The Practice of 10-Minute Free Voluntary Reading in Separate-Session Classes for Foreign Pupils Who Require Japanese Language Support

Abstract

Special educational curricula for foreign pupils who require Japanese language support in compulsory education schools in Japan were approved for implementation from April 1, 2014. Even though Japanese language instruction can be conducted in separate-session classes in elementary schools, they are also commonly used to help students catch up with ordinary classroom subjects. This paper aims to report on the practice of 10-minute free voluntary reading in separate-session classes for foreign pupils to ensure steady progress in learning Japanese.

The number of practices of free voluntary reading or extensive reading in a second language is large in the field of English education, but there have been few cases in the field of Japanese education. Therefore, a program of 10-minute free voluntary reading as in-class activity based on Matsui & Noro (2010) was carried out in three elementary schools in Aichi Prefecture.

The finding suggests that it is necessary to ensure time for activities specifically for Japanese language support, such as free voluntary reading, in separate-session classes. Also, it is important to determine the learning content after consultation between teachers in charge of teaching Japanese and homeroom teachers of the foreign pupils.