The Role of Junior High School English Textbooks in Communicative Language Teaching Based on a Case Study of Two Junior High School Teachers Teaching Sunshine

Abstract

One of the junior high school English textbook series approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is Sunshine, published by Kairyudo. This case study of two Japanese junior high school teachers using Sunshine in Iwate Prefecture addresses three aspects: what features the textbook contains to meet the requirements of the Course of Study, how the two teachers perceive and implement certain features of the textbook into their everyday teaching practice, and what classroom practices they employ to supplement the textbook. For the research, the official guide booklet of Sunshine and an additional pamphlet were examined, and then research data was collected via class observation, field notes, semi-structured interviews and classroom artifacts. Research concluded that Sunshine is, in principal compatible with a communicative approach, but teachers pursuing a CLT-like approach will need to supplement the textbook with their own ideas.