BRITISH COUNCIL PERSPECTIVES ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE POLICY AND EDUCATIONThe Importance of the Four Skillsin the Japanese Context
BCP-1

Barry O’Sullivan, Johanna Motteram, Robin Skipsey and Jamie Dunlea

British Council Perspectives on
English Language Policy and Education
The Perspectives Series sets out the British Council’s approach to a range of issues
around the English language in learning systems across the world. The papers
build on the experience of British Council experts throughout the organisation.
Contributions come from the English Language Research Group (ELRG) which
includes representatives from the Assessment Research Group, English Teachingand Learning, as well as English in Education Systems (EES).
© British Council 2022.
ISSN 2752-5562
Web: https://www.britishcouncil.org/exam/aptis/research/publications/englishlanguage-policy-and-education
Cover image credit: BLOOM image/amanaimages.

Overview
In this position paper, we focus on the importance of taking a four-skills
approach to the development of a functioning comprehensive learning
system. Traditional approaches to teaching English have often been accusedof neglecting the skills of speaking and writing. Enacting educational reform
to promote the balanced development of proficiency in all four skills of
speaking, listening, reading and writing across the populace will support thegrowth of human potential and the development of international economic
and cultural ties.

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

2About the Authors
Professor Barry O’Sullivan is the British Council’s
Head of Assessment Research & Development. He
has worked on numerous test development andvalidation projects globally and advises ministries
and institutions on assessment policy and practice.
Barry has undertaken research across many
areas on language testing and assessment and its
history, and has worked on the development andrefinement of the socio-cognitive model of testdevelopment and validation since 2000. He haspresented his work at many conferences around the world, while almost
100 of his publications have appeared in a range of international journals,
books and technical reports.
He is the founding president of the UK Association of Language Testing andAssessment, holds a visiting professorship at the University of Reading, UK,
and is Advisory Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Barry wasawarded Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK in 2016, andwas elected to Fellowship of the Asian Association for Language Assessment
in 2017. In 2019 he was awarded an OBE by the government of the UK for his
contribution to language testing.

Dr Johanna Motteram is a project manager inthe British Council’s Global Assessments group.
She earned her PhD from the University of
Adelaide with supervision from experts in
Linguistics and Education and holds an MA in
Applied Linguistics from the same university. She
works on language test development and language
teaching, learning and assessment projects to
support institutional and government clientsdevelop effective language education systems.
She also undertakes validation research work related to use of British Council
assessments in specific settings.
Johanna is active in the language assessment research community andhas served on the Association for Language Testing and Assessment ofAustralia and New Zealand’s executive committee for many years. She hasover 25 years of experience working in EFL education, first as a teacher andteacher trainer, and then in language teaching and learning research, andassessment development.

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Robin Skipsey comes from Gillingham in thesoutheast of England. He studied French language
and European history at the University of East
Anglia, and lived and worked in the UK and France
before moving to Japan in 2005, where he has
been based ever since. He holds Cambridge CELTA
and Cambridge DELTA teaching qualifications andhas passed the Japanese Language Proficiency
test at N2 level.
After joining the British Council, Robin taught large classes at public
elementary and junior high schools as part of a long-running team-teaching
programme in Tokyo, as well as teaching adult courses, including IELTS and
Cambridge exam preparation classes. As Academic Manager for English
Projects in Japan, Robin oversaw the design, development and delivery of
the Leaders of English Education Project (LEEP), a five-year national teacher
training initiative commissioned by the Japanese Ministry of Education which
trained over 80,000 elementary, junior and senior high school teachers
across the country between 2014 and 2019.
Currently Robin and his team are working on a collaboration with a major
Japanese publishing company to produce ministry-approved English
textbooks for senior high school students, as well as a variety of professional
development projects for Japanese teachers of English.

Dr Jamie Dunlea is a senior researcher andmanager of the British Council’s Assessment
Research Group. He has a PhD in language testingfrom the Centre for Research in English Language
Learning and Assessment (CRELLA). He works
on a range of language test development andvalidation projects for the British Council, as well as
collaborating with researchers and organisations
internationally.

