New Proposal for the Improvementof English Language Education

September 22nd,2005
Gunma Prefectural Women's University
Foreign Language Research InstitutePreface
Nearly 4 years have now passed since November, 2001 when our
Proposal for the Improvement of English Language Education was presented to
the Governor of Gunma Prefecture. Our analysis of the problems which
formed the background to our Proposal has not altered. Indeed it isuncontroversial to say that the traditional Japanese approach to English
language education has a direct bearing on how successful our country will bein surviving the severe test of global competition. However the increasingly
strident calls from society at large to improve our ability to communicate withother countries are often vague in content and made with little knowledge ofthe reality of what is happening in education.
The difficult task of implementing the recommendations contained in our
Proposal fell to the various divisions of the Prefectural Office. They haveworked hard together and the improvements made in English language
education in the prefecture are in no small way the fruit of their labor.
At the beginning of the process of modernization which started in the
Meiji era and has continued to the present, Japan had no choice but to rely on
Europeans and Americans for its higher education. In the course of time, Japanwas gradually able to conduct its education using its own people and in its
own language. As a sign that Japan was now mature enough to conduct its
own education, this is clearly a source of great satisfaction. However thisphenomenon is surely one reason behind the decline in the foreign language
ability of our university students. If we cast our gaze towards other countries,
particularly Asian countries such as Korea and China, we cannot help but beamazed at the spread of English which has accompanied their rapid
modernization. Anyone who has attended a meeting of Asian nations musthave been struck by the relatively poor English skills of the Japaneseparticipants. Reflecting on this situation, I hope that the decline of our English
skills, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to improve ourselves are notsigns of a more general slide in our country’s international standing.
Following the lead of Governor Kodera, many important figures inGunma in both public and private sectors have realized the pressing need at the
local level to develop young people who can flourish in the era of-1-

globalization. Although the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology has been keenly discussing English language education in Japan,
for radical change to occur, a local community like Gunma Prefecture shouldtake the initiative to discuss education intensively and draw up their own
model for reform based on future needs. The importance of producing such amodel remains unchanged.
Since our previous Proposal took a fairly comprehensive look at thewhole of Japanese English language education, I think that the basic ideas do
not require any change. Therefore I decided this time to focus on 4 specificareas of education. These are outlined in the following sections:
The first section deals with the issue of English at Elementary schools,
an issue which our first proposal did not address. Our current proposal
recommends that for children in the lower grades, Grades 1 to 3, English
should be used to introduce them to foreign cultures. For children in the upper
grades, Grades 4 to 6, English should be established as a new subject that ispart of a comprehensive 3 year syllabus with lessons at least twice a week.
The second section suggests that junior high schools, senior highschools, and universities should cooperate with each other so that each levelforms part of an integrated English language education. While each levelshould form part of a natural progression, the respective goals and curriculum
will vary according to the level.
The third section proposes that the 4 skills in English should be taught
in harmony. English education before World War II emphasized reading andwriting but after the war emphasized speaking and listening. Concentrating on
speaking and listening tasks based on daily life may have made English
education superficial because it fails to give students the ability to cope withcomplex situations relating to economic and social spheres.
Finally, the fourth section concerns ALTs who have been playing asignificant role in English language education and promotinginternationalization at the local level. Therefore to retain the services ofcapable ALTs and make the best use of their abilities, I propose that ALTs areoffered better terms and conditions. This proposal should be carried out by
universities and the government.
I believe that if the recommendations made in the 4 areas above are
implemented, they will have a significant effect on improving the English
ability of the next generation. It goes without saying that the educational
community needs to study and discuss in detail those methods and procedures
which are necessary to carry this out.
As we stated in our proposal of 4 years ago, any discussion of how to-2-

improve our ability to communicate cannot be confined to the realm of
educational policy. As a nation we need to create a forum in which all thesedeep rooted problems can be the subject of open and rational debate.
I would like to emphasize a point that may well be self-evident, namelythat the promotion of English language education should in no way be made at
the cost of passing down to younger generations, Japan’s rich cultural andhistorical heritage. As we noted in the first proposal, "it is difficult to imagine
that people who are able to use a foreign language skillfully will be unable touse their own language properly. Furthermore it is unthinkable that a person
educated in Japan could have a deep understanding of other culture and yet beignorant of their own." We must be aware of our own identity as Japanese as
well as our responsibilities as members of the wider world community. We
need to acknowledge the existence of different peoples and cultures while
retaining a firm sense of who we are as Japanese.
I believe that the greatest danger facing our country in the future lies inour succumbing to an insular and complacent chauvinism which would inhibit
a desire to meet the challenges facing us outside. While we should always
remember with pride the achievements of our country, we must never lose ourdesire to engage actively and fearlessly with the wider world. This attitude iswhat saw Japan through the revolution of the Meiji restoration, which helped
her recover in the post-war period and which will be needed well into the third
revolution of the 21st century.

