It is both a sad and worrying fact, that, despite being the world’s 4th largest economy, Japan ranks 87th globally in its English language proficiency level.
From a population of 125 million, it is also estimated that less than 30 percent of Japanese speak English at any level at all. Less than 8 percent and possibly as little as 2 percent speak English fluently. For comparison, in Germany, roughly 60 percent of the population speaks English, and 16 percent of speakers say they are proficient. (Reference from: Foreign Policy Magazine)
This is despite most people having studied at least 6 years of English during school and the government’s attempts at making English a higher priority, starting at the elementary school level.
As a parent or adult student of English, you are probably wondering why this situation has occurred and whether it will ever improve.
You will most likely be familiar with English-language-based culture, e.g., TV, films, news, sport, music, etc. It is hard to avoid it nowadays in our global society.
Parents are eager for their children to get good high school and university places and, of course, good jobs afterwards. Also, they are more mindful about what it means to have a fulfilling career and long-term happiness. Proficiency in another language is a way of expanding your possibilities. It can open your mind to many options, both in terms of a career, who you marry, or where you choose to live and raise a family.
So why does Japan continue to fail at English?
Without becoming too political or personal, it is probably fair to say that Japan is a very conservative country. Politicians, leaders, and people in authority are often in their senior years. Age is not typically seen as a handicap in Japan, and it is often actually revered. Unfortunately, as we all know, old age and conservatism can often mean stubbornness and an unwillingness to change or accept alternative views. It is not an ideal mindset to equip young people for the demands of globalisation.
Recent governments have insisted that they are making changes to the English educational system, but the results and feedback continue to be extremely disappointing. Teachers complain that the syllabus is too complicated, whilst the students lack motivation to learn because the system is difficult, boring, and lacks relevance.
Entrance exams are one of the reasons why the system is fundamentally flawed. It is understood that whilst most students have a reasonable command of vocabulary and grammar, they are typically unable to communicate in spoken English. The continued reliance on memorisation and targeting specific areas of the language in order to tick boxes in an exam is arguably one of its biggest failures. By contrast, for example, a proficient, all-round language student will know the answers to the exam questions anyway because it'sounds right’ and they use it in everyday communication.
A language should be learnt as a whole entity. Listening and speaking come first, then reading and writing!
Phonics is still neither taught nor understood by many non-native English tutors in Japanese schools. They are critical in order to understand how to speak English, as well as how to read and write it.
The reliance on katakana in Japan is, without question, detrimental to the successful learning of English. Katakana is arguably neither Japanese nor English and is instead a crude decoder of English into manageable Japanese hybrid words. The pronunciation is often totally different from the actual version, which, whilst overlooked, plays an essential role in spoken English. Relying on katakana is guaranteed to set you back and will seriously hinder your chances of fluency. Students are incorrectly taught how to pronounce English words. These bad habits then last a lifetime and are the reason why the infamous ‘L versus R’ errors persist today.
As a native British English teacher, I can see that there are fundamental flaws in the system. However, the government is unlikely to listen to the opinions of a non-Japanese person on this subject, as they haven’t done so far. More is the pity.
“I studied English in junior high school, high school, and university, and when I graduated college, I didn’t speak English at all," said Norihiko Inoue. Regional Sales and Marketing Director, Education First Japan. (Quoted from: Foreign Policy Magazine)
I want my child to succeed at English; what should I do?
Firstly, you cannot rely on the state education system to teach your child English. Instead, make English a priority in your family and become involved as a parent.
Yes, your child may have to forgo a baseball or volleyball practice session once a week, but they will have a tangible, transferable skill at the end of their studies to equip them for life!
Start as soon as possible. Time waits for no one.
Find a reputable private school, preferably with a native English speaker.
Start with the basics and keep things simple. Learn phonics and how to actually pronounce and read English words correctly.
Understand that your native language and English are different! They must be treated separately and learnt accordingly.
Learn good habits by thinking in English and not translating everything first.
Choose a school that uses tried and trusted teaching methods, e.g., the Callan Method, which has been used for 60 years successfully worldwide.
Embrace the language and culture, as well as your own. You are much more likely to succeed if you practise English as much as possible.
Have an open mind and be confident. Making mistakes is how we learn, not by being perfect.
Be determined and don’t give up.
We have been successfully teaching kids and adult students at 3R English for 12 years in Ofuna, Yokohama.
We offer the highest-quality lessons in native British English. We focus on all the important aspects of the language, which eliminates any weak spots.
All our young students find their 3R lessons to be a massive advantage in their regular school studies, where most are at the top of their class.
Our lessons deliver regular EIKEN and TOEIC exam successes and have helped older students clinch vital places at high school and university.
So, don’t let your child end up a part of that worrying statistic.
Contact us today for a trial lesson and give them the English they deserve—from the experts!
Richard & Miyako
August 2024
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