Reform in English Language Teaching in Japan

This paper discusses English language education in Japan in light of calls for reform which have taken place over the last twenty years. The Japanese government launched the JET program in 1985, made changes to high school curriculum in 1993/4, and in 2003 called for the entire Japanese public to be able to conduct daily conversation in English. In order to achieve the stated goals of the government, this paper argues that it is necessary to challenge the belief systems of educators and learners concerning the teaching and learning of English in Japan. Extensive training and support is required for both pre-service teacher trainees and existing teachers in order for such English competency goals to be reached