Japan: English heads for elementary school in 2020

A Filipino teaches English to elementary school children in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, in September 2010 as a junior high school teacher looks on (Kyodo) The Japanese school system’s English-teaching regimen will undergo a major revamp in the near future as the government tries to nurture more worldly talent in an age of globalization. The biggest transformation is expected in public elementary schools, where English will be taught as a formal subject for the first time, in conjunction with designated textbooks and formal grades. The change is scheduled to take place in 2020, after a two-year transition period. Will the revision raise Japan’s ability to communicate in English? Here are some questions and answers on the issue. What are the main changes? In 2020, English will become a mandatory subject for fifth- and sixth-graders, instead of a “foreign language activity” class where children are only expected to experiment with English by...