Speak Up / A foreign take on primary school English

The question of whether English should be made a compulsory subject at primary schools has been the subject of much debate in this newspaper. The debate has principally produced three schools of thought. First, the sanseiha (supporters' group), consisting largely of Japanese education ministry personnel and their advisers, advocate that English instruction should be extended to the primary school level. It maintains that younger minds at that stage can acquire a second language better and more effortlessly, at least with regard to the pronunciation patterns of English. …… the second group, the hantaiha (opposition group), is dead against introduction, alleging that it will undermine Japanese culture and identity, and affect first language proficiency. …….the shinchoha (discreet group), which advocates a prudent path; it does not resist the introduction of English but proposes that appropriate groundwork--trained teachers and a sound curriculum--should be prepared prior to any change. …………Whether English should be taught to Japanese primary school students rests on whether Japanese education policymakers want to append a new subject to the curriculum. ……However, with the advent of globalization a new theme has come to the fore, where individuals and nations come in contact with different individuals and nations, where they are expected to be understanding and tolerant of the culture of their counterparts………. Many countries, including some in Asia, have made it their national mission to learn English. [View Full Article]