Notice on the development of “Hi，friends！”－New Materials for introducing Foreign Language Activities in Elementary Schools

January 12, 2012

From FY2011, the Course of Study for Elementary Schools has been generally implemented by elementary schools nationwide, which introduces foreign language activities once a week to students in the 5th and 6th grades.

The teaching materials “（EIGO NOTO English Notebook）” were developed by MEXT in order to be used for these classes. MEXT has distributed these materials to elementary schools which have requested their use during FY2009 ~ FY2011.

In order to further enhance the content of these English classes, MEXT has developed a new set of teaching materials “Hi, friends！” to be used starting from April 2012.

MEXT will send these materials out to schools nationwide by the end of FY2011.

1.  Background on the development of “Hi, friends！”

From 2011, the Course of Study for Elementary Schools, which has been generally implemented, introduces foreign language activities once a week to students in the 5th and 6th grades.

At present, the study of foreign languages in elementary school is not regarded as an official subject, hence, no generic textbook exists. In order to provide an equal opportunity for education, to secure a smooth transition from elementary to junior high school, as well as to secure quality standards for foreign language activity classes, MEXT developed the generic teaching materials “EIGO NOTO （English Notebook）” in accordance with the Course of Study for Elementary Schools, and has distributed these materials to schools which have requested their use, during FY2009 ~ FY2011.

In order to further enhance this new curriculum, however, upon consideration of the problems posed by teachers using the “EIGO NOTO (English Notebook)”, MEXT has developed a new set of teaching materials, “Hi, friends！”, to be used by elementary schools starting from April 2012.  

2.  Subject grade levels

5th and 6th grade elementary students

3.  Contents

1. Title:   “Hi, friends！” （Includes “Hi, friends! Part 1” and “Hi, friends! Part 2”）
2. Form and method of distribution
   -study materials for students
       -one booklet per student
   -teaching materials for educators
       -booklets highlighting the aim of each lesson, phrases to be used, specific points to consider to be distributed to 5th and 6th grade homeroom teachers
   -digital study materials
       -to be distributed to each elementary school
   -Yearly lesson program, lesson plan, worksheets
       -to be posted on the MEXT website, and or included in the digital study materials
   

4.  Method and Period of distribution

       -Study materials for students, teaching materials for educators, digital study materials
           -will be directly distributed to each school by the end of March 2012.
       -Yearly lesson program, lesson plan, worksheets
           -will be posted on the MEXT website accordingly between January and March 2012.