Research Notes: Language Lessons

Spurred by the rise of English as the international lingua franca, many East Asian countries have incorporated English instruction into their educational systems. One study, for instance, reports that over 90 percent of all elementary schools in Japan provide some kind of English language activities. Given this situation, Yuko Butler and Asako Takeuchi have analyzed the factors that affect Japanese elementary school students' performance on standardized tests of English oral proficiency.

Their correlation analysis of data from more than 6500 test-takers showed that, while students in higher grade levels and those who received extra lessons outside of school demonstrated higher proficiency, factors like total hours of instruction and frequency of instruction by foreign teachers did not have a significant impact on performance. The authors propose that these data illustrate the need for more detailed research into the quality of English instruction provided at all grade levels.

"Variables that Influence Elementary School Students' English Performance in Japan" appears in The Journal of Asia TEFL, 5(1).