Elementary School English Now (2014): Initiatives toward Globalization ? Practices in Switzerland and Japan

This report describes two elementary school classes that the author observed in 2014, one in Switzerland and the other in Japan, and puts forward suggestions as to what might be done in Japanese teacher education and training to ensure the successful introduction of English as an elementary school subject, as planned to start in 2020. The report first provides timelines for the introduction of English into elementary schools in Switzerland and Japan. The two class observations are then followed by interviews with the teachers, with a focus on the training they have received. In the last section, suggestions will be sought on relevant teacher training. This is a preliminary report on early English education in Switzerland and the potential lessons for Japanese schools.