I. English Language Education at Elementary School
English at elementary school is currently being conducted as part of theinternational understanding section of the Period for Integrated Studies. The
necessity of English language education at this level is still the subject of muchdebate. In society at large there is a strong demand that English be taught toour children who will be growing up in an increasingly interconnected world.
However this does not necessarily imply that English should be introduced at
the elementary level. Indeed if this is done without proper preparation it may
result in children developing a strong aversion to English. Hitherto the main
focus of English at elementary school has not been on developing children-3-with advanced foreign language skills. English has been used as a means
through which children could develop their individuality, their interpersonal
skills, and an attitude of openness to foreign cultures. However it is now time
to move beyond an approach to learning English as merely fun. English shouldbe established as a proper school subject to help children form richrelationships with others, develop their intellectual curiosity and draw out thebest of their ability. To achieve this will require far-reaching reform.

1. English for Lower Grades
For the lower grades, Grades 1 to 3, English should be used to help children
develop an interest in foreign cultures and communicating in English. At thislevel, learning should be enjoyable and relevant to the children’s immediate
environment.

2. English for Upper Grades
For the upper grades, Grades 4 to 6, the purpose should be to acquire basic
communication skills in English. Children at this age are at an important
physical and intellectual milestone in their development. English should
therefore reflect this fact and become a full school subject which students are
expected to master.

3. Curriculum
English for children in the lower grades should not be a school subject but
should be conducted in time allocated for special activities. Children should
learn English which is relevant to their daily life and be given the chance tolearn about foreign cultures through a range of basic activities. In the upper
grades, a 3 year curriculum should be drawn up and a minimum of 2 hours aweek should be allocated to the subject of English.

4. English as a School Subject
The main emphasis should be placed on listening and speaking. Children
should be able to use basic greetings, instructions, and other language which isrelevant to their everyday life. Reading and writing should be restricted to thebasics and use pattern sentences which illustrate the fundamental English word-4-

order of subject-verb-object.

5. Teachers
When English is first introduced into the curriculum as a full school subject, it
should be taught by the homeroom teacher of each class because they have thebest understanding of each child’s character. However they should be assisted
by a specialist English teacher, an ALT, or a member of the local community
with appropriate knowledge and skills. Once the teaching system becomes
established, it is advisable that the teaching be put into the hands of a specialist
English teacher.

6. Pre-service Training
Universities should set up special courses to produce teachers who have thenecessary English language and teaching skills to be able to teach English atelementary schools.

7. Recruitment of Teachers
In order to create and maintain a strong bank of teachers with basic practicalEnglish skills, all prospective elementary school teachers should have to passan interview in English as part of the hiring process.

8. Professional Development
Research should be carried out at all levels of education in the prefecture andthe results made widely available. Homeroom teachers should have regular
workshops to learn how to teach English at elementary school. When theschools are on vacation, elementary school teachers should be given theopportunity for concentrated periods of study so that they can reach therequired English level and learn how to improve their teaching skills.

9. Motivation
While it is important that lessons are enjoyable, if children are not engaged ata deeper intellectual level they will not be able to maintain their motivation.
Much can be achieved through combining a minimum amount of grammar-5-with an expanding vocabulary and openness to children's interests. For
example, if children are interested in insects, the teacher can introduce them tothe words beetle (kabutomushi) or dragonfly (tombo). It is important thatchildren experience the pleasure of being able to understand and express inEnglish what they would like to say.

10. Learning Environment
It is important to create an environment in which English becomes a strong
and regular presence in children’s everyday life. Every school should have an
area set aside where children can look at English picture books and children's
encyclopedias and watch children’s television programs in English. If children
can see homepages from other countries and exchange simple e-mail messages
with children abroad, they will begin to feel that they are part of the global
village.

11. Teaching Materials
At the national or prefectural level, videos, DVDs and other general teachingmaterials should be produced and made available to schools. This would be ofgreat benefit to teachers who are not English specialists and would greatly
lighten the burden of having to make original materials.

12. Locally Produced Materials
Each school should make their own collection of teaching materials which areappropriate to the locality and level of the children. These materials should befreely shared among teachers. Collections made at every level in the prefecture
should be put on each school’s respective homepage so that they are available
for other schools.

