A survey of kindergarten parents regarding their attitudes toward early intensive English-language instruction and its potential introduction at a small-scale, rural primary school.

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  • 小規模地方小学校における早期集中英語教育とその導入に対する幼稚園児の親の姿勢について

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Abstract

As English language instruction at the elementary level in Japan becomes more widespread and approaches official sanctioning from the Ministry of Education it is important to know how parents view options for the foreign-language education of their children. The current study examines results of a questionnaire administered to parents of local kindergarten children in Nayoro City, Japan and attempts to gauge how receptive these parents would be towards a proposed early English immersion programme in one of the region's small, rural elementary schools. Results indicated that the majority of parents hold views that are favourable to the principles underlying the establishment of such a programme,wanting their children to develop communicative skills in English from an early age. Opinions regarding education in a small-scale, rural environment are mixed, showing a slight tendency toward favourability in most regards except for issues of transportation/accessibility, first-language development, and continuity with pre-school. This suggests that an early English immersion programme in such a setting could be successful if these key concerns can effectively be addressed.

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