A Study to Investigate How Much English Japanese Children Can Learn in their English Education in a Japanese School--Evaluation using a Global Standard

本研究调查了日本儿童在小学和小学毕业后的英语教育中能学到多少英语。采用全球标准剑桥大学ESOL考试进行评价。剑桥考试的结果表明：1。日本小学生可以达到CEFR的PreA 1; 2.中、大专学生的学业成绩在《中国英语学习与研究报告》的A1至B1之间，显示成绩优异者与成绩差者之间的差距会随时间而扩大;大多数技能都被贴上了“弱”的标签，但写作是最弱的。国际化背景下的“实用英语”需要适当的词汇、语法和写作/口语的连贯性，这是日本教育需要关注的问题。同时，研究表明，这一结果受到日常使用语言和国家语言政策等因素的影响。在英语为外语的日本，为了提高国民的英语能力，政府需要从长远和全球的观点出发，在小学阶段建立国民教育体系，并重新审视英语教育的目的和目标。

Studies were conducted to investigate how much English Japanese children can learn in their English education in a Japanese elementary school and after they graduate from elementary school. The University of Cambridge ESOL examinations, a global standard, were used for evaluation. Results of the Cambridge examinations showed the following : 1. Japanese elementary school children can achieve Pre A1 of the CEFR ; 2. Secondary and tertiary school students' achievements were from A1 to B1 of the CEFR, which indicated there was a gap between high and low achievers that would grow bigger over time ; 3. Most skills were labeled as "weak," but writing was the weakest. "Practical English" in the global setting requires appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and coherence in writing/speaking, on which Japanese education needs to put focus. At the same time, the research indicated that the results were affected by factors like language for daily use and national language policies. To improve the English ability of the people in Japan, where English is a foreign language, the government needs to establish a national educational system at the elementary school level with a long term and global point of view, as well as re-examine the goals and aims of its English education.