Jamie has advised Ministries of Education and national agencies on
assessment reform projects, overseen research for collaborative,
international projects such as linking UK examinations to China’s Standards ofEnglish (CSE) and is active in the language assessment research community.
He joined the British Council in 2013 after heading validation research atthe Eiken Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which develops andadministers EFL examinations in Japan. He has 30 years of experience
working in EFL education, first as a teacher, then in test development andassessment research.

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

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Contents
1.
2.

Introduction............................................................................................ 6
The Importance of the Four Skills ....................................................... 7
2.1 Fairness ............................................................................................. 7
2.2 Representation .................................................................................. 8
2.3 Information ........................................................................................ 8

3.

Challenges ............................................................................................. 9
3.1 Social ................................................................................................. 9
3.2 Theoretical ....................................................................................... 11
3.3 Operational ...................................................................................... 124.
5.

The British Council and English Language Education
and Assessment .................................................................................. 12
The Comprehensive Learning System (CLS) ................................... 13
5.1 What this Means in Practice ............................................................ 15
5.1.1 Learning ................................................................................. 15
5.1.2 Teaching in Schools ............................................................... 15
5.1.3 Assessment............................................................................ 16

6.

Conclusion ........................................................................................... 17
6.1 Summarising the British Council’s Position on the Four Skills ........ 17

References ................................................................................................... 20

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

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1.

Introduction

English language proficiency sufficient to interact in social, educational andprofessional contexts is one element which contributes to a nation having a
population which can participate in globally-connected communities. Despite
this, traditional approaches to teaching English have often been accusedof neglecting the skills of speaking and writing, which form the basis forsuch interactions. Enacting educational reform to promote the balanced
development of proficiency in all four skills of speaking, listening, reading
and writing across the populace will support the growth of this humanpotential, and subsequently support the development of international
economic and cultural ties.
Educational reform should always be seen as a long-term project, as
significant and stable change will typically take a generation to take hold.
However, we can expect to see some clear benefits emerge during theshort to medium term. Success of an educational reform project requiresconsideration of the three elements of the education system: 1) thenational curriculum (or course of studies); 2) the delivery of that system(teacher training and monitoring; textbooks and online resources; thephysical learning environment); 3) assessment (both in-class assessments
and formal tests). We call this the Comprehensive Learning System (seeO’Sullivan, 2020). It is only when all three elements of the system are in
full alignment, and the system is appropriate for the context in which it isdeployed, that the hoped-for changes will happen.
It is critical that policy-makers fully understand this and look at a broad
reform to ensure that teachers are fully prepared to teach to the new
expanded goals, that the publishers are engaged with developing textbooks
that reflect these goals and that the testing system is reformed to include a
focus on the four skills. This is not an easy task and will not bring about rapidchange, but evidence from countries such as Spain (Shepherd & Ainsworth,2017) indicate that, if properly and fully implemented, then there is real hopethat there will be a measurable improvement over time.
In this position paper, we will focus on the importance of taking a four skills
approach to the development of a functioning comprehensive learning
system (CLS).

'Educational reform to promote the balanced
development of proficiency in all four skills will
support the growth of this human potential,
and subsequently the development ofinternational economic and cultural ties.'

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

6

2.

The Importance of the Four Skills

Later in this paper, we will outline a number of theoretical arguments to
support the introduction of a four skills action-oriented learning system while
focusing on the importance of assessment within these systems. We alsoemphasise the importance of not only ensuring that the various elements of
the learning system are aligned, but that these also are further aligned to thecontext in which the system is based.
However, before moving on to these theoretical arguments we believe that
there are further, more practical and, it could be argued, more important(certainly to the key stakeholders) arguments that should first be addressed.
We see these as being related to:•

