Hirokazu Sato 
Study English! (Graphic image via wikimedia commons)
According to a professor who has taught English communication skills to many foreign students at an American university for many years, Japanese students are better at English grammar and reading comprehension than other students. However, their verbal communication skills, the main purpose of learning English, are the worst. It's time to fix that problem.
Whether students are studying the sciences or humanities makes no difference. If they cannot achieve their purpose of communicating in English, then why is Japan spending so much time and money on it? I wonder if there are any heart-to-heart communications with machine learning. Doesn't English education these days rely too much on machines? This is a particularly sad situation for students.
No matter how complex and difficult discussions and papers are in science and technology, there isn't any heartfelt communication if the other party is a machine. Am I the only one who views the lack of humanity in education as a cause of the increase in school-haters among students these days?
Isn't the biggest cause of this not only because communication skills are not taught in the educational field, but because opportunities to do so are being taken away?
Making the Most of English Teachers
Schools are challenged to teach English in Japanese in elementary, junior high, and high school English classes. To alleviate this problem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsors the JET Program, which brings ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) to Japan. However, it seems they may be officially prohibited from directly teaching students in English. This is because the ALTs do not have teaching licenses in Japan.
If Japanese teachers of English classes cannot communicate with students in English, perhaps the law should be changed. Why not grant English teaching qualifications to university graduates from English-speaking countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada? That would allow them to be employed as English teachers and Japanese students to get the most from their lessons.
University of Tokyo's English Aspirations
In 2024, the University of Tokyo announced that it was launching a new program to teach specialized courses in English. The current plan is to aim the program at students intending to study overseas. However, the widespread use of this type of course is absolutely essential if Japan is to stay competitive internationally. Other universities will probably follow in due course.
The next question is whether high schools can produce students who can keep up with such English classes. To that end, English education, at least in junior high and high school, should be conducted entirely in English.
English education started in elementary schools relatively recently, reflecting recognition of the inadequate English competency of Japanese people. Also, learning English is easier when it's part of your daily life from an early age. However, this could mean that you are becoming more distant from the Japanese language. As long as you live in Japan, learning Japanese is also important.
Teaching 'Communication,' Not English in 'Parts'
Meanwhile, there is a demand for English when engaging with the international community. To that extent, universities have a responsibility to send graduates into the world with competent English skills. That also requires an understanding of what level of English is required for effective communication in various fields.
In my experience, the ability to communicate effectively with overseas counterparts is an essential skill. To communicate on an equal footing with others, regardless of the field, it is an obstacle to break that communication into separate parts such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. How an infant learns to communicate in Japanese from birth to adulthood is the same.
If there is a difference, it is that Americans, in a multi-ethnic country, start talking by using general subjects, while Japanese people start talking with particular subjects. This may be fine for communication between Japanese people. However, that thought order is difficult for foreigners to understand. Instead, if you start talking to foreigners in general terms and then move on to particulars, they will actively listen to you.
Japanese people are not good at this logical thinking. Nevertheless, to be persuasive with others in the international community, it is an important step to follow.
Learning in an Immersive Environment
Recently, we see more news about high school students going abroad to study. This is a very good thing for Japanese people who would otherwise comfortably stay in a Japanese environment. I hope the trend spreads. This facilitates a very bright future for the students themselves and Japanese society as a whole.
As a shortcut to acquiring logical thinking skills, I would be grateful if you could read the second and third of my four articles on English previously published on JAPAN Forward. The first article was titled "Why aren't well Japanese in English Communication?" This article was honored to be selected as one of JAPAN Forward's best-read articles of 2023. It was also the most accessed of the series of articles. They can be found here and are worth a read if you want to learn English.
- Why Aren't Japanese Better in English Communication?
- And read the series: Speak Out in English Japan!
Finally, I have many fond memories of being invited to the homes of local customers during my years working in the United States and Europe, riding on some customers' private airplanes, and being treated to delicious meals. I would like to save those stories for another time.
RELATED:
- For Better English Teaching, Learn from Fukui, Saitama Models
- Making it to Yale in the World Scholar's Cup: What It's Like
- Moshi Moshi: Speaking Native Japanese Has Its Positives and Pitfalls
Author: Hirokazu Sato
The author is a Japanese engineer and JAPAN Forward supporter who writes from his decades of experience representing Japanese companies in Europe and America.
