The question of starting language learning at an early age is perennial in educational and political perspectives as well in that of the general public. Education in the national language and national cultural are inseparable and the MEXT action to introduce early English education was slower than that of other Asian countries because there has been much debate about the possible negative impact of English on learning Japanese language and culture. This research pursued the issue from a socio-cultural perspective and asked the students about their views about this popular assumption and the principle established in the literature and analyzed earlier in this thesis. The aims of this section were 1) to
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establish the students‟ views on including English as a compulsory subject and 2) to investigate their views on the starting age of English study. Practically, the participants included four early starters of English study who had lived aboard before the age of six, including three students who attended an English-speaking school. The results demonstrated that five students supported the proposition, while three students disagreed and six students remained uncertain. In line with other sections, this section begins with students‟ neutral or mixed views.
The first speaker (1) described the importance of mother tongue:
English and Japanese language studies… Let me see, I am not sure if I agree or not agree. Although English is an important subject, it is more important to master the mother tongue first. If the second language has a negative influence on the first language, the priority is wrong.
そうですねぇ。 英語―、国語―、 小学校から導入することに対しては、えー、そうですね、まだ賛成か反対か はなかなか、えー、意見がないですけど. very clearly ただあることとしては、英語ももちろん大事ですけど、や っぱり、日本語は日本語ですごくしっかり勉強するべきだと思いますし、そのー。まず自国語をしっかり磨いて、 第一言語として、 その、第二外国語よるという意味では、小学生の段階で、はやり日本語教育、国語教育が疎か になってしまうのはそれはそれでいかがなものかなと思います。 (Mr. Ot)
This student (1) acknowledged the importance of English. However, he stated that, a mastery of L1 is the priority. It meant that the development of key skills (i.e. numerical and literacy) are naturally inseparable from L1 education in compulsory education. He implied that early acquisition (time) of the mother tongue of their own country (i.e. the birthplace) is the first priority. Then, I asked him if L1 skills predict L2 skills;
“It may have some effect. はい、多尐あるかなという気もしますね。（Mr. Ot）
The next student (2) was uncertain about the proposition:
I am not sure…It may be good to start learning English early. English language is not necessary for our life in Japan. Therefore, we forget what we learn at school early. I am tutoring a six grader and her mother complained that English study at elementary school is inadequate because of its shortage of time (i.e. once a week)
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and impractical learning contents such as “This is a piece of chocolate.” It is a waste of time. It is better to teach basic language skills such as writing the alphabet and nurture communicative skills by oral practices.
どうなんでしょうね。それでそりゃ早い方がおぼえるのが早いのかもしれませんが. どうしても必然的に英語を使 わなくてはいけないという状況になるとやると思いますけど、今は日本語だけで生きていけるから、英語も、高 校で習ったことも忘れてしまいます。私がいま家庭教師をしている生徒さんが小学校六年生で週一回英語の授業 があるというのですけど、親から見ると全然身についていないといっていて、これがチョコレートですとか、全 然身についていないという、そんなんだったらいらないなと思います。ちゃんと教えてくれるなら小さいところ から是非、教えてほしかったと思います。やるんだったら週に一回でたりるんですか。やるんだったらちゃんと 一人ひとりに、発言する機会をあたえて、文字もやはり大文字小文字ぐらいかけるぐらいにやって欲しいと思い ます。(Ms. No)
This student (2) studied International relations and said that L2 communicative skills are not critical for survival in Japan (this view is in contrast to what MEXT emphasizes though she did not mention this). Consequently, she considered that the consolidated effort for early language education might be wasted. However, from her English teaching experience, she said that, some parents consider that the current teaching time and materials at Japanese elementary school are inadequate. Then, she suggested teaching practical skills by getting them to express their idea in writing or use communicative activities in English.
The next student (3) is an early starter and emphasizes the question of anxiety – which was also raised in the previous question regarding NETS and NNETs:
The assumption underlying the early language education to reduce students‟ anxieties of English study in later days is valid. However, to tell my embarrassing experience of my early learning, I still cannot distinguish phonemes of /l/ and /r/ although I can hear my own. From this, I assume that, the early learning of English does not give advantages to students‟ English proficiency in EFL environment unless students keep learning by themselves. Therefore, in Japanese school, unless students have English lesson more than three days a week, it is difficult to meet the advantages of the critical period and the concerted efforts for early education may end up in half way.
99 さっき言ったように、抵抗が尐なくするという意味では早い始めるのはいいのかもしれませんけど。えーとです ね、恥ずかしい話ですが、L と R は、自分で発音ができるのですが、実は、聞いていて今の L か R といわれると、 はっきり、それほど区別がつかないのですね。それで、さっき、幼稚園からやっていて、L か R の区別が、自分 では区別できるのですけど、でも、人がやっていると区別がつかない。自分の経験から言うと、あのー、昔から やっていても、さっき言ったように、週一回とか、途中でやめてしまうと、上手く行かないのであれば、EFL 環 境で、ものすごくたくさん小学校で英語に接ないと、多分そういうのに上手くならないと思うので、それだけた くさん英語の時間があるならいいのですけど、今のように週三回くらいだったら中途半端に終わってしまうので、 あの、えー、臨界期は、今の状況では獲得できないのではないかと思います。(Mr. Se)
This student (3) said that, despite his early learning, he failed to hear phonemes. Again, as we saw in the discussion of NETs and NNETS, the question of pronunciation worries students a lot. It implies difficulties of hearing „perception blind spots (Lado, 1957:11)‟, which frequently agitate Japanese learners. Ultimately, he said that L2 learners need to have continuous language learning environments or English exposure outside school. For example, learners would make use of media (e.g. TV) to develop language proficiency. In term of language stimuli, his English at kindergarten did not teach the alphabet. He also agreed with the previous student that the current curriculum in Japanese schools is not adequate to develop language skills. For example, there is lack of English lessons to meet the advantages of the critical period. Thus, the students (2, 3) suggested reconsidering the elementary school English curriculum.