Fairness•

Representation•

Information

2.1

Fairness

The first reason for assessing all four skills is to ensure fairness for students.
Students’ learning profiles vary, with some being stronger at written skills
while others excel at listening and speaking. Assessment in all four skills
is especially important for students with specific learning needs (forexample, reading-related conditions such as dyslexia, hearing, or speaking
impairments) since it provides clear evidence of what students can do, rather
than failing them on the basis of one or two areas where they might struggle.
An assessment system which assesses students’ weak areas and overlooks
their strengths is therefore intrinsically unfair to students and deprives themof the opportunity to showcase their true ability. It has been our experience
over the years that all four skills are amenable to improvement throughclassroom practice and self-study, and students deserve to see theirstrengths in each area acknowledged, as well as seeing clearly which weak
areas they need to work on to improve.
Additionally, we would argue that fairness cannot be separated fromquestions of the underlying validity and purpose of assessment with
the CLS, and for the individual and social goals for which assessment is
implemented. In a world where the importance of using English as a
global language for communication is overwhelmingly accepted, wewould argue that it is unfair not to teach and assess all four skills
including speaking and writing. We recognise the logistical andsystemic hurdles of implementing productive skills teaching andassessment. Extra attention does need to be given to ensure fairness
when introducing these elements into the CLS. But if we allow thoselogistical constraints to outweigh the importance of teaching andassessing real communication, we will be depriving learners of a
critical life skill.

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2.2

Representation

Teachers, parents and students place value on what is assessed (McEwan,
1995). Thus, it follows that if speaking is valued in the curriculum, thisshould be reflected in the assessment. Evidence from classrooms in Japanand Korea shows that a lack of speaking and writing assessment at criticalpoints leads to teachers and students neglecting the skills of speaking andwriting, both in lessons and home study (Choi, 2008; Allen, 2017; Sato, 2019).
Introducing assessment of the productive skills is likely to increase thechances that they will be more generally valued. One study in Japan showedthat the simple experience of taking a four-skills test led university students
to focus more of their study time and efforts on the productive skills of
speaking and writing (Allen, 2016).

2.3

Information

Tests provide the kind of information required for many important decisionmaking purposes. These decisions can be related to the individual (e.g.,
university entrance, professional qualification etc.) to education boards(monitoring the success of education innovations such as changes to thecurriculum) and to policy-makers (providing evidence of achievement in the
education system which can drive future policy directions). A clear analogy
is driving tests, which are used to ensure that new drivers are safe to use
public roads. To fulfil this function, a driving test needs to assess prospective
drivers’ knowledge and understanding of the rules of the road, but also
their ability to manipulate a vehicle safely. A test that examines one aspect,
without the other, would not give a rounded view of the prospective driver’s
ability. To extend this analogy, a driving curriculum or test that focusedon candidates’ knowledge of mechanical engineering, would not provide
relevant information for the task at hand.
In the same way, where the intention of using a language test is tounderstand a candidate’s ability to use the language, that test needs toexamine the candidate's proficiency in all four modes of language ability.
This will mean that further education institutions and employers can makeinformed choices about the candidate's actual language proficiency.
For this reason, tests such as IELTS and TOEFL, designed for admission toforeign universities, include assessment of all four skills with tasks whichreflect the way language is used in universities. In compulsory education,
four-skills assessment which is aligned with the curriculum allows education
officials, teachers, parents, and students themselves an opportunity to gain
a comprehensive understanding of how effectively learning is happening.

'It is vital that stakeholders arebrought into discussions aroundreform as early as possible,
and they are given a genuine
opportunity to contributeto the debate.'

3.

Challenges

The importance of language learning across the population (and not justwithin an established elite) is highlighted by the OECD’s decision to include
foreign language assessment in its PISA surveys from 2025. This decisionby the OECD recognises that one of the major benefits of foreign language
learning comes from being able to interact in the language: the ability to
speak and write. In including the productive skills to PISA alongside thereceptive skills of reading and listening, the OECD is showing that these skills
have equal significance for foreign language learning. While the changes
to PISA offer significant hope for meaningful change in English language
assessment policy across many countries, it should be recognised that
educational reform will always meet with challenges that can be categorised
as being either social, theoretical, or operational. We will address thesebriefly in this section.

