This study was an investigation of the effect of English as a Foreign Language at Elementary Schools (EFLES) in Japan on students’ later English language learning in junior high school. The participants were a total of 2,000 public junior high school students in grades 7, 8, and 9 (about 220-260 students in each grade for a three-year research period). The participants received from 10-90 hours of EFLES in grades 5 and 6 of local public elementary schools. The amount of EFLES implementation basically increased every year. The research question was: To what degree does EFLES affect the students’ future English skill development in vocabulary and grammar, reading, and listening measured by standardized tests administered respectively in grades 7, 8, and 9? The positive effect of EFLES was observed in the grade 7 students who had received 90 hours of EFLES classes since grade 4. An advantage was shown in higher English test scores for vocabulary and grammar, reading, and listening, though it did not reach a statistically significant level. In speaking tests conducted in grade 8, students’ scores improved each year to a statistically significant level with large effect sizes (d = 1.23, d = .80 for story-telling test).
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Abstract INTRODUCTION REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE THE STUDY Participants Instrumentation DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS JACE Test Scores DISCUSSION CONCLUSION NOTES THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES
The goals of Asia TEFL are to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among persons concerned with the teaching and learning of English in Asia. In order to accomplish this, Asia TEFL will pursue the following goals:
1. To link ELT professionals in joint research on issues and concerns regarding English teaching and learning in the Asian context.
2. To publish an academic journal, The Asia TEFL Journal, as an internationally recognized journal in the field of English language teaching.
3. To host conferences and seminars addressing important issues concerning ELT in Asia.
4. To develop proficiency guidelines and assessment methods designed for the needs of the Asian context.
5. To develop programs for Asian learners and teachers of English to build their English language proficiency and cultural understanding and provide them with the skills required to be efficient English teaching professionals.