The acquisition of spoken English vocabulary is the primary objective of English language education in Japan. A significant assessment tool for evaluating English vocabulary acquisition is the Children’s Test of Nonword Repetition (CNRep). This study utilized CNRep to investigate changes in the acquisition of spoken English vocabulary over 1 year period among Japanese elementary and junior high school students who had engaged in English-as-a-foreign-language activities since the third grade of elementary school. The study involved 90 fifth-grade students from an elementary school and 65 first-grade students from a junior high school who underwent the same test at 1-year intervals. Given the binary nature of CNRep scoring, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used for a refined analysis. The GLMM results revealed that junior high school students outperformed elementary school students in CNRep, with both groups demonstrating improvement in the second year compared to the first year. Furthermore, words with fewer syllables were pronounced more accurately than those with more syllables in both groups. These findings suggest that English learning in both elementary and junior high schools may contribute to enhanced speech production skills among students.

The present study aimed to investigate Japanese university students’ repertoires of request strategies and explore the relationship between their positive affective evaluation regarding the learning of the subjunctive mood and their well-being as language learners. The participants were 59 Japanese first-year students from a national university in Japan. The data were collected by using a written discourse completion test and two types of questionnaires about their affective aspects and well-being in language learning. The results revealed the participants’ limited knowledge in making polite requests and showed that the participants’ affective evaluation regarding the learning of the subjunctive mood was positively associated with their well-being in language learning. These findings provide us with two pedagogical implications: (1) instruction could be effective and necessary in helping learners create appropriate form-meaning-function associations about target grammatical forms; and (2) second language pragmatic instruction that is designed to inform learners of the value and usefulness of the English subjunctive mood could enhance positive affect or emotions (e.g., a sense of joy, meaningfulness, relevance, and self-efficacy) in second language grammar learning, further promoting the well-being of language learners.

As a part of a research project to support subject teaching of young English teachers who work in small rural schools where there are limited opportunities to learn from experienced teachers of the same subject, this study focused on the interactions between teachers and students in English classes. The study examined how the interactions changed in three lessons over a year by adopting the revised version of CARES-EFL as a framework for interaction analysis. The results of the study revealed that the ratio of use of English by the participant teacher, which was pointed out as one of the issues to be addressed in an after-class discussion with other educators, increased by more than 20% and in some cases the teacher used the mixed languages (i.e., Japanese and English) to make herself understood, while familiarizing students with English expressions. In addition, the assistant language teacher’s utterances changed from those merely presenting models for oral repetition or oral cues for a game-like activity, both of which are considered specific to language classrooms and not authentic in daily life, to more authentic ones by asking topic-related questions and changing them according to the students’ level of understanding. On the other hand, the amount of the interactions initiated by the assistant language teacher and that of the interactions initiated by the students were pointed out as an issue to be improved in the future. The study also showed some limitations of CARES-EFL and its revised version in analyzing classroom interactions.

English became an official course at elementary schools in Japan in 2020. Since then, concerns about changes and problems with the English education cooperation initiative between elementary and junior high schools [ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative] have been raised by teachers at both school levels. The present study used a survey of all elementary school and junior high school teachers in Mie Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture in order to provide a quantitative analysis of these issues. 301 valid responses were analyzed quantitatively through machine learning and data science techniques. Approximately 87% of the respondents indicated that new changes had occurred or problems had arisen. Positive changes included a reduction in students’ resistance to speaking and listening as well as an increase in proficiency in writing the English alphabet. Respondents also indicated a negative trend: an increase in the number of students who dislike English or feel inadequate when using it. Furthermore, elementary school teachers noted an increase in the number of teachers who feel evaluating students to be difficult. Of note is the large change perceived by younger junior high school teachers that the ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative is “not going well” and that a gap exists in academic attainment and attitudes. These are points which were previously unobserved. Therefore, it can be said that the ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative has entered a new stage (Second Phase). These points signal that ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative participants must adopt a new mindset and new approaches.