13. Junior High School
There should be a close connection between elementary and junior highschools. English teachers should be able to move between elementary andjunior high levels. It is particularly important that a junior high school English
teacher be transferred to an elementary school when a new program is being
started there. In addition, teachers from elementary and junior high schools-6-should attend the same training programs and be encouraged to observe eachothers’ lessons.

14. Research
Research should be undertaken to establish a reliable way to measure whether
or not the target level of English proficiency has been reached and to analyze
the results of making English a school subject at the elementary school level.
At the national or prefectural level a model test should be designed and piloted
at schools randomly assigned. A longitudinal study should be carried out totrack the results.

15. The Alphabet (Romaji)
The alphabet should be introduced in English lessons, not Japanese lessons.
For the benefit of foreigners, children should be taught how to write theirnames and addresses in English using a transliteration system which is close to
English such as the Hepburn system.

16. Japanese Language Education
The English language skills of students should build on the fundamental
intellectual foundation which has been established in Japanese so that students
can develop their powers of critical thinking and imagination. In the future, theability to express yourself and your opinions, to discuss and debate matters,
and to understand another’s message accurately are all skills which should beacquired in both Japanese and English.

17. English Language Education in Other Countries
We should look carefully at how other countries have managed to develop
successful foreign language programs to see how we can improve English
education in Japan. It would be particularly beneficial to look at the elementary
school foreign language programs of countries whose native language is not
English or whose native language grammar is markedly different from English.
Such programs should be carefully studied and good practices which areappropriate to Japan should be considered for inclusion in Japanese schools.

-7-II. An Integrated Approach to English Language
Education from Junior High School through University
In order for English language education to improve, there should becooperation between institutions from junior high school through university andclearly defined goals.

18. Cooperation between Levels
In order to promote cooperation, plans should be made to exchange personnel
between different educational levels. There should be various kinds of
exchanges, both short and long term between junior and senior high schools
and between senior high schools and universities. Teachers from junior highschools and senior high schools, and from senior high schools and universities,
should have the opportunity to study together to improve their teaching skills
and English proficiency.

19. Objectives at the Junior High School Level
Building on the base of what has been learned at elementary school, theobjective of English at the junior high school level should be to develop
students' communicative ability in a systematic way supported by a knowledgeof grammar. Building on listening and speaking skills learned at elementary
school, the emphasis should be shifted towards developing accuracy in reading
and writing. Basic methods such as reading aloud, recitation, and dictation are
essential. Students should be taught in small classes and be grouped according
to their English level.

20. Objectives at the Senior High School Level
The objective of English at the senior high school level is to develop the skills
which have been learned at junior high school. Senior high school students
should be able to understand English in content areas such as science andtechnology, society and culture and acquire the ability to express themselves.
Their English level should be such that they are able to read essays and shortpapers, newspapers, and understand BBC and CNN news broadcasts. There-8-

should be an emphasis on developing students’ output skills through activities
such as presentations and skits. It would be effective to establish two different
English courses: a course for students who want to acquire basic skills and acourse for students aiming at more advanced skills.

21. Objectives at the University Level
At the university level, students should build on the English that they havelearned at senior high school to deepen their general knowledge of the current
era of Globalization and acquire the English necessary for their specialized
fields. They should learn how to write reports and graduation theses and bepresented with opportunities to discuss and debate issues. In order to apply
their English skills in a practical and integrated manner, students should
volunteer at international events and conferences, and undertake internships atcompanies where English is used.

22. Cooperation between Universities and Senior High Schools
In order to promote cooperation between senior high schools and universities,
students should be given opportunities to learn about education at theuniversity level. For example, university professors should give lectures athigh schools and there should be more opportunities for students who aretaking the advanced English courses to attend classes at university.

23. Entrance Exams
There should more questions which test students' communication ability.
Senior high school entrance exams should have interviews in English that
require students to do more than just introduce themselves. Students must beable to express their opinions and discuss issues relevant to their lives.
University entrance exams should include listening materials from authentic
sources such as documentaries, and discussion television programs. They
should also have to write essays. All 4 skills should be evaluated so that afair determination of students' English ability can be assessed.

-9-24. Advantages of 6 Year Secondary Schools
The advantage of 6 year secondary schools with a strong English focus is thatstudents will be able to study English without being interrupted by the need toprepare for senior high school entrance exams. The research from theseschools should be disseminated to other junior high and senior high schools.

