english education issues
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English Education IssuesSalvador NavaC. TakahashiJAPN 311 Social Issues in JapanSpring 2013
Outline Why this topic? Research Questions Explanation of Issues Student Perceptions of Their Education Solutions Conclusion Resources
Why this topic? Interested in many issues concerning
Japan (Previously choose abortion)
Going to Japan this August as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) Becoming more and more interested in
this area
Research Questions What are the common problems with
English education?
How do students feel about the way they are being taught?
What is the Ministry of Education doing in order to deal with the issues?
Overarching Problems with the English Education System Reading and writing centered
Abundance of information during the Meiji Restoration
Used as a filter for higher education Evident in juken eigo, studied for the sole
purpose of college entrance exams
Overarching Problems with the English Education System Teacher’s Background
Majority were English Literature majors Lack of English as Second
Language/English as a Foreign Language background
Fosters negative attitudes among students
Student’s Perceptions of Their Teachers Were not taught how to use English to
communicate about everyday topics
Teachers did not facilitate discussion in English among the students
Teachers did not place a high emphasis on how to use English in real life situations
Student’s Perceptions of Their Classes Students acknowledged several
negative elements in their classes Reading activities took presedence over
Communicative activities
Strictly textbook oriented classes Translation exercises are excessive
Focus was primarily on passing exams
Attempted Solutions Availability of English in Elementary Schools
Increase study abroad opportunities
Implementation of standardized tests
Accrediting over 100 schools for their effective English teaching methodology
JET Program
Training for teachers
Curriculum amendment (Ministry of Education’s Course of Study Guidelines)
My Solutions Establishing English as an official language
Setting concrete and realistic curriculum
Changing college entrance exams
Increase social exchange with English speaking countries
Conclusion Well balanced system needs to be
introduced, Japan needs to do what other Asian countries are doing with their English curriculum.
Establishing adequate teacher training.
Students learning should take precedence over everything.
ResourcesHonna, N., Takeshita, Y. (2005). English Language
Teaching in Japan: Policy Plans and their Implementations. RELC Journal, 36, 363-383.
Kikuchi, K., Browne, C. (2009). English Education Policy for High Schools in Japan: Ideals vs. Reality. RELC Journal, 40, 172-191.
Seargent, P. (2008). Ideologies of English in Japan: The Perspective of Policy and Pedagogy. Language Policy, 7(2), 121-142.
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