Bottom-ranked Japan to reform engrish education

[Taro Toporific]

POINT OF VIEW/ Japan needs to improve its English strategy
Asahi.com / Dec 1
...the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced its top-level ``action plan for producing English-speaking Japanese'' to tackle language curricula before their weaknesses give rise to any lasting effects. However, if this ``eye-on-the-future'' plan is to succeed in reality, we need to determine to make sure the reforms are carried through. China, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe have made remarkable progress in their English abilities. But in Japan, TOEFL scores continue their 30-year slump........more...

[djgizmoe]

POINT OF VIEW/ Japan needs to improve its English strategy
Asahi.com / Dec 1
...the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced its top-level ``action plan for producing English-speaking Japanese'' to tackle language curricula before their weaknesses give rise to any lasting effects. However, if this ``eye-on-the-future'' plan is to succeed in reality, we need to determine to make sure the reforms are carried through. China, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe have made remarkable progress in their English abilities. But in Japan, TOEFL scores continue their 30-year slump........more...

Instead of looking at what other countries have done that Japan hasn't, let's look at how Japan is different from many Asian countries, namely, Japan isn't as as dependant on international business or tourism. So the need for English skills is less in the workplace.

Lastly, universities should cooperate with senior high schools to raise the standards for both general practical English and specialized English. This would create a large number of students capable of performing jobs that require a high level of English.

Quite high standards already exist (with the big exception of some sort of communicative competance section on the university entrance exams), but they are being pushed aside to maintain enrollment levels at many universities.

Some of the other points of the article (especially the development of a standard curriculum progressing from elementary school on through high school) might not be bad ideas, though. Add to that a mandatory 6 month trip to study English abroad for prospective public school English teachers...