In March 2008, the Ministry revised its Course of Study plan for Elementary and Secondary Schools, a plan for standardized education, and included an “Integrated Studies” plan where students were to think about their life through “cross-synthetic studies” and become better problem solvers. Integrated Studies is incorporated throughout the plans the Ministry includes in the Course of Study and many suggestions include interacting with the local community and making connections with other subjects.[1]
Introducing foreign language activities into primary schools with teaching centered on listening and speaking became the first step for foreign languages in the new Course of Study for Elementary and Secondary Schools. By introducing the language earlier, administrators hoped that students would be able to grasp it better and by graduation have improved immensely. The Ministry outlines the content of foreign language activities that it wanted to occur in language classrooms in primary school as well as in junior high school. The overall objective of these activities was to form a foundation for the students and develop the “understanding of language and cultures…fostering a positive attitude toward communication.”[2] The lesson plan design provided by the Ministry explained that instruction should be in line with students’ interests and should coincide with what they have learned in other subjects. By doing this, the Ministry included its program of Integrated Studies, having students make connections in their life and become more interested in the subjects they are learning. MEXT also believed that an effort should be made to get more people involved in lessons, including native speakers of the language or locals who are proficient in the language. The Ministry wanted lessons to educate students on local tradition, culture, and to utilize the other schools or facilities in the area. To understand the sounds in foreign languages, teachers should use CDs and DVDs that related to the students’ lives, school, or the local community. When communicating, the situations should also be familiar to the students. Non-verbal gestures would also be introduced so students could learn their functions and recognize them. The functions of these foreign language activities included improving the relationship between communication partners, and expressing emotions and opinions.
For secondary schools, the Ministry intended to have students continue these language activities and develop their language skills even more. Thus, the overall objective of foreign languages in the Course of Study is developing students’ communication abilities, “deepening their understanding of language and culture and fostering a positive attitude toward communication through foreign languages.”[3] The Ministry wanted students to understand a speaker’s intentions, and voice or write their own opinions in response. The contents of this section were intended to cover students’ three years in high school and addressed all aspects of language learning (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). These aspects all included similar information, including knowing the different stresses, intonations, and pauses that English uses. For speaking, students were to state their feelings, thoughts, or facts, carry on a dialogue, exchange views on what they read and listened to, speak continuously, and give a speech. For reading, students were to read silently and think of the content critically so they are able to read aloud and properly express the meaning of the passage, and be able to express their impressions on what they read. For writing, students were to write their thoughts and impressions clearly and reason them, and properly connect their sentences. For each grade level, the activities vary, but became progressively more difficult with each grade level. Teachers were to reinforce the lessons from previous grades, and by their final year students should be able to express themselves far more cogently and skillfully.
The lesson plan design for the secondary school level has schools establish objectives based on their students and the local community. The Ministry provides different points that should be taken into consideration including pronunciation practice and phonetic notation for phonetic instruction. Tools such as computers, communication networks, and educational aids should be used and, if possible, the cooperation of native English speakers should be sought. Group work is also emphasized, as the Ministry wants students to be able to work together and to listen to others’ opinions. The Ministry emphasizes that teachers should always consider that the material they teach increases the students’ understanding of life and foreign cultures. Students should gain respect for foreign cultures and also develop an awareness of “being Japanese citizens living in a global community…cultivating a spirit of international cooperation.”[4]
These reforms all seem simple enough: students are taught to be globally aware and use their language learning to interact with their surroundings and form opinions about them. Students should be globally aware as students are the “face of the future” and will one day be in control. In this new age it is impossible for a country to stay completely isolated and survive, so MEXT’s plans to educate their students makes sense. However, there are many obstacles that prevent their plans from taking hold and as we’ll see in the next section, not everyone accepts the proposed reforms.
[1] MEXT, 2008: http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/17/1303755_012.pdf
[2] MEXT, 2008: http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/17/1303755_011.pdf
[3] MEXT, 2009: http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/17/1303755_013.pdf
[4] MEXT, 2009: http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/17/1303755_013.pdf
