Issues and Progress in Studies of English Education in Elementary School

This article reviews the topical trends in the past six years of studies and research on English education in elementary school. The first focus is on investigations into the social background and issues raised by Japanese critics, which include discussions in terms of young children's amazing ability to learn English, difficulties to teach English in the framework of international understanding, the reason of choosing English as a target language, and the criticism against the half-measured approach of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. After reviewing topical trends, the attention is shifted on case studies, which are categorized into four approaches: activity-centered, international understanding centered, input centered, and information disseminating. In the third section, I suggest that English language teachers should actively engage in critical pedagogy as well as in a communicative approach to deal with the current confusion in teaching English in elementary school. After reviewing recent developments of research in the field, some implications and suggestions are provided