Millions of 15-year-olds in Japan cannot speak a complete English sentence, two years after the Japanese government introduced new guidelines to help students develop basic English speaking skills while still in junior high school.
More than 60 percent of Japan's 1.9 million students failed a recent English speaking test, according to the South China Morning Post.
In national English tests conducted in April, only 12.4% of 15-year-olds were able to answer five speaking questions correctly. Critics varied on the disappointing results, with some suggesting that the tests were too difficult or that teachers were struggling to teach students how to express themselves in the language.
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| Illustration photo. Source: aijinpot.com. |
Or English is only taught to prepare for university entrance exams and there are few opportunities for people to speak the language in Japan… Such low scores may be due to the pandemic, when most students had to study online, significantly reducing face-to-face language classes. An official from the National Institute for Education Policy Research said that the way the tests were conducted was “too complicated”, including the format of the test where students listen to videos and then express their opinions, which is different from previous tests.
An article in the Yomiuri newspaper called on the government to come up with effective teaching methods to help students acquire practical English skills, including giving them more opportunities to speak the language. Among the changes under the new guidelines, Japanese students should now know 1,800 English words by age 15 instead of 1,200, and be able to understand social issues and express their opinions on issues in English.
To this end, schools are encouraged to employ native English speakers as teaching assistants. The government will pay for the hiring of native teachers and encourage the recruitment of people from a variety of countries, including the US, UK and Malaysia.
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-te/doi-song/nhat-ban-tim-cach-giup-hoc-sinh-noi-gioi-tieng-anh-737679
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