Only a very few private schools teach English at the elementary-school level. But now people are considering the idea of starting English language lessons earlier, even in public schools, so that children will have more of a chance to become familiar with the culture of other countries. Most high schools offer only English as a foreign language, but some schools provide classes in two or more, such as Chinese, French, German, Korean, and Spanish. At the college level, students are required to study two foreign languages.
Some people complain about the way English is taught at Japanese middle schools and high schools.
Even after learning English for six years, many students graduating from high school still can't speak the language very freely, though they may be able to read and write in English. The lessons concentrate heavily on grammar to prepare the students for the English tests that are given as part of the entrance exams for high schools and colleges. But nowadays Japanese people have more chances to visit other countries and meet foreigners living in Japan. So in order to help students learn to express themselves smoothly in English, an increasing number of middle and high schools are using foreign teachers. Under this program, which was started in 1987, more than 38,700 young people from other countries have come to Japan to live here for a few years and teach foreign languages at Japanese schools.