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英語を必修からはずせ
現在の日本の教育制度では、中学、高校での英語は必須科目になっているうえ、小学校への英語教育の導入まで検討されている。しかし、日本の英語教育は歪んでいる、と筆者は指摘する
Erase English Requirement
By SCOTT T. HARDS
Recently, the state of California repealed its bilingual education program.
A few years ago, the state adopted a policy that gave each student the right to be taught in their native language. The idea was noble — it aimed to ease students into an English education while letting them get started in their native language. But after several years, the results were not promising: Most students were not making the switch to English. So California's frustrated voters repealed it, and now English is the only language that is officially used to teach in California.
Personally, I think that although it may be hard for those kids at first, learning English will only help them
But here in Japan, even though Japanese is the primary language, the Ministry of Education has decided that all junior high and high school students must learn English. Most universities have requirements as well. What 's more, there are even proposals for introducing English education into Japan's elementary schools. Arguments for mandatory English education in Japan center around concepts such as the fact that English is the lingua franca of business and politics globally and the fact that Japanese has so many loan words from English.
While this sounds good, in practice Japanese schools' English education is little more than preparation for university entrance exams. As a result, it is far too focused on reading and writing, omitting spoken English. I've met many Japanese businessmen who could read The Wall Street Journal with ease, but who could barely ask directions to the bathroom! Witness the plethora of English conversation schools all over Japan. If the regular schools were doing their job, people wouldn't have any need to learn at private-sector facilities.
In addition, English classes are usually packed with 35 to 40 pupils. With so many students, it's nearly impossible for the instructor to give the individual attention necessary to learn well. In U.S. high schools, there are seldom more than 20 students in foreign language courses. In university classes, there are usually even fewer.
It's pretty obvious that Japan's educational system is not accomplishing the goal of turning out graduates who can effectively communicate in English. So I think it's time to make a dramatic change: Drop English as a mandatory subject. Make it an elective instead. In other words, let students decide for themselves whether they want to take English classes or not.
After all, there are many students who have no interest in English and will have very little use for it after they graduate. Forcing those students into the same classes with kids who are truly interested in learning not only bores and frustrates the uninterested students (perhaps contributing to futoukou, or their decision to skip classes altogether) but also thins out the educational resources available to the students who genuinely want to learn. Wouldn't it be better to have smaller classes of enthusiastic students? This would allow teachers more time to work with each pupil and allow more focus on the currently neglected oral skills.
Being bilingual myself, I certainly understand the value of knowing more than one language. But I don't believe it is something that should be forced on anybody, especially when the language is not even a primary one in the country where they live.
Recently, the state of California repealed its bilingual education program.
A few years ago, the state adopted a policy that gave each student the right to be taught in their native language. The idea was noble — it aimed to ease students into an English education while letting them get started in their native language. But after several years, the results were not promising: Most students were not making the switch to English. So California's frustrated voters repealed it, and now English is the only language that is officially used to teach in California.
Personally, I think that although it may be hard for those kids at first, learning English will only help them
But here in Japan, even though Japanese is the primary language, the Ministry of Education has decided that all junior high and high school students must learn English. Most universities have requirements as well. What 's more, there are even proposals for introducing English education into Japan's elementary schools. Arguments for mandatory English education in Japan center around concepts such as the fact that English is the lingua franca of business and politics globally and the fact that Japanese has so many loan words from English.
While this sounds good, in practice Japanese schools' English education is little more than preparation for university entrance exams. As a result, it is far too focused on reading and writing, omitting spoken English. I've met many Japanese businessmen who could read The Wall Street Journal with ease, but who could barely ask directions to the bathroom! Witness the plethora of English conversation schools all over Japan. If the regular schools were doing their job, people wouldn't have any need to learn at private-sector facilities.
In addition, English classes are usually packed with 35 to 40 pupils. With so many students, it's nearly impossible for the instructor to give the individual attention necessary to learn well. In U.S. high schools, there are seldom more than 20 students in foreign language courses. In university classes, there are usually even fewer.
It's pretty obvious that Japan's educational system is not accomplishing the goal of turning out graduates who can effectively communicate in English. So I think it's time to make a dramatic change: Drop English as a mandatory subject. Make it an elective instead. In other words, let students decide for themselves whether they want to take English classes or not.
After all, there are many students who have no interest in English and will have very little use for it after they graduate. Forcing those students into the same classes with kids who are truly interested in learning not only bores and frustrates the uninterested students (perhaps contributing to futoukou, or their decision to skip classes altogether) but also thins out the educational resources available to the students who genuinely want to learn. Wouldn't it be better to have smaller classes of enthusiastic students? This would allow teachers more time to work with each pupil and allow more focus on the currently neglected oral skills.
Being bilingual myself, I certainly understand the value of knowing more than one language. But I don't believe it is something that should be forced on anybody, especially when the language is not even a primary one in the country where they live.
Shukan ST: Aug. 28, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- repealed
- 廃止した
- adopted
- 採用した
- native language
- 母国語
- noble
- りっぱな
- ease 〜 into 〜
- 〜 を徐々に 〜 に慣れさせる
- while letting 〜 get started in 〜
- 〜 に 〜 でスタートを切らせながら
- promising
- 見通しが明るい
- were not making the switch to 〜
- 〜 に切り替えていなかった
- frustrated
- 不満な
- voters
- 有権者
- primary
- 第一の
- Ministry of Education
- 文部省
- What's more
- さらに
- proposals
- 提言
- mandatory
- 必修の
- lingua franca
- 共通語
- loan words
- 借用語
- in practice
- 実際は
- entrance exams
- 入試
- it is far too focused on 〜
- 〜 に重点を置きすぎる
- omitting 〜
- (その結果として) 〜 をなおざりにして
- The Wall Street Journal
- 米高級経済紙
- with ease
- 難なく
- could barely 〜
- ほとんど 〜 することもできなかった
- Witness 〜
- 〜 を見てごらんなさい
- plethora
- 過剰
- private-sector facilities
- 民間の施設(英会話学校)
- pupils
- 生徒
- individual attention
- 一人一人への配慮
- seldom 〜
- めったに 〜 ということはない
- It's pretty obvious that 〜
- 〜 はかなり明らかだ
- is not accomplishing 〜
- 〜 を成し遂げていない
- goal of turning out 〜
- 〜 を輩出するという目標
- dramatic
- 劇的な
- Drop 〜
- 〜 はやめよ
- Make 〜 an elective
- 〜 を選択科目にせよ
- Forcing 〜 into 〜
- 〜 に無理に 〜 させること
- contributing to 〜
- 〜 の一因になっている
- skip
- さぼる
- thins out 〜
- 〜 を貧弱にする
- resources
- 資源
- genuinely
- 純粋に
- enthusiastic
- 熱心な
- allow 〜 more time to 〜
- 〜 に 〜 する時間をもっと与える
- currently
- 現在
- neglected
- おざなりにされている
- oral skills
- 会話力