A Case Study for Nurturing Global Sensibilities :Creating an International Environment at Ehime University
Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary School
Laura KAWAGUCHI（Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary School）（Ehime University Senior High School）

of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technologyʼs．Introduction

Foreign Language Activities curriculum and to theForeign language ability is a skill of unquestionable

Ehime Prefecture Board of Educationʼs goals in respect

usefulness when going abroad, and it is increasinglyto international understanding education. This reportbecoming a valuable tool to have within Japan. At thedelineates

end ofenvironment at Ehime University Faculty of Education, there were ． million foreign residents inJapan（International Organization for Migration,
As of April of the same year, there were）.
，

registered foreign nationals in Ehime Prefecture（Ehime
Prefectural Government,methods

forcreating

aninternational

Fuzoku Primary School and examines feedback from its
teachers concerning the cultivation of global sensibilities
within children.

）, making social or profes-

sional contact with non-Japanese residents highly likely if
not inevitable.
Ideally, citizens should be unhindered and uninhibi-．Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary School

ted when communicating with people from other

Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku

countries and educators should strive to nurture within

Primary School, which shares its grounds with theyoung students the will to actively interact with them.

Ehime University Center for Education and Educational

Instilling in children global sensibilities and an eagerness

Research, is an institution for grades one to six with anto communicate in conjunction with giving them theenrollment capacity ofskills required to do so in meaningful ways is antors, full-time teachers, part-time lectures, and support

important part of primary education. For successful,staff. The author of this report is a native speaker ofsmooth interactions with all residents of Ehime, profi-

English privately hired in April,ciency in a common language such as English isassistantnecessary.

familiarize students with people of other cultures ; toThe primary school setting provides opportunities

language. It employs

teacherforadministra-, as the in-housethree

purposes : togive support during the language classes for fifth andfor children to be surrounded by languages other thansixth graders in advance of the April,

Japanese. Gaining familiarity with a foreign language

Foreign Language Activities to the national curriculum ;can be done through personal interactions among theand to provide cultural lessons to third and fourth

students, teachers, assistant language teachers（ALT）,

graders in the segment of Integrated Studies dedicatedand with non-Japanese visitors ; by making foreign

to International Studies.

languages available visually and audibly ; and in using
realiafromabroad

wheneverpossible. Withimagination, this can be done in practical and fun ways.

, inclusion ofIntegrated Studies is not included in the curriculumin first or second grades. For third and fourth gradestudents, a share of the total annual seventy hours ofIn creating an international atmosphere at Ehime

Integrated Studies time is designated to International

University Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary School,

Studies（Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku

due consideration is given to guidelines of the MinistryPrimary School,

大学教育実践ジャーナル 第号）. Topics vary from learning about

Laura KAWAGUCHI

the ALT herself and her home country, to special eventsfromaroundtheworld, non-verbalcommunication,appropriate targets and subject matter.
This gentle approach is also evident in the-page

dance, and the culture of food. The schoolʼs interna-second-generation instructorsʼ edition of the textbook

tional program includes contact via Skype and lettersseries Hi, friends . The manuals for both grade levels

with children in Australia, the Philippines, Canada andwere

the United States as well as communication activities

predecessors. The course goals are clearly highlighted

during visits with guests from abroad.

and aim to （a） stimulate awareness of language anddrasticallysimplifiedfromtheir-page

The government has mandated thirty-five hours ofculture,（b）familiarize children with established phrases

Foreign Language Activities per school year for bothand（c）use expressions that facilitate the communica-fifth and sixth grade students to develop people who cantion between children and their friends（Ministry ofact independently with a global point of view in a society

Education, Culture, Sports, Science

thatn. d.）.

isbecoming

moreinternational （Ministry

Education, Culture, Sports, ScienceandofTechnology,）.

andTechnology,Unintimidating methods for exposing children to
English in the spirit of these mandatory, yet non-graded,subjects are．MinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports, Science and Technology :Guidelines and Goals
ForeignLanguage

nationwide in April,Activities

coursesbegan, and are not graded subjects.

The three main goals set out for the fifth grade course
during its initial two years as described in the teaching
manual Eigo NoteprovidedtoFuzoku

Primary

Schoolstudents. In further efforts to familiarize with andaccustom students to foreign languages and cultures,teachersʼ attitudes play a significant role.

．Revealing Teachersʼ Attitudes : Questionnaire Results and Feedback from
Educators
Teachersʼ attitudes toward things labeled foreign

wereplay an important role in the primary school learning
To use foreign languages to deepen understanding

environment. Positive or negative attitudes will likely

about language and culture ; to attempt to cultivate

be reinforced if students follow the examples of teachers

attitude that fosters assertive communication ; andto whom they are receptive on a human level（Allwrightto gain familiarity with the sounds and basicand Baily,

expressions of a foreign language（Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports and Technology, n. d.）.

