Phonological awareness is considered a strong predictor of early literacy in English-speaking countries. However, does it have similar effects in a Japanese EFL context? This study explores the effectiveness of teaching phonological awareness explicitly to fourth graders in a public elementary school in Japan. The study was conducted for a year in the researcher’s homeroom class. The pre- and post-tests have shown interesting implications.

In this presentation the presenter will highlight teachers’ perceptions of key factors that support but also hinder L2 learner motivation of junior high school learners of English in Japan. The study involves perceptions of both current and former English teachers with junior high school teaching experience. Participants will gain insights on key attributes from teachers which affect L2 learner motivation as the presenter shares his master’s dissertation research.

Reading plays a vital role in acquiring a language extensively; especially, where the scope of being exposed to L2 is limited. Reading helps to know the content and the culture better. Reading strengthens the foundation of the lexical, morphological, grammatical and semantic ability of the students. We, the educators need to guide them properly. The more the students read, the more they master a language. We can say that reading is headway to mastering L2.