NEWSONJAPAN.com

When you speak to foreign English educators in Japan, one thing becomes crystal clear: English education in Japan isn't working.
 
It's just awful. While English classes are mandatory in Japanese schools, the percentage of students who emerge with actual English abilities are surprisingly low. Students in China, Korea and Japan are in an arms race to see who can produce students with the best English, and Japan seems to be trailing far behind in third place.
 
With the Olympic Games coming up in 2020, the Japanese government has proposed changes to increase the level of English ability in their students. Changes like starting introductory English classes in 3rd grade elementary school and making the subject compulsory from the 5th grade. Are these changes really going to help? We've gathered opinions from both foreign teachers and Japanese citizens about issues with the system and what might improve it.
 
Every foreigner who spends any amount of time in Japan will understand the fundamental need to change the way students study English. But a recent thread on the Japan subreddit, which seems to have been started by an English educator, tried to assemble as many opinions as possible about the matter in one place. Many of the complaints fell into three main categories:
 
1. Teaching to the tests; 2. The quality of the textbooks are quite low; 3. A focus on translating into Japanese and JTEs speaking in only Japanese. Where is the English?