The idyllic-sounding "English village" planned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as a learning tool to help local children overcome their apprehension about speaking English may be erected in an office building in Koto Ward near the waterfront in 2018.
In a report to the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education on Tuesday, a panel of experts concluded that the envisaged "village" should give all of the 840,000 students in Tokyo — from 5th graders to those in third-year high school — a chance to "experience the fun and the need of using English, as opposed to (just) learn English."
"Programs (at the village) should be experiential and practical, offering students opportunities to understand the traditions and cultures of Japan and other countries, and to simulate social activities that require the use of English," the report said.