）.

Employees at Fuzoku Primary School were given asurvey to complete regarding creating an international
environment in their school and classrooms. Partici-additions

pants were asked about their use of materials fromemphasizing personal relationships, international under-

abroad, foreign language greetings, English words ofstanding and human interactions. The Eigo Notepraise and English labels for the daily schedules on theirteaching manual detailed these aims but stressed thatblackboards. They were also asked whether creating athe ideas within were merely suggestions and that

positive global atmosphere was considered meaningful,striving to memorize specific expressions was unneces-and additionally, about how they would respond to asary（Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andchild asking about foreign menu items in their school

Technology, n. d.）.

lunches. Although this was not a scientific study, theGrade six goals

wereidentical, withThe language used in the unit goals is non-feedback from the questionnaires has provided insightthreatening and is sufficiently basic which results in low-into the attitudes of teachers（the names of whom arepressure goals for students. The terms memorize andomitted for privacy purposes）.

master are not used in the Eigo Note manuals. Instead,The questionnaire was created in Japanese by thefamiliarize, know, to be aware, to attempt to tell , to have an

author of this report, then proofread and reformatted byEducation, Culture, Sports,

a Japanese co-worker. It was distributed to thirty-eight

Science and Technology, n. d.）are the words and phrases

staff members, consisting in part of eighteen homeroom

used extensively concerning the relatable and age-teachers, four full-time departmental staff, seven part-interestin （ Ministryof

大学教育実践ジャーナル 第号

A Case Study for Nurturing Global Sensibilities : Creating an International Environment
at Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary School

time teachers and three administrators. Twenty wereWhen asked to expand on the methods they employ

returned and then the contents were read and translated

to create an international atmosphere in their classes,back into English by the author. Seventy-eight percent

one educator wrote that he comments on internationalof the homeroom teachers and seventy-five percent ofmatters in class because

thefull-time

departmental

staff

completedthesometimes during the study ofJapanese［language and literature］, things about foreign

questionnaire to reveal that all found creating ancountries

international environment at a primary school to be

International Studies wrote

meaningful.

just use their names without an honorific ［suffix］.

It might seem that positive responses were merely
the teachers following the Ehime Board of Educationʼscomeup.

Oneteacher

involvedin

when calling on students, I

Another wrote, I put up clocks that tell the local timesof our partner schools abroad.

goals for international understanding, specifically that ofdeveloping respect for foreign cultures within children（ EhimeBoardofEducation,Administrative staff, a majority of the part-time）. However, on

staff, one full-time departmental and four homeroom

further inspection of the written reasons as to whyteachers did not submit completed questionnaires. It isparticipants feel having an international environment atreasonable to assume that since the submission deadline

their school is significant, teachers illustrated a variety

for the questionnaire fell during the semesterʼs finalof thoughtful opinions which fell into three main

week, other demands took priority over it.

categories.
First, educatorsemphasized

theimportanceofchildren becoming accustomed to foreign cultures inhabitual, innate ways. Comments included, I would
like them to become familiar with a foreign language in．Bringing the Outside World onto
School Grounds : Ideas for Creatingan International Environment

their own environment without being conscious of it andFuzoku Primary School has developed audible andwithout having a dislike for it ; children naturally takevisual ways to expose students to the world outside ofin

Japan in a non-threatening and stimulating manner.

knowledge

which fosters a natural and interna-Special events for communicating with studentsʼ peerstional view point.
internationalabroad in English and Japanese have been very

atmosphere should be created to build international

successful ; however, Fuzokuʼs exchange activities may

understanding. It was stressed that in striving to

not be suitable for re-creation in public primary schools.

accomplish this, children would learn about the world

All of the following simple techniques can be employedandbeat any primary school, but time and energy arebroadened which is increasingly becoming necessary indemanded of the staff wishing to implement these

their own communities. The desire to raise children

methods.

Teachers also

otherexpressed

cultures, and

their

that

anhorizons

wouldwith international sensibilities was also given as a valid
reason for surrounding students with language, items,（ ）Lunch with the ALT
At Fuzoku Primary School, time is not set aside forand people from abroad.
Finally, teachers commented that being exposed toInternational Studies for first and second grades, even

the world outside of Japan, while stimulating thefor special events. Despite the enrollment of students

childrenʼs natural curiosity, conversely led them to learn

whomore about Japan, thereby strengthening their own

programs, there is not an outlet for them to utilize theircultural identity :language skills apart from speaking with other students

haveattended

kindergartens

with

Englishfrom similar backgrounds and with staff membersItʼs meaningful for the sake of international studies

confident enough to speak English.

but I also think it is important to value our own

Classrooms for these grade levels are in a detachedcountyʼs culture （I do not use foreign language

wing of the school making contact with the ALT an

vocabulary unnecessarily. I want to prevent auncommon event that causes surprise. To give theforeign language rebellion）.

students more exposure to the ALT, a schedule formealtime visits was arranged.

