抄録
This study examines whether teachers should use English or Japanese as a medium of instruction when they give instructions in English classes at elementary schools. Two investigations were conducted for this study: Study I with 96 participants and Study II with 104 participants. The researcher visited the 3rd to 5th grade classes at a public elementary school and taught English twice: once using only English instructions and once using only Japanese instructions. During the class, eight to nine participants wore IC recorders and the participants’ one-minute interactions were transcribed. The results revealed that beginning learners benefit more from Japanese instructions than English instructions when they carry out the activities. Now, in Japan, at junior high schools and high schools, English is used as a medium of instruction. However, from the findings of this study, it is inadvisable to apply the same policy at elementary schools. This study indicates that a gradual approach using both English and Japanese is preferable for beginning learners.
