In an EFL situation such as Japan, the natural input of spoken English is quite restricted. However, children are surrounded with a lot of alphabetical letters and words in their environment. This investigation intends to acquire a basic understanding of how much Japanese children actually 'know' about English letters and words. It also examines children's receptive knowledge, which they have learnt unconsciously from their social environment. In English activities in elementary schools, which were implemented in April 2002, the focus of instruction is put only on spoken language. However, it seems that it is possible to use children's receptive knowledge as well as their interests in English letters and words in elementary classrooms.
