in the Asian areas, so long as the classes are the English language activities.
2. The curriculum that introduced several languages using DVD materials by Japanese teachers for one semester could not arouse children's interests in plurilingualism.
3. When an international student who could use several languages and a Japanese teacher conducted multilingual activities, dealing with some foreign languages equally children's interests in languages were aroused and meta-linguistic abilities were fostered to a certain degree.
So, it can be said that the curriculum of multilingual activities, apart from English language activities, enable the students to foster their positive attitudes toward the diversity of languages and meta-lingual abilities as well Less
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