3.1

SocialIn almost all societies, change is viewed with a level of suspicion. Even
where an existing system is unpopular, its familiarity means that it will havea certain level of social acceptance. For any educational (or other social)reform to have any chance of success, it is critical that stakeholders acrossthe organisation or country buy into the ideas behind the reform and into
the delivery of the reform. In order to achieve this, it is vital that stakeholders
are brought into discussions around the reform as early as possible. It isequally as important that stakeholders are given a genuine opportunity tocontribute to the debates around the reform from inception to delivery
through genuinely interactive communication. We return to this idea later inthe paper when we discuss the application of the socio-cognitive approach,as interpreted by Chalhoub-Deville & O’Sullivan (2020), to test development
and validation (which we also see as being relevant to the development andvalidation of the entire comprehensive learning system).
The focus of education systems globally is increasingly on the ultimate
contribution to the economic prosperity of a country of the learners whoform the focus of the system. There is evidence that the ability of theworkforce to understand and use English can contribute significantly to anation’s economy (Brooker, 2018). Where education systems fail to provide
its learners with this vital life skill, they are not only failing the learners as
individuals, but are also likely to be causing serious harm to the economic
prosperity of their country.

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9

'Of the four skills, speaking has proved
to be the most logistically challenging
and controversial to assess.
The introduction of computer-based
assessment has eased some of thelogistical issues. In recent years,
education authorities in countries asdiverse as Vietnam, Malaysia, China
and Japan have begun introducing
speaking tests into their school anduniversity systems.'

3.2

Theoretical

In implementing our approach to language education and assessment reform
within the CLA, the British Council draws on the Socio-Cognitive Model as
elaborated by Chalhoub-Deville and O’Sullivan (2020). This approach calls fordetailed models of the underlying language development construct (i.e.,
involving clear descriptions of what a learner can be expected to do atdifferent levels of proficiency) and a clearly articulated underlying
measurement model (how well does the test work in terms of accuracy,
consistency and reliability). The approach also calls for two additional models
which are relevant to our discussion of implementing a four-skills approachacross teaching, learning and assessment within a comprehensive learning
system. These are the Theory of Action Model (essentially a clear descriptionof what the test is expected to allow us to say about the test-taker and aplan as to how this will be achieved) and a Communication Model (a welldescribed plan of how and through what channels the test developers expect
to communicate with all key stakeholder groups, such as teachers, parents,
learners as well as academics, policy-makers and local or regional education
officials).
Designing and implementing tests will not achieve our goals even if they
are created with all elements of the CLS in mind. We also need to have aclear plan of how we will communicate with key stakeholders in the context
in which the CLS is based – this is what we mean by a Communication
Model. Communication is not simply a one-way information-giving activity
which explains a test to stakeholders, but is about engaging with them tounderstand their needs and reflect these in our assessments, as well as
helping them understand how the assessments can support their goals fordeveloping the ability to use English effectively in local, regional, and global
contexts.

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11

Our Communication Model should therefore reflect the needs andexpectations of all major stakeholders, from policy-makers to test/material
developers to teachers and pupils. In order to do this we should consider
not only the contents of any message but how it is presented to particularstakeholder groups. For example, a 100-page highly technical report on
how the test was developed and how (well) it works is likely to satisfy an
academic or technical audience while at the same time frustrating a group ofteachers or parents who simply do not have the technical expertise to fullycomprehend the contents. In fact, the report may have the effect of making
such individuals suspicious that the developers are trying to hide somethingfrom them by burying it in academic (or pseudo-academic) language.

3.3

Operational

Of the four skills, speaking has proved to be the most logistically challenging
and controversial to assess. The main challenges come from the time andexpertise required to reliably assess an individual’s speaking ability. Thislatter challenge involves both the characteristics of language to be assessed
and the quality and availability of trained and reliable individuals to score theperformances.
However, the introduction of computer-based assessment has eased someof the logistical issues and in recent years, education authorities in countries
as diverse as Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Japan have begun the process of
introducing speaking tests into their school and university systems.