25. Achievement Testing
Achievement tests should be made for each grade to avoid inconsistencies in
the curriculum and to clarify achievement goals. Although this has been put
into practice in some regions, tests should be carried out at the prefectural andnational level. Clarifying the goals reached by each grade from junior high tosenior high school level will be able to motivate both students and teachers.

III. A Balance of the 4 Skills of English
English language education has come to lay an undue emphasis on speaking
skills. However if students are to acquire a truly meaningful ability tocommunicate, speaking and listening should be balanced by reading andwriting. For this reason, careful thought should be given to producing an
English language program with a balance of all 4 skills.

26. Cultivating a Balance of the 4 Skills
Recently, there has been a tendency to emphasize listening and speaking skills,
but it is also important to foster competence in reading and writing. Learning
tasks that require the use of all ４ skills, such as reading about a topic thenwriting a report and finally presenting it, should be adopted.

27. Variety in Learning
In order to prevent learning becoming tedious, thought should be given toproviding lively and varied ways of learning. Strategies to be considered
include focusing on a different skill each term or school year, concentrating on
one skill for a short time, or making an immersion program during the summer- 10 -

vacation. Tilting the balance of the 4 skills intentionally for a fixed period oftime will produce better results in the long-term.

28. Improving Reading Skills
In order to improve their reading skills, students should be offered a variety ofways to read. These should include the rapid and extensive reading of fairly
simple materials such as detective, romance and science fiction novels, and theintensive reading of essays and English newspapers. It is important to read
aloud and to practice memorizing well constructed sentences.

29. Improving Writing Skills
In order to improve their writing skills, students should be given opportunities
to express their own ideas in English. It is important for students to practicewriting in a variety of genres by keeping a diary, writing letters orsummarizing stories. Excessively abbreviated and informal English should be
avoided even in e-mail. It is important for students to receive adequate
feedback on their compositions. ALTs should assist Japanese teachers in thistask.

30. Improving Listening Skills
In order to improve their listening skills, it is necessary to increase
opportunities for students to listen to English. It is important for them to haveas much exposure as possible to English in their daily lives by using television,
movies, and the Internet, both inside and outside the classroom.

31. Improving Speaking Skills
In order to improve their speaking skills, students should practice reading
English aloud on topics that interest them. At first, set phrases and structures
should be memorized. Next, students should focus on grammatical skills sothey are able to express their opinions and ideas accurately. In addition to this,by practicing short speeches and simple debates, students will naturally be able
to develop the ability to speak correct English.

- 11 -

32. Teaching Grammar
Grammar should be made an independent subject in order to improve the ４
skills. However, the focus should not be on teaching about grammar in an
abstract way but on exposing students to many example sentences so that they
will be able to acquire structures in an experiential way. Through such
experiential learning, students will be able to learn grammatical items, from thesimple to the more complex, in a natural way.

33. Avoiding Katakana English
Using inappropriate katakana English should be avoided. For example, words
that are used in the media such as "shokku," "kuria," "forou," differ from their
original English meanings of shock, clear, and follow. The pronunciation ofwords such as "forum" and "veteran," differ from the correct English
pronunciation. Teachers should be aware of the incorrect uses of katakana
English and pay attention to this fact when they are teaching. If there areconcepts such as "governance" or "identity" for which it is difficult to find an
appropriate Japanese word, then the use of katakana English in those cases ispermissible. When learning a language, whether Japanese or foreign, it isimportant to have a firm commitment to use the language correctly.

Ⅳ.ALTs in English Language Education
ALTs are already playing a major role in improving English language
education in Japan and helping to promote the development ofinternationalization at the local level. Indeed as the pace of globalization
quickens, the demand for ALTs both from schools and society at large isbecoming even greater and many boards of education are employing increasing
numbers of Non-JET ALTs. It is important that schools make the best use of
the teaching skills of ALTs. To ensure that the services of capable ALTs are
retained and that their abilities are utilized to the maximum, serious thought
should be given to reforming the ALT system by creating more favorable
terms and conditions.

- 12 -

34. Collaboration between ALTs and Japanese Teachers
Every school should ensure that there is adequate time set aside for lesson
planning so that ALTs and Japanese teachers can develop their professional
relationship. ALTs and Japanese teachers should work together to create
lesson plans and teaching materials that will stimulate the intellectual
curiosity of the students.

35. Professional Development
ALTs and Japanese teachers should continue to attend workshops together sothat they can understand their respective viewpoints and incorporate the best of
their differing approaches and methods into their teaching practice. By
watching excellent Team Teaching lessons, ALTs and Japanese teachers will
be able to improve their own practice. ALT peer training is also valuable.
Opportunities should be created for experienced ALTs to provide practicalguidance and support to less experienced or new ALTs.

