Japan will soon be making it compulsory for students at a primary school level to learn English. The movement comes as an attempt to improve the country’s language skills and its ability to compete with surrounding Asian countries as well as overseas.
The new curriculum should begin in April and is aimed primarily at 5th and 6th grade students across all of Japan’s public primary schools. Lessons will be held 35 times a year which is about once a week, lasting about 45 minutes to an hour.
Although the Ministry of Education is reluctant to set out clear targets, the aim is that children show know about 285 English words. The thinking being that it should make it a smoother transition from primary to junior and then secondary school.
This movement aims to improve’s Japan’s English proficiency even though students study English for 6 years starting at the age of 12. Compared to their counter parts, Japanese students have the lowest scores in Asia in the international Test of English First Language. The issue also stands that the majority of Japan’s primary school teachers admit to not being well-equipped enough to deliver as language instructors, which does not give them the confidence to raise achievement as per the requirement from the MoE. Additional training and support is likely to be needed in order for the MoE to meet its objectives in order for it to compete internationally. Team teaching by bringing in English experts from abroad is likely to take place.
Since 2002, primary school children have been given occasional foreign-language tutoring, but South Korea made English compulsory at that level in 1997, and China in 2005. Japanese sixth-graders have previously received far fewer hours of English instruction until now. They were getting 13.5 hours English tuition a year which is far less then is surround counterparts
Although keen to implement and get going, Japan’s teachers are aware there is a mountain to climb and much change to take place until standards of English are raised in the country. The discussion for this change is long overdue, so watch this space English teachers, as their should be more English teaching jobs coming your way!