NAOKO NADTOCHIY (NOSE SASAYURI GAKUEN)

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING WORLD ENGLISHES IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN JAPAN : WORLD ENGLISHES/ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA

In the current diverse world, teaching "world Englishes" is critically important. But then, are the world Englishes “correct”? As a matter of fact, what is “correct” English? In a Japanese elementary school where I teach English as a second language, we have three assistant language teachers from three different countries: Australia, Nigeria and Bangladesh. How each of the teachers speaks English is quite different, especially when it comes to their English pronunciations. However, the students not only do not get confused with their diverse Englishes but also acquire the different types of Englishes promptly. In addition, the students have been learning the world Englishes with such a culturally rich environment, and their cultural understanding is remarkable. They get used to diverse Englishes, and accept and appreciate various kinds of Englishes, regardless natives or non-natives, along with their cultural differences. Some people say we should teach native English especially for young learners, but I clam that we should teach world Englishes especially for young learners. My current research shows how I have been teaching English to the elementary school students with the three assistant language teachers and what the outcomes from the students are. Besides, I would like to discuss the importance of teaching world Englishes for young learners in this generation.

Naoko Nadtochiy completed two Master's degrees in Pedagogy and in Linguistics, focusing on second language acquisition. She has worked for various high schools and universities in America, and is currently teaching English in a culturally rich elementary school in Japan. She keeps trying many different kinds of teaching methods there.