4.

The British Council and English Language
Education and Assessment

English language teaching and testing has been at the heart of the workof the British Council since its foundation in 1934. In the years since then,the organisation has worked to build expertise across the world in theseareas, supporting numerous projects which focused on all aspects of thelearning system (see Weir & O’Sullivan, 2017). These projects have seen
British Council experts and colleagues from many UK universities working
in areas such as teacher training (language and professional), curriculum
development, and assessment.
The British Council was a driving force behind the movement in the 1970s
towards a more communicative approach to language teaching and testing.
Perhaps the most significant contributions to the movement came from two
British Council officers (as they were referred to at the time), Ian Munby(1978) and Brendan J. Carroll who developed (with his team of experts
at the British Council) the English Language Testing Service (ELTS), which
was the first English-for-academic-purposes test based on communicative
principles. ELTS was replaced by IELTS in 1980 and this is still co-owned andadministered by the British Council together with its partners Cambridge
University Press and Assessment and IDP Australia.

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

12Nowadays, with English broadly recognised as a world language, the British
Council is, more than ever, committed to providing access to the highest
quality teaching, learning and assessment experiences to diverse
societies while expanding people’s horizons both personally andprofessionally. The ability to communicate in English builds connections
and mutual understanding between people across the world, and each of
the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing has an importantrole to play in this. As a part of understanding how the use of English ischanging globally, the needs and goals of users of English in local
contexts, and the position language education and assessment reform canplay in supporting those goals, the British Council has launched a global,
long-term research program: the Future of English (British Council, 2022a).
This program is already delivering insights on the continuing vibrant role
English plays in enabling cultural and economic interaction in local,
regional and global contexts. What is clear is that the ability to use all skills
in English to actively communicate lies at the heart of individual as well as
national, regional and global uses of the language.
The British Council has actively carried on this work in Japan, with a
special focus on teacher training and support, with major ongoing projects
in collaboration with MEXT and local Boards of Education, putting teachers
and teacher professional development at the heart of education reform(British Council, 2022b). One element that remains constant across all ofthese British Council-led or supported reform programs has been its
commitment to a broad conceptualisation of education programs as
integrated systems in which all elements are intrinsically aligned. Thisapproach is articulated in O’Sullivan’s (2020) contribution to this series as
the Comprehensive Learning System.

5.

The Comprehensive Learning System (CLS)The British Council has long understood the need for a fully integrated
learning system that is appropriate to the context of learning.
The system itself was articulated clearly in O’Sullivan’s (2020) publication,
The Comprehensive Learning System (CLS). The theoretical basis of the CLS isthat learning systems can be defined by the context in which they are based.
This means that the social, educational and political values that drive thecontext (e.g., the country or region) must be reflected in the learning system
in all ways for the system to fully function as planned.

'The CLS is operationalised within any given
context through three main elements: the curriculum;
the delivery apparatus; and the philosophy and processof assessment. The entire learning system is driven
by a clearly articulated set of standards which mustbe fully appropriate to the context.'

The CLS is seen to be operationalised within any given context through threemain elements: the curriculum; the delivery apparatus; and the philosophy
and process of assessment. The entire learning system is then driven by aclearly articulated set of standards, which, again, must be fully appropriate
to the context. In other words, the CLS triangle in Figure 1 cannot standalone. Even in situations where the core elements (i.e., curriculum, delivery,
assessment and standards) can be shown to fit together philosophically,
unless they are shown to be appropriate to the context in which the CLS
is embedded (e.g., secondary English language education in Japan), it isunlikely to succeed. This suggests that learning systems should not be
copied or implemented in new contexts without extensive evaluation and/or
localisation.
Figure 1: The Comprehensive Learning System (CLS)