大学教育実践ジャーナル 第号

Laura KAWAGUCHI

This initiative has been invaluable to students

appears in the school entryway and it was distributed towanting to spend time with a non-Japanese personoffice staff and to homeroom teachers.

during school hours. Exchanges with the ALT andIn the first semester of the-school year,

more assertive children include demonstrations of theirmiddle and upper-grade homeroom teachers were given

English skills ; looking closely at the ALTʼs appearance ;a package of English signs to use when appropriate. It

asking questions about their differences, the ALTʼscontained large, laminated, magnetized labels in English

home, English vocabulary ; and sharing events of theirofday.

blackboard schedules, the school map, words of praise,theteachersʼ

names, school

subjects

fortheirand a translated list of the contents. This set of English（ ）Lunchtime Lessons for Students
During lunchtime
conducted

duringsigns was purposefully prepared for immediate ease ofbreaks, English

the-classes

schoolwereyearuse.

onThe phrases used on the signs with praise words

convenient Thursdays for fifteen minutes. Participants

were chosen to positively express approval at varying

joined their fifth grade volunteer friends and the ALT todegrees（excellent, well done, good job, you’re close and try

have fun in English. Basic English was practicedagain）. Labels for school subjects are in fonts that do

through games and songs, while topics were specificallynot contain strong or sharp features, for the purpose of

selected as not to interfere with subjects covered inconveying gentleness.

InternationalStudies. Other

scheduledlunchtime

events kept these lessons from being held weekly. Itwas unpaid time for the ALT who agreed to volunteer（ ）A Bulletin Board for International Exchange Newsand English Study

her time in advance. Similar classes at public schools

A designated location within the school has beencould be problematic for ALTs who are not in-houseutilized to visually expose children to English. Since theemployees, as their time during the workday outside offall ofteaching is often used for planning lessons or for

been

travelling between schools.

exchange news bulletin board. It is an important tool in, a large whiteboard in a high traffic area has
employedpromotingasFuzoku

theEnglish

PrimaryandSchoolʼsinternational
international

cultural exchanges since pictures of partner schoolsʼ

（ ）Lessons for Teachers
Summertime lessons were held and weekly English

students and examples of their letters are periodicallyconversation handouts were distributed to encourage

posted. It also serves to inform guardians and students

teachers to use English. During theyears, fifty

simple, one-pagelanguage-schoolof what to expect in International Studies and Foreign

lessons

wereLanguage Activities classes.

given as reference materials to the staff of Fuzoku

Vocabulary words, games, photographs and news

Primary School. The bilingual lessons contained English

from our various exchange activities are displayed there.

vocabulary and phrases that can be used during theAn effort is made to decorate the board monthly withschool day, as well as cultural points in relation to timely

attractive, meaningful

events taking place such as sports day, swimming

Themes of past displays include the ALTʼs trip tolessons, school lunch duty, and end-of-the-day routines.

Canada, summertime, insects, animals, Halloween, Japa-During thenese New Years, Hawaii, and a body parts display that-school year, twenty-one staff

members demonstrated their desire to improve theirEnglish skills by reordering the complete set of lessons.

andcolorfulcomponents.

children can rearrange freely.
English language labels（often accompanied by theirJapanese translations）are included in these displays for（ ）Signage

those who wish to read and comprehend vocabulary.
school year, most rooms of theStudents who are able to read English can share theirschool were decorated with laminated room signs inknowledge with other children. This entertaining board

English. The font is lightly stylized but is printed

can help to ignite a spark of curiosity about English andlargely and clearly making navigation within the school

the outside world.

During the-easy for visitors who do not read Japanese. To further

A photograph of the Canadian partner schoolʼs classassist such guests, an English-language school map

was of particular interest to students and staff because
大学教育実践ジャーナル 第号

A Case Study for Nurturing Global Sensibilities : Creating an International Environment
at Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary Schoolof the studentsʼ races. For the students to become

respond to children asking why there are foreign dishes

familiar with their multicultural counterparts, this samein school lunches, four did not specifically use the words

photograph was displayed in all grade four classes

foreign or international in the explanations that theyinvolved in pen pal letter exchanges with this particular

reportclass. Even primary schools without a similar programemphasis on the taste of the food served, writing thatcan benefit from posting photographs of children abroad

they describe the food as delicious.

in school settings, for the purpose of raising awarenessteachers used only the word diverse in their answers toof other races and cultures.

differentiate the international menu items from domestic

aregiven

tostudents. Rather, theyplaceThree homeroom

ones, for example, Itʼs such a happy thing to be able to（ ）The School Songeat such diverse dishes, isnʼt it ?

