A Culturally Sensitive Approach to Communicative Language Teaching for Japanese Nursing Students

抄録

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is broadly advocated as an effective method for enhancing English language proficiency. While CLT emphasizes meaningful interaction and communicative competence, its implementation in Japan may be constrained by teacher-centered traditions, exam-oriented curricula, and students’ limited experience with spontaneous communication. Research on CLT in Japanese contexts has yielded mixed outcomes: some studies report an increased willingness to speak English, while others highlight student anxiety and cultural mismatches. To address these challenges, a culturally sensitive approach (CSA) is proposed, which integrates communicative principles with locally adapted strategies. A CSA encourages teachers to analyze classroom contexts, scaffold activities, adapt materials, and gradually introduce interactive learning. For nursing students, this approach may foster confidence, practical communication skills, and professional readiness, illustrating the importance of flexible, context-aware pedagogy in EFL education.