CLIL in Practice in Japanese Elementary Classrooms: An Analysis of the Effectiveness of a CLIL Lesson in Japanese Traditional Crafts

This study focuses on how elementary school students learn and think about the development and sustainability of Japanese traditional crafts through a CLIL lesson. The Japanese Course of Study (MEXT, 2017) emphasizes the importance of fostering regionalism and the development of Japanese traditional culture. This plays a significant role in global education. Students must have the knowledge, ability and the will to talk about Japanese culture to non-Japanese people in English. Fostering student’s cross-cultural understanding is crucial to achieve this. The researcher carried out the CLIL lesson with a total of 175 elementary students in Nara, Japan. The students were given instruction in the history, the present situation and the construction of Nara Fans, which are a traditional product of Japan. The results show that students were able to use various English target expressions during the lesson and were not bothered about whether the lesson was in Japanese or English but instead concentrated on the lesson content. In addition, the students learned that Nara is popular among foreigners and that there are many ruins in their surrounding area. In conclusion, CLIL lessons should be continued in various subjects, while taking into consideration individual support for each student, and the importance of constant verification of lesson targets and content.