This study explores the effects of a method based on data-driven learning (DDL) for elementary school children learning English. Participants were two separate classes of sixth grade elementary school students in Japan. One class was assigned as the oral-practice group and the other the DDL group with oral practice. To investigate the effects of DDL, both groups’ pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest scores were statistically compared. The results showed that the activity based on DDL significantly improved their knowledge of plural affix -(e)s usage between countable and uncountable nouns, and they successfully retained this knowledge even after more than two weeks. In addition to these gains, the participants generally gave favorable responses to the DDL-based activity, which was probably due to its game-like format with group members. These results highlight the great potential of inductive learning based on DDL principles as an effective method for elementary school English curriculum planning.

To seek ways of improving training programmes for elementary school English teachers, the author looked at training programmes for practicing primary school teachers in Switzerland when English was introduced at primary school level. Interviews, email exchanges, primary school class observations and a survey were carried out. The two in-service training programmes observed here, which required a high English language proficiency (C1 level), training in thorough language teaching methodology geared for primary pupils and several weeks of assistant teachership in English speaking countries, are showing favourable outcomes at schools. The implications for Japan will include the desirability of language proficiency training, teaching methodology training, continuity from elementary English to junior and senior high school, and financial and labour support from administration and the government.

In order to investigate whether the picture card sets adequately contain the words that pupils want to use, the contents of six picture card sets were compared with the results of the questionnaire asking pupils’ favorite things. The analysis revealed that no more than 27.71% of the words that pupils want to use are contained in picture card sets on average, and vocabulary of pupils’ favorite drinks especially tended not to be picturized. Also, three kinds of vocabularies –school-related things, the things unique to Japanese culture, and subordinate ideas – were found less likely to be contained in picture card sets. Considering the results, it is found that picture card sets do not adequately contain what pupils want to use, and thus it is assumed that they are not substantially used in primary English classes. It is suggested that to teach pupil-centered lessons, teachers should not use picture cards without consideration; rather, they should decide what word to use based on their pupils’ interests.