On Saturday, Jan. 21, history was made. And I was a part of it by simply taking a 30-minute listening test. It was the first time that the unified university entrance exams, prepared by MEXT's National Center for University Entrance Examinations, had included listening comprehension. This may very well mark a new age in teaching English in Japanese schools in which more natural -- and practical -- language learning will take place, rather than simply eigo juken (exam-oriented English).
Said Masumi Narishima, an English teacher at Tokyo Metropolitan Mita High School: "The listening test will certainly change the way of teaching of some Japanese teachers of English who largely depend on the yakudoku method [translation method]. I think this was a great step for Japanese English education."
I was pleasantly surprised by the test. It would have been satisfactory even without the small, hand-held Integrated Circuit (IC) players (think cheaply designed iPods). The recording was slow at first, and it picked up speed and difficulty gradually to test a wide range of listening abilities.