Practice of Four Skills Integration in Project-Based Elementary School English Lessons

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12462
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Toyo University (2019); Tsuda University (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Shirado Atsuko 東洋大学, 文学部, 助教 (90782748)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 小学校英語 / プロジェクト学習 / 英語教育 / 第二言語習得

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to investigate the possibility of four skills integration in Project-Based English Lessons (PBEL) with the standard material, We Can!, on the fifth and sixth graders of an elementary school. The goal of each project was decided based on students' interests and the language and learning materials of We Can! In the process, each project gave the students opportunities to select and decide important things. Moreover, the project provided the students with activities from listening, speaking, reading, to writing in order and comfortably in the layered framework of PBEL. The data were collected in a mixed methods research design. The results of the two-year study showed the positive effects of the students’ motivation for, self-confidence in, and development of the four skills, and the possibility of the students' four skills integration. Based on the findings, the researcher suggested the practical design of PBEL with English authorized textbooks.

Free Research Field

小学校英語指導法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

2020年度から3，4年生の外国語活動と5，6年生の外国語が全面実施となる中、言語的・情意的側面から4技能による児童のコミュニケーション能力の基礎育成へのプロジェクト重視の英語学習の成果に基づき、検定教科書を使ったプロジェクト重視の英語学習への実践的指導方法を示したことは、小学校英語改革の流れの中で不安を抱く教師を支援することにつながる。
また本指導法は、児童の学習への自己関与を高め、協働でゴールを達成することで児童が達成感や満足感を得て、学習により意欲的に取り組めることから、早期の英語嫌いや児童間の英語力格差という小学校英語が抱えている課題解決への糸口となる可能性も高い。