Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Teaching English to Elementary School Students through Team Teaching

Abstract

This study explores the impact of an enhanced pre-service training course on student teachers’ preparation for teaching English to elementary school students focusing on instructional strategies through team teaching. In 2020, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) officially implemented compulsory English language education at elementary schools. Although in-service teachers are often required to work in a team-teaching environment with Englishspeaking assistant language teachers (ALTs), opportunities to experience team teaching have been limited in pre-service training at college. For the purposes of this study, and in collaboration with a local board of education, student teachers were provided opportunities to teach children English in a five-week intensive program. Participants of this study include six first-year students at a public university in Japan. The results indicate that the participants developed their teaching strategies to teach young learners and improved team-teaching awareness. Experiences of actual class instruction and reflection for solving problems of each lesson stimulated pre-service teachers to prepare for teaching young learners through team teaching.