Similarly, the engineering student (4) described productive skills:
My research topic deals with developing the system to evaluate the Japanese accents spoken by non-native speakers. Some pitch patterns in Japanese language are very difficult for some foreigners because of a flat melody in Japanese. Japanese language is particularly difficult for English speakers. Let me see, for early learning, although it may have some positive effects, but early English education might influence learners‟ ideas or L1 culture.
日本語のアクセントについて、日本語のピッチパターンで、外国人が発声した時に尐し変になる。それを自動で 評価する仕組みを作ろうと、という研究をやろうと思っています。はい、日本語のピッチパターンです。はい、 それに使えるようなものを作りたいと思います。そう、なかなか難しいパターンがあるようです。どうしても平 板型が一番難しい。あー、英語話者にとっては一番難しいみたいです。 うーん、そうですね。まー。早い方が身
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につくのは早いかもしれませんが、思考に対しての影響とか、文化的なものへの影響があります。(Mr. Ka)
This student (4)‟s research topic is to assess Japanese pronunciation spoken by non-native learners of Japanese. He spoke from the engineering perspective that pronunciation is equally difficult for non-native speakers and agreed with the previous student (3) that the notion of difficulties of English learning might derive from gaps between L1 and L2- acoustic features which is a common problem to other language learners (i.e. Japanese language learning for English native speakers). These students (3, 4) agreed that difficulties of English might be obvious in pronunciation and implied that the initial age of learning could be identified from learners‟ pronunciation. In short, the results revealed that earlier English start might promise better pronunciation, but EFL could be need to prevent disappointing results (e.g. inter-language).
Now, in contrast to the aforementioned students, the data analysis will look at the data from the students who supported early education.
The next student (5) reflected on her early learning:
I think that, early language learning, let us say at kindergarten, may not determine future language skills. However, experience of having contacts with native speakers at an early age is good to develop awareness of different cultures. For example, early exposure to English speaking people nurture motivation to study English or alleviate anxieties toward language learning. Consequently, having exposure to a different culture at a young age might contribute to affective domains for language learning. Therefore, I think it is good to start learning English as a compulsory subject from the first grade of elementary school. Kindergarten is a place to enjoy.
そうですね。私はすごく小さい時に英語をやってもそれが将来の英語力に直接繋がるとは余り考えていないので すよ。まー幼稚園とかそういうレベルでやっていても。ただ、その時に外国文化に触れるとか、外国人に会うと かそういった経験は残ると思います。そこで得た外国人に対してアレルギーがなくなるとか、外国の文化は面白 いとかそういったものは英語力を上げる Motivation になるという意味では早期英語教育は意味があると思います けど。私は小学校一年生から始めるのがいいとと思います。幼稚園というのは遊ぶところですし、小学校の義務 教育が始まると同時に国語とか算数とかとか理科とかといった教科と同等に習って、最初は簡単なものから始め
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てほかの教科と同等にはじめていったらいいんじゃないかと思います。(Ms. Za)
This early starter (5) began learning English from the first year at private elementary school onward but her early education did not develop language skills, as we shall discuss in research question 9. Although she supported the previous students (3.4) in that early learning of English does not promise English fluency she supported early learning because, owing to her early English learning experience, she became familiar with cultures of English speaking countries and has enjoyed her English study. Again as in the previous section, the question of anxiety appears here. As there are a number of the students who support early education, there might be something in there. This student raised a relationship between language and culture because her early learning experience gathered her communicative competence with people from different cultures. It implied that language education and culture learning are inseparable. It would suggest, and could answer to the previous student‟s (4) worry, that English exposure at early age had a positive effect on her cognition. Then, she suggested that it is desirable to include culture knowledge in English curriculum. In order to make early learning more effective, she suggested teaching English as a compulsory subject along with other core subjects.
The next student (6) is a returnee to Japan, having spent some years in the UK.
From my early experience, I agree with early education. I think it is good to learn English between the ages of 6 to 10 years intensively for memory retention. However, the earlier they learn, the earlier they forget the language in EFL environment.
それはやはり自分自身もそう思いますね、自分自身の経験からいって、多分、一番、6 歳から 10 歳ぐらいの間に 英語とか語学をびしびしやった方が覚えやすいと思いますね。そう思うとやはり小さい時は得るのも早いけど、 失うのも早いと思います。(Mr. Ta)
This student (6) arrived to the U. K. at the age of nine years (僕は 9 歳の時から海外に行っていたので)
and keeps his language skills while his sister who arrived in the U.K. a few months old and left the country at the age of six could not keep her L2 skill. He agreed with the aforementioned students that the principle has good effects as an experience. However, he
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is in line with the student (5) that early English learning does not promise English proficiency. However, like another student earlier he also says that what is learnt early can be easily forgotten and refers to his sister‟s experience of this:
I have a sister nine years younger than me. She began attending a nursery school four years after arrival in the U.K. and later attended a reception year 1. At that time, my sister used to speak perfect English and we talked in English all the time. Strangely, she understood Japanese from our parents. Her English pronunciation and gestures used to be like British. She was only six months old and a little baby