​Abstract

This pedagogical practice report aims to explore prospective nursery schoolteachers’ active learning through CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) by sharing stories of English picture books. I taught English to the students in the division of early childhood care and education of a junior college in Japan in 2023. Many of the students had negative attitudes towards English learning, so I applied CLIL approaches by focusing on reading English picture books aloud in the process of active learning. I assumed that picture books are appropriate materials for them while considering the 4Cs Framework (content, communication, cognition, and culture) and active learning. Based on the needs analysis, the syllabus was arranged in three phases: Introductory, Applied, and Advanced in order for the students to work collaboratively and create their own reading aloud performances with meaningful interaction with each other. In the one-semester course practice, I set two research questions on reading aloud English picture books: (1) the students’ attitudes towards communicating in English and (2) their interest in sharing stories of English picture books. I collected data while teaching and analyzed it. The results showed that more than 80% of the students came to have positive attitudes towards communicating in English (RQ1) and interest in sharing stories of English picture books (RQ2). Moreover, they became more motivated to learn continuously. This research suggests that CLIL focusing on sharing stories of English picture books in the process of active learning be effective in inspiring the students to be positive and continuous learners.