sory education program. However officials and educators in Japan are concerned that the failure of current Japanese students to grasp the English language mandates earlier intervention. As such, Mineo Nakajima, the president of Tokyo University, drafted a report which “Supports the introduction of English in elementary schools as part of the government’s new education program. English will be phased in from third grade in fiscal 2002, schools will be free to experiment with the system” (Panel 1).
The key to success for many Japanese students who are planning on attending university is their ability to communicate and think in English. In junior high schools, many Japanese students do not learn English or grasp it because of deficiencies in instructional methods that often emphasize reading, writing, and grammar translation instead of and at the expense of a student’s ability to converse and express opinions in English. Further, small classes and individualized instruction is lacking in junior high programs, both of which are considered important by educators when it comes to learning a foreign language. Further, mastering a new language becomes more difficult as one ages, so earlier intervention is even more critical in producing high school students who have a good grasp of English as they plan on entering university.
One irony of the dilemma of Japanese students’ inability to grasp English is the fact that Japan spends much more money on English learning than elsewhere in Asia where students master the language. Still, those familiar with Japan’s culture and educational infrastructure complain that other factors prevent Japanese students from learning En
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