0EnglisheducationinJapan.PDF

Revision of Foreign Language Education Policy in Japan Katsunosuke N amita, Hokkaido Information University 0 English education in Japan English education in Japan has been taught only from the j unior high school level up until recently . N evertheless, an increasing number of elementary schools have begun offering English activities, including games, songs and conversation lessons as part of education for international understanding during so-called comprehensive studies classes, which were introduced in 2002. What to do during comprehensive studies classes is currently up to each elementary school, with more emphasis on teachers to create new and original lessons focusing on such things as environmental or international issues. In the case of the vast maj ority of elementary schools, this resulted in many teachers having to introduce English for the first time. According to a survey conducted by the Education Ministry , 93.6 percent (20,803) of all public elementary schools across the nation (22,232) offered English-language activities in fiscal 2005. N early all the lessons involve fun and games, making it easy for children to get used to both English and foreigners, because of the native English speaking assistant language teachers (ALTs) helping them. I like English because, unlike other subj ects, we can enj oy ourselves while were learning it,” a student at Daisan Hino Elementary School in Tokyo said to a newspaper reporter.1 However , what is taught in English lessons and how often they are offered differs from school to school. The survey mentioned above indicates sixth-grade students, on average, studied English only 13.7 hours for an entire year. 1 Background For the past several decades, the Japanese