36. Team Teaching Manuals
There should be a variety of team teaching manuals in English to improveteam teaching. They should be versatile so that they can be utilized in a varietyof educational contexts. They should include not only theory but also a large
number of actual lesson plans and useful teaching materials.

37. Making the Most of ALTs
ALTs should be encouraged to make use of any special skills or abilities
which they possess. ALTs should teach not just English but also any
subjects in which they are qualified. They should also take part in club
activities. Increasing the amount of time that ALTs spend with students will
have a beneficial effect on students' English skills.

38. Evaluation of ALTs
To develop ALTs' skills as teachers and to retain capable ALTs, it is suggested
that there be a workplace evaluation. Education specialists at prefectural andmunicipal Boards of Education should make an impartial assessment of ALTs'
teaching abilities and professional behavior. Fair and appropriate evaluations
should lead to improved employment terms and conditions such as increased
remuneration and an extension of the contract.

- 13 -

39. Selection Process and Contracts for ALTs
In order to maintain capable ALTs, efforts to improve the selection process are
required. We should employ more foreigners who have specialized knowledge
and experience in language education. Contracts should be extended flexibly
and consideration should be given to making ALTs full-time teachers so that
their experience and teaching skills can be fully utilized.

40. ALT Working Hours
In order for ALTs to become a more integral part of the school and to utilize
their full potential, it is suggested that ALTs work a 40 hour week like their
Japanese colleagues. This will increase the amount of time ALTs can interact
with students and allow them to develop closer working relationships with
their Japanese colleagues.

- 14 -

Afterword
This proposal was created under the leadership of Yasushi Akashi,
Director of the Foreign Language Research Institute (FLRI) with the help of anadvisory committee. The members of the committee contributed greatly to this
proposal with their ideas, insightful discussion, and critical evaluation. In
addition to the committee, we also consulted with ALTs. We would like toexpress our appreciation to all the people who participated in the creation of
the proposal.
The ideas and opinions of the advisory committee were keenly discussed
from a wide range of perspectives. It goes without saying that each individual
member does not necessarily fully agree with every item in this proposal.
Furthermore, the ideas and opinions of the committee were offered by them ina personal capacity, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of theirrespective organizations. Although this proposal was created by the FLRI of
Gunma Prefectural Women’s University, it does not necessarily represent theopinions of the University.
We are well aware that this proposal does not constitute a complete or
definitive treatment of the subject. Our hope is that it will stimulate awide-ranging critical debate which will build on our recommendations.
However, making this proposal is an important step towards achieving thefundamental purpose of Gunma Prefectural Women's University Foreign
Language Research Institute which is to conduct research on foreign language
education and develop individuals who will be able to flourish in aninternational society.
Gunma Prefectural Women's University
Foreign Language Research Institute- 15 -

Members of the Advisory Committee

Chairman:
Yasushi Akashi

Director, Foreign Language Research InstituteMembers:
Taizo Kaneko

Member, Gunma Prefectural Assembly

Kazuhiro Mihara

TPM Consultant, JIPM-Solutions

Takao Ota

Director, International Institute of Multi-cultural Studies

Kazue Yoshijima

Chief Editor, Advertising Department Jomo Shinbun

Takashi Konami

Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Hiroyuki Matsumoto

Professor, Gunma University

Hiroaki Sakamoto

Director, Support Division Ota Kokusai Academy

Hiroyuki Takei

Director, Shibukawa Board of Education

Kazuo Kamiyama

Principal, Itakura Higashi Elementary School

Akimitsu KushidaPrincipal, Takasaki Naganogou Junior High School

Katsutoshi Wakabayashi

Principal, Chuo High School & Chuo Secondary School

Kaoru Tsuchida

Teacher, Maebashi Shinden Elementary School

Akihiro Fukuyama

Teacher, Takasaki Orui Junior High School

Takayuki Moriizumi

Teacher, Takasaki High School

Masami Nishizawa

Director, Gunma Prefectural International Affairs Division

Hironobu Hosoi

Professor, Gunma Prefectural Women’s University

Hiroyuki Tsunoda

Group Leader, Gunma Prefectural Board of Education (H16)Vice Principal, Chuo Secondary School (H17)

Shinichi Hatori

Group Leader, Gunma Prefectural Board of Education (H16)
Principal, Tomioka High School (H17)

Kenji Miyoshi

Teacher's Consultant, Gunma Prefectural Board of Education

Tatsuhide Mizumura

Teacher's Consultant, Gunma Prefectural Board of Education- 16 -