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Opinion

Erase English Requirement

By SCOTT T. HARDS


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

Recently, the state of California repealed its bilingual education program.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 So California's frustrated voters repealed it, and now English is the only language that is officially used to teach in California.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

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