Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers' Perspectives on English Education Training in Japan

The introduction of English education as a compulsory subject in the upper grades of elementary school in Japan, which began five years ago, has presented a significant challenge for elementary school teachers in terms of effective English language teaching. Consequently, there is now an urgent need for students enrolled in elementary school teacher training courses at universities to acquire both the skills and the confidence necessary to teach English in elementary schools. This study explored the content considered useful by pre-service elementary school teachers and identified additional topics they believed would have been beneficial to learn during their university training after their teaching practice. Four pre-service elementary school teachers, all non-English majors enrolled in a school education program at a national university of teacher education, participated in semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 15 minutes. The interview responses were analyzed qualitatively based on five predetermined questions. The findings indicated that, in the university class on elementary English teaching methods, the content deemed most useful during teaching practice included understanding developmental stages for grades 3 to 6, creating teaching materials, preparing lesson plans, conducting micro-teaching sessions and providing feedback, and the effectiveness of demonstrations in micro-teaching. Additionally, the participants expressed a desire for expanded content in their university courses, including expressions for class introductions and greetings, instruction on articulating the alphabet and facilitating students’ understanding of activities, incorporating chants into lessons, the role of Japanese teachers of English in team-teaching, and introducing vocabulary before activities. This study has important implications for pre-service elementary school teachers, highlighting how university courses shape their teaching philosophy and refine their practical teaching skills.