scholarly journals The current situation and issues with English language activities in primary schools in Japan after six years of implementation

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Takiguchi Masaru ◽  
Machida Junko
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Careful Study ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Proper Training ◽  
Compulsory Subject ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
Homeroom Teachers

English education in public primary schools in Japan started in 2011 not as a subject but as an area of foreign language activities in Japan. However, the preparation was poor and homeroom teachers without proper training were required to teach English. Since then, the issue has become highly controversial in Japan. To clarify the actual situation, we conducted surveys three times between 2012 and 2017 and found many problems. Nevertheless, English will become a compulsory subject from April, 2020, but before we see any major improvements by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), more careful study on the problems is an urgent need and therefore, we would like to utilize the results of our research. This paper attempts to study the changing situation and to point out the necessary conditions for possible reforms by comparing and analyzing the results of the latter two surveys.

CLIL in the Japanese University Context

2019 ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Michael James Davies
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Japanese Education ◽  
Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
The University ◽  
Globalized World

The Japanese education system is currently in the midst of reforms, particularly with regards to way the English language is taught. At the university level, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) is not only endeavoring to improve Japanese students' proficiency in English but also their intercultural communicative competence. This comes at a time when universities in Japan are trying to enhance their international competitiveness in an increasingly globalized world. The chapter argues that the approach to English education known as content and language integrated learning (CLIL), and the principles on which it is based, will help to address many of these issues of concern. By adopting this approach, not only will students be exposed to a more motivating learning experience, they will also be encouraged to critically examine issues from different cultural standpoints. Finally, the chapter examines instances of CLIL in Japanese universities where it is already being used, as well as effective ways in which it can be implemented from now on.

scholarly journals Considerations for activity and task selection in Japanese elementary school English communication lessons

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Richard Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
School Level ◽  
Boards Of Education ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
Homeroom Teachers

Early in 2008 the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) revised its course of study, with the introduction of a period of Foreign Language Activities (FLA) in the 5th and 6th grades of elementary school (MEXT, 2008). Although the widespread implementation of FLA will gradually be effected through 2011, predating this, research suggests that around 94 percent of elementary schools had already been undertaking ‘English’ activities as part of ‘International Understanding’ (IU) studies (Benesse, 2007). Despite these figures, there has, to date, been a relative lack of concrete direction from MEXT, leading to a diversity of programs developed by individual district boards of education or schools, with a variety of conceptions of IU by Japanese homeroom teachers and assistant language teachers (Watanabe, 2006b). It is amidst this environment that the current paper will review the proposed purposes of English classes at the elementary school level, and, drawing upon this background, provide an outline of a range of concepts teachers should bear in mind when selecting activities or tasks for these lessons. 2008年の初頭、文部科学省は新学習指導要領を発表し、小学校5、6年生に外国語活動を導入するとした。外国語活動は2011年までに広範囲で実施されるであろうが、これに先駆け、約94％の小学校では既に国際理解教育の一環として英語活動を導入しているとの調査結果が出ている。この数値にもかかわらず、現時点では外国語活動に関する文部科学省からの具体的な指示が欠けている。これにより、日本人担任教師やALTは国際理解教育に対して多様な考えを持ち、各地域の教育委員会や各学校の裁量で様々なプログラムが開発されているのである。本論では、小学校での英語教育に対して提案された目標を検討し、教師が指導内容を選択する際に意識すべきことを概観する。

scholarly journals Team Teaching Participation Patterns of Homeroom Teachers in English Activities Classes in Japanese Public Elementary Schools

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Aline ◽  
Yuri Hosoda
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Team Teaching ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
Homeroom Teachers ◽  
Teaching Implications

Since Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)) introduced its new course of study guidelines, most public elementary schools now offer English Activities classes, mostly classes team-taught by the homeroom teacher (HRT) and an assistant language teacher (ALT). Although team teaching has received a lot of attention in Japan, there are few studies on team teaching at elementary schools. This observational study examines the interaction among HRT, ALT, and students, with a focus on HRTs’ participation patterns in the interaction. The data come from six team-teaching English Activity classes in five randomly selected public elementary schools. The data revealed four observable ways HRTs participated: by being (a) a “bystander,” (b) a “translator,” (c) a “co-learner” of English, or (d) a “co-teacher.” The various participation patterns exhibited by the HRTs affected the classroom interaction in distinct ways. Teaching implications for both experienced and novice teachers are discussed. 「総合的な学習の時間」が本格的に開始されて以来多くの公立小学校で英語活動が導入されてきた。多くの学校では学級担任と外国人指導助手のティームティーチングによる授業を行っている。日本ではティームティーチングという言葉をよく耳にするが、小学校におけるティームティーチングの研究はまだ進んでいない。本稿では、学級担任、外国人指導助手、児童の英語活動授業における相互行為を検証し、学級担任の相互行為への参加パターンについて考察する。本研究では公立小学校５校６教室における英語活動を分析した。分析の結果、学級担任は(a) 傍観者、(b) 通訳、(c) 生徒 (d) 教師、として授業に 参加していたことがわかった。また、学級担任のそれぞれの授業参加パターンは教室内相互行為の軌道に様々な影響を与えていることがわかった。学級担任と外国人指導助手は今後どのようにティームティーチングを進めていくべきなのかについて示唆する。