Where the learning system is expected to promote communication, then the
curriculum should evidence this. In the same way, delivering the curriculum
will require that the physical construction of the learning environment
should ensure that this is feasible (e.g., ensuring space for movement andinteraction in a traditional face-to-face classroom or ensuring technology
is appropriate to enable interaction in the increasing number of online
learning spaces). In addition, textbooks and other learning materials should
focus on activities that promote the use of the language. Finally, no system
can hope to flourish unless appropriate high-quality training is provided forthe teachers who are its primary implementers. In addition to these two key
areas, the assessment system, which includes both formative (i.e.,developmental) and summative (judgemental) aspects, should be carefully
considered and specified to support the learning goals.
As mentioned above, the standards that underpin the entire system should
be understood within the context of learning. By this we mean, the standards
should be developed and/or adapted with the same social, educational andpolitical values that drive the context in mind. A good example of this is thework undertaken in Japan on the localisation of the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This project, resulted in thedevelopment of the CEFR-J (see Tono, 2019, 2022) in which the realities of
the Japanese learning context were taken into consideration.

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

14

5.1

What this Means in Practice

The rationale behind the British Council’s commitment to the implementationof action-oriented comprehensive learning systems across the world can besummarised as follows.
5.1.1

Learning

Students need the ability to use English effectively in practical situations:to understand new information, ideas, or enjoy foreign culture throughlistening and reading and to communicate what they want, share how theyfeel, or discuss opinions and ideas through speaking or writing. Knowledge ofvocabulary and grammar should play an active role in building the ability andthe confidence to communicate.
5.1.2

Teaching in Schools

Education reform aims to drive change in the way that English is taught. As aresult, teachers need to understand the change and be supported to adapt
their teaching. The British Council actively supports teachers to ensure thatthey can provide effective and motivating lessons for their students. Thisentails supporting teachers’ professional development: working to assess
their needs and helping to improve the quality of teaching in the classroom
across all four skills. Much of the organisation’s recent work in Japan has
focused on helping teachers with practical ideas for teaching interactive
speaking, reflecting the recent global trend towards the more action-oriented
approach proposed by the Council of Europe (2020) with the publication of
the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning,teaching, assessment – Companion volume. Feedback and voices fromteachers engaged in British Council training has been positive and indicatesthe approach has a positive impact in the classroom and across skills, notjust on speaking (British Council, 2022c)'Students need the ability touse English effectively in practicalsituations: to understand new
information, ideas, or enjoy
foreign culture through listening
and reading; to communicate
what they want, share how theyfeel, or discuss opinions andideas through speaking or writing.'

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5.1.3

Assessment

While the commitment to an action-oriented approach to TLA remains highon the British Council’s agenda, it is clear that learning systems globallycannot simply forget about the receptive skills (listening and reading) or
essential language knowledge (grammar and vocabulary). Unless the four
traditional skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are seen to beaddressed in all elements of the learning system, there is a real threat thatthose missing elements will be essentially ignored, thus causing irreparable
damage to the language skills of learners. In contrast, the evidence from amajor reform project in Spain where the focus on language use was reflectedin the curriculum, delivery and assessment elements of the system clearly
demonstrate a significant improvement in language proficiency across thefour skills (see Shepherd & Ainsworth, 2017). It is therefore very clear that thestructure and focus of tests within a learning system will have a significant
impact on that learning system (see for example, Watanabe, 2013).
We therefore recognise that assessment has a crucial role to play, and thatthe assessments and tests included in the CLS must reflect all the skills weseek to develop.
We believe that the introduction of tests by education ministries, schools
and universities which move the focus from the easily testable (typicallyreading, grammar and vocabulary) to the (admittedly more challenging)areas of spoken and written production and interaction will be a major
force in promoting English education reform; incentivising students toinvest their efforts in improving all four skills. As noted above, the Future ofEnglish program of research is clearly showing that governments across theglobe recognise that, despite the challenges this presents, it is essential toachieving real change for learners and the societies in which they live, learn,
and work and will use English. An example of this approach can be seen in a
recent project in Japan, where the British Council worked with Tokyo
University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) to design and develop a new English
language speaking test to bring speaking into the university entrance exam
system and actively promote positive washback on teaching and learning at
both high school and university levels. In line with the CLS approach, this test
has taken into account international (CEFR) and local standards (CEFR-J, highschool Courses of Study) from the outset. The test (BCT-S) is now used aspart of the university entrance requirements at TUFS and other universities
across Japan. See British Council (2022d) for more details.
Of course, there may well be learning systems in which the productive
skills are seen to be more relevant, as suggested by the Council of Europe(2020). However, even here, where the focus is on language production
and interaction, the receptive skills together with language knowledge
formthe vital enabling skills which allow spoken and written
communication to happen. The example of the BCT-S above is instructive.
It was implemented within a successful entrance exam system not toreplace other important skills which will continue to be tested, but to fill thegap between curriculum and reform goals that include speaking and atesting system which did not.

