Abstract

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) required all elementary schools in Japan to introduce English lessons for fifth and sixth graders five years ago. In addition, MEXT announced to start English activities for third and fourth graders from the year 2020 (MEXT, 2016). According to the announcement, two picturebooks will be employed as a supplemental material to have students get familiar with fundamental English vocabulary and expressions, and to have experience of English communication. That is because picturebooks are expected to give Japanese pupils an experience of different cultures and lifestyles that they rarely experience in their daily life. The pedagogical use of English picturebooks, however, has not been fully developed in Japan, and teachers do not necessarily know how to use picturebooks in their classroom. In this context, this paper aims to provide a systematic framework for an effective use of picturebooks in an elementary school English education.