scholarly journals Behind MEXT's new Course of Study Guidelines

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masumi Tahira
Keyword(s):  
English Education ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Lack Of Commitment ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
Training Opportunities ◽  
Course Of Study

The new Course of Study Guidelinesof the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technologyof Japan (MEXT) started to be implemented in stages in 2011. This paper reviews how MEXT’s policies for English education have changed and examines how the Ministry has attempted to implement communicative approaches over the last two decades.However, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)isnot well rooted in Japan, so teachers do not fully understand it and are not confident about using CLT. This is the result of the lack of commitment by MEXT, which has led to ambiguity about CLT itself. This lack of commitment hampers the achievement of its ultimate goal of improving Japanese students’ English proficiency.MEXT must provide greater support for teachers by clarifying its advocated principles and providing ongoing training opportunities. 新学習指導要領が2011年から順次実施されている。本論では、文部科学省による日本の英語教育方針の変遷を振り返り、過去20年間にわたるコミュニカティブ・ランゲージ・ティーチング（CLT）導入の取り組みについて考察する。CLTはまだ日本の教育現場に十分根づいておらず、教師側のCLTへの理解、CLT実践への自信も十分とはいえない。これは、これまで同省がどのような教え方をするべきかについて曖昧さを残したままにしてきたことの結果でもあり、日本人生徒の英語力を向上させるという最終目標を阻害するものとなっている。同省は、自ら推し進める理念を具体的に示し、継続的な研修機会を提供して教師支援をさらに行うべきである。

Establishing a model to demonstrate physical and mathematical properties of chromatin fibres in fission yeast cells - Research in the Molecular Biophysics Lab at Hiroshima University

Impact ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-91
Author(s):  
Shin-ichi Tate
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
And Function ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
Open The Doors

The field of molecular biology has provided great insights into the structure and function of key molecules. Thanks to this area of research, we can now grasp the biological details of DNA and have characterised an enormous number of molecules in massive data bases. These 'biological periodic tables' have allowed scientists to connect molecules to particular cellular events, furthering scientific understanding of biological processes. However, molecular biology has yet to answer questions regarding 'higher-order' molecular architecture, such as that of chromatin. Chromatin is the molecular material that serves as the building block for chromosomes, the structures that carry an organism's genetic information inside of the cell's nucleus. Understanding the physical properties of chromatin is crucial in developing a more thorough picture of how chromatin's structure relate to its key cellular functions. Moreover, by establishing a physical model of chromatin, scientists will be able to open the doors into the true inner workings of the cell nucleus. Professor Shin-ichi Tate and his team of researchers at Hiroshima University's Research Center for the Mathematics on Chromatin Live Dynamics (RcMcD), are attempting to do just that. Through a five-year grant funded by the Platform for Dynamic Approaches to Living Systems from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Tate is aiming to gain a clearer understanding of the structure and dynamics of chromatin.

Design and Economics of the HTGR-GT Power Plant by JAERI

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasushi Muto ◽  
Shintaro Ishiyama ◽  
Shusaku Shiozawa ◽  
Masanori Tanihira ◽  
Yasuyuki Miyoshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
System Type ◽  
Helium Gas ◽  
Generation Cost ◽  
Education Culture

This paper describes the conceptual design and cost estimation of a 600MW(t) HTGR-GT power plant, which has been completed in the framework of the HTGR-GT feasibility study project in the duration of FY 1996 to FY 2000. The project is assigned to JAERI by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (former Science and Technology Agency) in Japan. The inlet and outlet gas temperatures in the reactor are 460°C and 850°C, respectively. Helium gas pressure is 6MPa. The gas turbine system type is an intercooled recuperative direct cycle. Designs of reactor and gas turbine are presented. The main feature of the plant is a relatively large 600 MW(t) HTGR, horizontal single shaft helium turbine and divided power conversion vessel, that is, a turbomachine vessel and heat exchanger one. Their main specifications and drawings are presented. As a result of cost estimation, an economically attractive construction cost and a power generation cost have been obtained.

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