本研究の目的は，青森県内の中学校英語科教員を対象に，スピーキングとライティングのパフォーマンステストと小学校英語教科化後の生徒の実態に関するアンケート調査を行い，新学習指導要領実施後の中学校英語の課題を明らかにすることである。調査の結果，両方のパフォーマンステストで，ルーブリックの作成率が低いこと，場面設定が難しいこと，評価者が1人のため評価の信頼性が低いこと，テストを設定する時間や採点の時間が足りないこと，評価への自信がないこと等が課題として挙げられた。またスピーキング単独では，評価の観点としてプロソディや発音が軽視されていること，ライティング単独では重視する評価の観点について，内容に続き，文法，語彙，綴り，語数等，ローカルな観点が重視されていることが明らかになった。小学校英語教科化後の生徒の実態については，4技能5領域の能力やコミュニケーション能力，言語活動への積極性は以前より高くなっている可能性が示された一方で，英語嫌いが助長されている可能性も示され，英語力や英語学習への意欲の二極化が潜在的に進行している懸念が示唆された。以上のように，パフォーマンステストの改善と中学校入学時の個に応じた指導が大きな課題であり，新学習指導要領実施以前に比べ，それらが深刻化している現状が明らかになった。そして，これらの解決策として，教員の資質・能力を向上させる演習型研修の設定，デジタル機器の活用による授業の効率化や個別最適な学びの推進，英語力や学習意欲に焦点化したシームレスな移行を目指す小中連携等が必要であることが提案された。

It has been the author’s personal experience, for as long as she has been teaching ESL in Japan, that Japan, with its large English education industry, has seldom been seen as being multilingual or bilingual. In this paper, a literature review is first done to summarize research showing that Japanese society can be considered multilingual. It also shows that many Japanese students do not consider themselves as bilinguals despite the existence of bilingualism/multilingualism around them. Next, a six-year study is presented. It found that most of the Japanese ESL students surveyed did not consider themselves to be bilinguals but believed that being bilinguals was important to them. Reasons why students think being bilingual were important or not important to them are also discussed. Finally, the paper concludes that there is a gap between not believing oneself to be bilingual and wanting to become bilingual. This paper argues that students need to understand concepts of bilingualism/multilingualism more and believe in their bilingualism with more confidence. It recommends that ESL instructors should see their students as emergent bilinguals and allow students to become more confident in their English learning pursuits while using both their L1 and L2 as invaluable tools in their linguistic acquisition.

外国語教育の現場では，コミュニケーション能力の基礎を養うため，児童に負担なくより効果的に語彙を指導する方法が求められている。将来的に豊かなコミュニケーションを可能にするためには，様々な品詞の語彙に触れていくことが必要である。初期学習者にとっては名詞から覚えていくことは重要である。しかし，使える英語を習得していくためには，早い段階から様々な品詞に触れていくことも必要である。本研究では，初学者にとって有効とされている母語の語彙知識を生かした語彙の学習に焦点を当てる。特に，母語の語彙知識の一つである単語の意味的関連性を利用した語彙学習教材の作成と実践を行った。母語における単語同士の意味的関連性として，ある単語に対して上位・下位などの範疇を表すパラディグマティックな意味的関連性（例．雲—雨）と，ある単語に対して統語的な結びつきを表すシンタグマティックな意味的関連性（例．雲—白い）を取り入れた絵本教材を作成し，その教材を利用した短時間学習を行った。学習後に単語の意味を答える確認テストを行ったところ，双方の意味的関連性を利用して単語の意味を学習することができていた。この結果から，今回の実践のように短時間かつ継続的に学習を続けていくことで，児童が自ら意味的関連性を利用して思考しながら学習を進めることができるということが明らかになった。また，指導者はどのような意味的関連性を用いることがより効果的なのか，教材や指導法を選択していくことが可能になるということも，今回の研究を通して示された。

