ESTEEM: A Creative Study Experience for Teachers, Enhancing Kids' Self Esteem and Global Awarenes

by Junko Machida

The major problem of ongoing English education in public elementary schools in Japan is not simply the shortage of trained teachers. The presenter assumes that English Education should be an important part of elementary education, which contributes to children's character building along with their global awareness and self-awareness. However the goals of English activities in elementary schools set by MEXT don't seem to be sufficiently considered in this aspect and hence the teachers are not trained for that at all. Based on that concern, the presenter founded a non-profit study group, Elementary School Thematic English Education Movement (ESTEEM), in which teachers can share concrete thematic teaching methods and improve their skills in creating lesson plans and materials for English education aiming to enhance students' global and self-awareness. In this presentation, the presenter outlines how ESTEEM study meetings have explored the potential of thematic teaching and invites teachers to share their fruitful experiences.