Japan’s education ministry is considering ways to improve the English language ability of junior high school students. The ways may include requiring students to take new kinds of speaking tests.
The ministry plans to introduce a nationwide English examination as early as fiscal 2019. That exam will assess junior high school seniors on their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English.
To evaluate English speaking ability, which many Japanese are said to lack, the test may include a natural conversation with an examiner.
Students could also be asked to explain a randomly presented illustration in English.
Another test under consideration would require exam takers to express their opinion on a given issue with a set number of words.
The education ministry plans to present their draft exam proposals to the expert panel and compile a basic policy on the test by the end of March 2017.
Credits to source: NHK news, JapanTimes
