I n Japan, people are realizing that speaking foreign languages, especially English, will be even more important as the Internet grows. Moves are now afoot to start learning English from an earlier age. Until now, most students have started studying the language in middle school. For some years now, middle and high schools have tried to give students more conversation practice by inviting native English speakers to help teach classes. T hese classes aren't the same as traditional school lessons that focus on grammar rules.
Students learn their English in fun ways, picking up simple phrases while they enjoy music.
This helps the kids to master tough pronunciations and rhythms that don't exist in Japanese. With this emphasis on rhythm and music as a teaching tool, it's no surprise that lots of these classes are offered at music schools. They rely on their ears rather than on reading textbooks. They learn to think in English, instead of trying to translate everything into Japanese. There's no grammar in the lessons, and there aren't any test scores to worry about.