Recent education ministry survey of
third-year middle school students nationwide found most students have an ambivalent and contradictory
attitude toward English. Of the 3,225 students surveyed, most felt English
was important to study, but few wanted a job requiring English. The disjuncture between what they
consider important and what they want for themselves is puzzling and
disappointing.
In the survey, 85 percent agreed
English was important and 70 percent — up from 47 percent in 2003 — agreed
that knowing English would give them an edge in finding a job in the future. Clearly,
English is perceived as integral to internationalizing Japan and the world.
However, despite students' increasing awareness of the importance of English,
the percentage of students who said they did not want to get a job requiring
English increased six percentage points to a whopping 43 percent.
Only 11 percent said they strongly
hope to get a job requiring English, a six-point downturn from the previous survey. Even more worrisome, only
30 percent of students said they like English, if they had to choose between
"like" or "dislike." This level of aversion to English does not make
one hopeful about the future.
Perhaps the resurgence of pride in Japan after the Tohoku tragedy can
account for some of the turn away from English, but students are retreating
from something that they distinctly say is important. Most of the
explanation, though, can be found in the way English is still being taught in
Japan. Despite recent changes in English education, most English lessons
remain focused on the most meaningless English — entrance-exam English.
English teachers, administrators and
the education ministry should take these results as a wake-up call. The
current approach is clearly de-motivating students. Stressing grammatical rules as well as memorization of
vocabulary and correct answers dulls young people's interest and leaves
little time for communicating and understanding. Shifting the focus of
English study from passing narrow multiple-choice exams to a broader view of
using English in a globalizing world would be a good first step. Less
pressure and more inspiration would be another.
It is long past time to make English
interesting and exciting for students. That does not mean making class all
fun and games but rather helping students build bridges between their current
studies and what is important for their future.
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VOCABULARY
1.
Ambivalent
(adj.) -
not sure
whether you want or like something or not
2.
Disjuncture
(n) - a lack of connection between things that are related
or should be connected
3.
Downturn (n)
- a period or process in which business activity,
production etc is reduced and conditions become worse
4.
Aversion (n)
- a strong
dislike of something or someone [= hatred]
5.
Resurgence
(n) - the
reappearance and growth of something that was common in the past
6. Stressing (v) – emphasizing a statement,
fact, or idea
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Do you like English
language? Why?
2. How do you study
English now? How would you like to study English?
3. Discuss about the
importance of English in your country.
4. Have you taken any
English proficiency test? Share your experience.
5. What skill (reading,
writing, listening, speaking) is the most difficult for you? Why?