Fuzoku Primaryʼs school song was translated into

The seven remaining homeroom teachersʼ responses

English and performed skillfully in a presentation given

to the question regarding foreign food items wereby a fourth grade class to visitors from Hawaii. Added

overwhelmingly positive. They reason with children,

to a music or international program, English-versions ofDelicious things have no borders,Knowing things

school songs can be beneficial in relating English toabout various countries is fun and Itʼs a good thing, isnʼtalready familiar aspects of school life.

it, to be able to eat food from countries you havenʼt beento.

（ ）Lunch Menu Announcements
Since first semester of theOne commented, School lunches are a part of［achildʼs］education. I want them to know not just theschool year, on-flavors of Japan, but about those of other countries.

air menu announcements have been given in English by-The following thoughtful return came from a homeroom

the students in the broadcast club. Exposure to English

teacherin this way offers all students the opportunity to briefly

Activities and International Studies :previously

involvedinForeign

Languagehear some English daily. It is fitting that Japanese
announcements are accompanied by English interpreta-

Ideally, I would answer that to know about othertions, as items of foreign origin also appear on the menu.

cultures, we should start with the culture of food, orthat one should gain many experiences before．International Meals : Feedback fromEducators

becoming an adult ; but in actuality, I say, ʻit tastes
good, doesnʼt it ?ʼ The teacher should lead byexample in being accustomed to other cultures.

To test the attitudes of the teachers even further,
one area of the questionnaire distributed to staff focused

With staff support, the enjoyment of new foods willon international dishes served in the school lunch

become something for children to receive pleasure from.

program. Japanese school children receive affordable
lunches, and Fuzokuʼs are planned by the Matsuyama
School Lunch Center and the school nutritionist, then on-．Conclusionsite cooks prepare the local, domestic, and foreign

Educators have numerous opportunities at primary

dishes. Respondents were asked how they would react

schools for creating an environment with an international

to children asking about dishes described in thefeel. Sufficientlunchtime broadcasts as originating from abroad.

important, but of even greater value are teachers who

Any new food item is considered foreign to children,time, creativity

anddedication

arelead by example and demonstrate to their students,

making their introduction a challenge that some readily

positive

face while others approach with timid curiosity or

Parallels between learning to accept new, unfamiliar

caution. Methods with which teachers approach thefoods and the willingness to embrace foreign languages,

task of encouraging children to eat their meals arecultures and people can be made : Their tentative

important regardless of where the recipe came from.

consumption

Students eat lunch in their classrooms with their
homeroom teachers, fourteen of whom, as earlier stated,completed questionnaires. Regarding how they would
大学教育実践ジャーナル 第号

attitudes

acceptance.

canconcerning

leadtothegracefuloutside

toleranceworld.

andLaura KAWAGUCHI
References
Allwright, D. and Kathleen M. Baily（）. Focus on theLanguage Classroom : An Introduction to Classroom Research for Language Teachers. Great Britain : Cambridge
University Press.
Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.

教育課程の編成と実践に関する参考資料 （Reference Material Related tothe Organization and Practice of Educational Courses）,.

Ehime Prefectural Government. International Affairs Division. Ehime Prefectural International Center（Guidebook to Living in Ehime,）. A.

Ehime University Faculty of Education Fuzoku Primary
School（）. 学校要覧（School Handbook）, .

International Organization for Migration,（cessed September,）. Japan. Ac-. http : //www.iom.int/cms/en/

sites/iom/home/where-we-work/asia-and-the-pacific/japan.
html
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（）. International Education Division, Elementaryand Secondary Education Bureau.
Accessed September
english/elsec/,

International Education.

. http : //www.mext.go.jp/.htm

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technol. 「英 語 ノ ー トogy,（n. d.）：指 導 資 料」（EigoNote:Instructorsʼ guide）, .
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,（n. d.）. 「英 語 ノ ー ト：指 導 資 料」
（EigoNote:Instructorsʼ guide）.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,（n. d.）. Hi, friends: 指導編（Instructorsʼ Edition）, .

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,（n. d.）. Hi, friends: 指導編（Instructorsʼ Edition）.

大学教育実践ジャーナル 第号