Tomohisa Machida
Akita International University
About
Dr. Tomohisa Machida is a Professor in the English Language Teaching (ELT) program at the Graduate School at Akita International University. He received his M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Ph.D. in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He developed and conducted teacher training by collaborating with local boards of education and educational companies. He also received a Fulbright Scholar Award to research the 21st Century Skills at George Mason University between 2022 and 2023. His research interests include elementary school English education, language anxiety, and teacher education. He has published articles in JALT Journal and TESOL Journal and co-authored "The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners" (TESOL Press) in addition to the MEXT's authorized elementary and junior high school English textbooks.Sessions
Young Learners Encouraging Positive Attitudes toward English through Reading more
Sat, Sep 6, 11:25-12:10 Asia/Tokyo
This presentation will highlight the impact of incorporating book-reading activities into the classroom to encourage Japanese elementary school students to learn English. Since the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) officially launched English education at elementary schools in 2020, approximately 70% of students have expressed interest in studying English. However, reading activities remained underutilized in classrooms (MEXT, 2024). To address this, the presenter collaborated with schoolteachers to integrate storybook-based reading activities into lessons, fostering students’ familiarity with English texts. The study involved two classroom teachers and 37 sixth-grade students at a public elementary school in Japan. Activities included weekly teacher-led storytelling using a big book, collaborative reading among students, and independent reading of mini books as homework. Results showed that students improved their receptive test scores and increased their motivation to learn English. This session will provide participants with practical techniques and strategies for effectively integrating reading activities into English instruction.