Teaching English in Japanese Elementary Schools: Experiences from a Practice-Based Teacher Education Course

This paper outlines a university course designed to prepare pre-service elementary school
teachers in Japan to teach English under the 2020 curriculum reform, which made English compulsory
from grades 3 to 6. This pedagogical account explains the rationale for a practice-oriented course
aligned with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) guidelines and
centred on sound-based and communicative approaches. Trainee teachers experience immersion
activities, phonics, chants, songs, picture books, interactional routines, and collaboration with Assistant
Language Teachers (ALTs). Reflections written as part of regular coursework offer insight into how pre-
service teachers interpreted these approaches and which elements they considered valuable for future
teaching. Pre-service teachers highlighted the importance of clear modelling, repetition, interaction, and
classroom English, while noting areas where they felt less confident, such as pronunciation and
spontaneous communication. The paper argues that reflective, experience-based preparation can
strengthen both competence and confidence among generalist teachers.