Japanese Education Goes International

By Han Zhang. With English-language education at home and new schools abroad, Japan seeks a leadership role. Japan has been an Asian pioneer in learning from the West since the Meiji Restoration. Every now and then, though, the effort has been questioned: Why should Japan imitate others? Today’s Japan answers that question with some assurance: communication is a two-way street.
While Japan has adopted many Western ways, from culinary skills to schools of philosophy, it has traditionally struggled when it comes to teaching its people to speak English. Now, however, its institutions are trying some new innovations. This April, for instance, Japan’s education ministry announced that one of its divisions would carry out a four-month trial in which it would conduct its meetings in English, to see if that improves its English skills. More...