Saitama JALT is thrilled to welcome Allison Nemoto all the way from Miyagi prefecture for our December event! This event should be especially interesting to those who have taught or are teaching young learners. Below you will find the complete abstract for the presentation in both English and Japanese, as well as a bio of the presenter.
Examining Pupils’ Images of English, Before and After Short Storytelling Sessions, in a Japanese Primary School
Humans have been motivated and inspired by stories since the beginning of civilization itself and can be found in even the most primitive cultures. Regarding literacy skills for native speakers, it is said that; “The more you read, the better you get at it; the better you get at it, the more you like it; and the more you like it, the more you do it, (Trelease, 20013, p.4). Children naturally search for meaning in the pictures, words and sounds presented in picture books, and easily pick up language used repeatedly, so reading picture books aloud could be considered an ideal introduction to foreign languages for young children. In this study, pupils’ preconceived image of English as a subject was compared before and after a series of ten short storytelling sessions. Findings from the completed questionnaires indicate that this narrative based approach of reading picture books out loud and watching university students acting out original plays, were considered enjoyable and easy to understand by the pupils and had the added effect of enhancing the majority of the pupils’ image of English as a subject, in a positive way.
根本アリソン
子どもたちの英語に対するイメージ ー日本の小学校で行なった短編ストーリーテリングの前後
人間は文明の始まり以来、「ストーリー」(物語)によってやる気をだしたり、刺激を受けたりしてきた。そしてストーリーは最も原始的な文化でも発見されている。ネイティブスピーカーのリテラシースキルは 「読むほど、上達する。上達するほど、好きになる。好きになるほど、もっと読むようになる」(Trelease、20013、p.4)と言われている。一般的に子どもたちはごく自然に絵本に書かれた絵や言葉や音の意味を捜し出し、繰り返し使用される言葉を覚えるため、年齢の低い子どもにとって絵本を音読することは理想的な外国語の導入と考えることができる。この研究では、英語の先験的なイメージを、10回の短編ストーリーセッションの前後で比較した。アンケート結果、絵本の読み聞かせと大学生によるおはなしの劇を見るというアプローチが、小学生にとって楽しく理解しやすいものであり、授業科目としての英語に対する生徒の持つイメージに肯定的な影響があったと分かった。
Bio - Alison is from the UK and trained as a primary school teacher, before coming to Japan on the JET programme in 1989. She holds an MA in Teaching English to Young Learners and has over 20 years of experience teaching in kindergartens, primary schools and junior high schools in the coastal area of Fukushima and worked as the only native teacher in Minami Soma City, Fukushima, directly after the earthquake, Tsunami and nuclear disaster of 2011. She is a Specially Appointed Professor at Miyagi University of Education in Sendai and has worked there full-time for 7 years. She has used stories with her students in all educational contexts.
Prior to the presentation, Saitama JALT will hold its Annual General Meeting where officers will give their reports and elections will be held for Saitama JALT's Executive Board for 2020. We encourage all members to attend and also to try to get further involved in Saitama JALT by running for a poston or volunteering to shadow and officer in order to run for that poston next year.
Following the presentation, we will have our annual year-end party (忘年会), so please make plans to join us if you are able. We will be making reservations at a nearby establishment, so it would be nice to have a great turnout for both Allison and for the party! We look forward to closing out the year with you next month!