By Arisa Mishima
Japanese students study English for more than six years, but they are not fluent in speaking. What should be changed so that many Japanese people can speak English? In this essay I would like to propose three ideas: focus on the speaking skill, encouragement of making mistakes, and building more vovabulary.
First, the Japanese English education should focus on the speaking sill. Currently, students learn a lot of skills other than speaking. In English class, students read stories in textbooks, and they learn new words and new grammar points. Reading is considered as the most important skill for the university entrance exam, so students read a lot of stories and learn reading skills. Students also write a lot of sentences and acquire writing skills. Moreover, students listen to the audio of the textbook and learn listening skills. However, there is not much time to speak English in class. Students have reading aloud and shadowing for improving their speaking skills, but they do not really talk in English to express their ideas.
Second, students should be taught that making mistakes are good. Currently, students are told to master English grammar, so they are afraid of making mistakes. When they make mistakes in English tests, their points are deducted. When they try to speak, they try to speak correctly. Students hesitate to speak up because they think it’s embarrassing to make a mistake. It’s normal to make mistakes when they use a new language, so they should be told to communicate ideas is the most important thing. Third, students should learn more vocabulary. Students have some listening skills, so they can understand what other people are talking about. However, they can’t put their ideas into words. One of the reasons for this is that students have a small vocabulary. If students know a lot of words, they can express their ideas no matter how simple of grammar they can use.
In conclusion, many Japanese students can understand English, but they are not good at expressing their ideas because they don’t have enough speaking activities. Too much focus on grammar, fear of making mistakes, and lack of vocabulary are the causes of their inability to speak. If these issues are solved, Japanese people will be able to speak more English.
