“Communication” and “Culture” in English Education for Junior-High Schools -Analyses of English TextbooksSaki Kiyama
AbstractIn April 2012, the Course of Study for junior-high schools revised in 2008 will beimplemented in Japan. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,Science andTechnology (MEXT), the institution that makes the Course of Study, has decided toincrease the total number of classes by about 10 % from 2012. The number of English
classes will also be increased. In the new Course of Study, the words such as“communication” and “culture” are seen heretofore, however, the meaning of thesewords is not made clear. In this presentation, I will discuss how these two words areused in the Course of Study with an analysis of the Course of Study and the approved
textbooks. The terms of “communication” and “culture” are explained in the Course ofStudy. “Communication” appears in the section called “Overall Objectives”. According
to this section, the word has two meanings: communication language ability, andcommunication as interactive ability. As for “culture”, the word is used in “OverallObjective” as, “deepening their understanding of language and culture”. In the Courseof Study, there are five cultural elements: “daily life, manners and customs”, “story”,“geography and history”, “traditional culture” and “natural science”. In reality, there
are two types of culture: implicit culture and explicit culture as Suzuki describes (1973).
However, it can be said that MEXT requires English teachers to teach only explicit
culture. The authorized school textbooks are made in accordance with the Course ofStudy, because they cannot be approval by MEXT. As the Course of Study only provides
five elements of “culture”, this means that the textbook writers are responsible toinclude all these cultural elements in their books. It also means that it is important forteachers of English to teach such elements of culture treated in the textbooks. The
analysis of textbooks shows that they treat only the stereotypical culture. In thisglobalized world, it is not adequate to teach only stereotypical culture of a country. To
conclude, MEXT requires students to acquire communication ability in English. In termsof “culture”, it suggests that students learn explicit culture. However, it does not
explain how teachers should treat or teach “communication” and “culture”.

Selected References
Asano, H., Ikeda, M., Makino, T., Sasajima, J., & Shimomura, Y. (2007). New Horizon
English Course 1, 2, & 3. Tokyo Shoseki.
Morizumi, M., Saito, E., Takanashi, Y., & Watanabe, T. (2006). New Crown English
Series New Edition 1, 2 & 3. Sanseido.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (1998).
Chugakkou Gakushu Sidou Youryou. National Printing Bureau.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (1998).
Chugakkou Gakushu Sidou Youryou Kaisetsu Gaikokugo hen. Tokyo Shoseki.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2008).
Chugakkou Gakushu Sidou Youryou. Higashiyama Shobo.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2008).
Chugakkou Gakushu Sidou Youryou Kaisetsu Gaikokugo hen. Kaikodo Shuppan.
Suzuki, T. (1973). Kotoba to Bunka. Iwanami Bunko.