Developing an Integrated Curriculum of International Education and Foreign Language Education in Accordance with the Regional Needs

自实施目前的小学学习课程以来，在综合学习期框架内作为国际教育开展英语语言活动的学校数量稳步增加。在MEXT去年3月宣布的新课程中，外语活动将作为一门必修课纳入课程。一方面，英语活动在小学课程中的实施受到了大多数监护人和商界的欢迎。另一方面，我们从国际教育的角度对小学英语活动进行了批评，在国际教育中，多语言和多元文化是相互理解和共存的关键概念。旨在开发国际教育和外语(包括英语)教育的综合课程，我们反复试错，考察国外和…的创新外语实践更多的是我们自己在日本公立小学的做法。我们与来自亚洲国家的国际学生一起开展英语活动，将亚洲事务作为头两年课程的主题，日本教师只在第三年开展语言意识活动，一名日本教师与一名国际学生在第四年开展多语言活动，国际学生可以使用一些欧洲语言作为替代语言。通过实践，澄清了以下三点：1.即使教师是亚洲国家的，教材是面向亚洲的，也很难培养孩子们对语言多样性的积极态度，尽管可以预料到他们对亚洲地区兴趣的变化，只要课堂是英语语言活动。日语教师在一学期内使用DVD教材介绍多种语言的课程不能激发孩子们对多语言学习的兴趣。当一名会使用多种语言的国际学生和一名日语教师进行多语言活动时，平等地处理一些外语，在一定程度上激发了孩子们对语言的兴趣，培养了他们的元语言能力。因此，可以说，多语言活动的课程，除了英语语言活动之外，还能培养学生对语言多样性的积极态度和元语言能力

Since the present Course of Study for Elementary School was implemented, the number of schools that conduct English language activities as International Education in the framework of the Period for Integrated Study has steadily increased. Foreign Language Activities are to be embedded in the curriculum as a compulspary course in the new Course of Study that was announced by MEXT last March. On one hand, the implementation of English activities in the primary curriculum is welcomed by most of the guardians and the business sectors. On the other hand English activities in the primary level are criticized from the perspective of International Education, where multilingualism and multiculturalism are the key concepts for mutual understanding and coexistence.Aiming at developing an integrated curriculum of International Education and Foreign Language (including English) Education, we have repeated one trial and error after another, examining innovative foreign language practices aboard and … More our own practices with public primary schools in Japan. We conducted English language activities with international students from Asian nations as ALTs dealing with Asian matters as the topic in the classes for the first two years, Language Awareness activities by the Japanese teachers only for the third year, and multilingual activities by a Japanese teacher with an international student who can use some European languages as an ALT for the fourth year. As a result of the practices, the following three points were clarified:1. Even if the teachers were those from Asian nations and the teaching materials are Asian oriented, it was difficult to foster the children's positive attitudes toward the diversity of languages, although it might be possible to expect the changes of their interests in the Asian areas, so long as the classes are the English language activities.2. The curriculum that introduced several languages using DVD materials by Japanese teachers for one semester could not arouse children's interests in plurilingualism.3. When an international student who could use several languages and a Japanese teacher conducted multilingual activities, dealing with some foreign languages equally children's interests in languages were aroused and meta-linguistic abilities were fostered to a certain degree.So, it can be said that the curriculum of multilingual activities, apart from English language activities, enable the students to foster their positive attitudes toward the diversity of languages and meta-lingual abilities as well Less