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6.

Conclusion

For almost nine decades, the British Council has been teaching and assessing
young learners and adults around the world, as well as supporting teachers
in state education systems. During this time, the goal has always been todevelop students’ practical English language skills and their confidence to
use these skills. To strengthen the English language education system, we
believe it is essential to address learning, teaching and assessment in an
integrated way.
This commitment entails maintaining a clear focus on the needs of thelocal context of learning while ensuring that the four skills together withlanguage knowledge form an integral part of any learning system. As wehave seen above, this means that they are fully reflected in all aspects of
the Comprehensive Learning System – curriculum, delivery and assessment(together with the underlying standards of course). A reluctance to change
from existing approaches which treat language as a subject to be studied,tested and ultimately forgotten means that learners leave many learning
systems with little or no ability to use the language they may have studied formany years. This has a significant negative impact on how learners perceive
their own learning (as a failure) and how they see the language (as having nopractical value). The negative impact also extends to broader society in thatit can significantly affect the economic and social development of a country,(see Powell-Davies’ interesting ‘thought-piece’ on the British Council website).

6.1

Summarising the British Council’s Positionon the Four Skills

Around the world, an ability to successfully communicate in a foreign
language, in particular English, is recognised by governments as a means
to empower the population to learn more about the world around them, tomake global personal and professional connections, and to explore newopportunities, both personal and economic. We argue here that enacting
educational reform to promote the development of skills in English language
speaking and listening, as well as reading and writing, across the populace
will support the growth of this human potential, and subsequently support
the development of international economic and cultural ties.
Since its inception almost 90 years ago, The British Council has focused
primarily on production (speaking and writing) while recognising theimportance of the receptive skills (reading and listening) and that of theenabling language knowledge skills (grammar and vocabulary), see Weir &O’Sullivan’s (2017) history of the British Council in English language testing.
While the relative balance of focus on the above skills will depend on thespecific context in which the learning system is based (e.g., Japanese second
level or higher education), it is critical that no skill be omitted from thesystem. The British Council position can therefore be summarised as:
In order to reach a point where learners are comfortable in using the language
in a meaningful way, it is critical that learning systems focus in a balanced andappropriate way on all four skills and not just focus on aspects of language thatare easier to teach and assess such as reading, grammar and vocabulary.

The Importance of the Four Skills in the Japanese Context

17

'In order to reach a point wherelearners are comfortable in using thelanguage in a meaningful way, it iscritical that learning systems focus
in a balanced and appropriate way on
all four skills and not just focus on
aspects of language that are easier
to teach and assess such as reading,grammar and vocabulary.'References
Allen, D. (2016). Japanese cram schools and entrance exam washback,
The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics Vol,3 No 1, 2016, pp 54–67
Allen, D. (2017). Investigating Japanese undergraduates’ English language proficiency
with IELTS: Predicting factors and washback. IELTS Partnership Research Papers, 2.
IELTS Partners: British Council, Cambridge English Language Assessment and IDP:
IELTS Australia. Available at https://www.ielts.org/teaching-and-assessing/researchreports
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