This study investigated the complexity of a non-native English (NNE) teacher’s identity in terms of their English pronunciation in a Japanese context. To understand more about the teaching practices associated with English as a lingua franca, this study focused on how an NNE female instructor shaped and reflected her identities in the realm of second language (L2) pronunciation instruction. A literature review was conducted to examine the existing evidence on the construction of L2 identities, emphasising the impact of power relations and fluid identities in social activities. The lived experiences of a Japanese instructor, particularly those related to learning and teaching pronunciation, were examined through narrative inquiry. A thematic analysis revealed that the participant’s L2 identity changed over time, influenced by her career development and emotional attachments. Despite facing challenges such as negative feedback and biased views, the participant maintained her identity by adjusting her English pronunciation to improve her intelligibility and resisting biased views. The findings support those of previous studies on the difficulties NNE instructors face when using native-like pronunciation. In addition, the findings indicate that there is a paradigm shift towards accepting non-native-like pronunciation of English and emphasise the importance of cultivating plural L2 identities.

本研究の目的は，中学校の外国語（英語）科において，タスク活動と明示的文法指導を取り入れたCLIL志向の教育実践が，中学生の内容理解および言語（文法）学習に与える影響を検証することである。木下・斉藤・鈴木（2024）は中学校におけるCLIL志向の授業を実施し，文法の明示的指導を組み込んだ教授法の効果を検討したが，十分な文法理解に至らなかった。その問題点として，文法練習の時間不足，ターゲット文法の強調不足，文法教授のタイミングの誤り，そしてコミュニケーション重視の授業にもかかわらず筆記文法テストのみを使用したことが挙げられた。これらの問題点を踏まえ，今回の実践授業が行われた。第一著者は中学生99人を対象に，教科書『NEW HORIZON English Course 1』（東京書籍）を使用し，50分間の授業を実施した。学習内容は時差であり，対象となる文法項目は“What time is it in -?/It is -.”であった。授業の前後に，内容理解テスト，筆記による文法テスト，口頭による文法テストを行った。結果は，内容理解テスト得点，筆記及び口頭による文法テスト得点が有意に向上した。これらの結果から，タスク活動と明示的指導を取り入れたCLIL志向の教育実践は，内容理解，筆記及び口頭の文法的正確さの向上に寄与する可能性がある。

This case study focused on the conversational characteristics of English dialogs produced by Japanese students who had practiced speaking English for a substantial period. The study participants comprised Japanese college students divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Three aspects of the conversations between student pairs were selected and analyzed based on the basis of existing research trends: content-related episodes, scaffolded assistance, and knowledge-building and problem-solving efforts. The researcher qualitatively analyzed the dialogs produced by the students assigned to Group C, which most exhibited collaborative interactions by participants. Some typical examples of scaffolded assistance strategies were subsequently examined and discussed. The results revealed that Group C students effectively used three types of assistance strategies in their dialogs to sustain their conversations: offering word suggestions to speakers, self-amendment to benefit listeners, and providing examples that could help speakers and listeners. This case study specifically addressed typical conversation strategies to elucidate the communication attributes of free conversations featuring Japanese L2 learners. The study aimed primarily to determine the actual nature of the conversation-related behaviors and abilities of Japanese college students rather than to compare the English communication abilities of the three student groups.

本稿では，大学英語授業において授業外学習として課してきた英語3文ジャーナルの実践について報告する。少ない授業時間の中で授業外学習が大きな役割を果たす大学英語授業において，教員の負担を抑えつつ，学習者自身が気軽にかつ継続的に取り組み，書くことへの抵抗感を軽減できるような課題として考案されたものである。今回報告する3文ジャーナル実践は，オンラインでの課題のやりとりの中でSNSの利用もオプションとして取り入れながら行った。1エントリーにつき英文3文で，書いた個数（エントリー数）のみを確認していく形式で，内容や文法などについての修正は行わなかった。学期に最低15エントリーを課したが，それより多く書く学習者が大半で，SNSを利用した参加者とWordに書いた参加者それぞれ20名の開始時と終了時のそれぞれ5エントリーを取り出して比較したところ，全体に語数や文字数，文構造の複雑性やつなぎの語句の使用などにおいて改善や意識の向上が見られた。また何名かの学習者のジャーナル例からも，この実践が授業外学習として有効なものであり，学生が日々の生活や考えを表現し，授業終了後も続けられる自主的な学びの1つとしての可能性を持つことが示唆された。