Tag - english

 
 

ENGLISH

COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 5, 2014
English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul
Ringing in 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a dream: One nation that will actively re-engage with the global marketplace.
JAPAN / GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT ENGLISH
Dec 31, 2013
English to get 2020 push but teachers not on same page
A reform plan released in mid-December by the education ministry looks to bolster English study from elementary to high school from the 2020 academic year to pursue globalization.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 29, 2013
Education in 2013: an 'A' for ambition, but Japan will have to do better
Will 2014 be the year we start to see a genuinely forward-thinking, globalized outlook for education in Japan? The rapidly changing global economy, regional tensions and shrinking population suggest huge challenges await the country's youth on their emergence into the job market in the coming years.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 27, 2013
Japan should take English lessons from Philippines
English is an official language of the Philippines but this does not mean that everyone understands or speaks English. However, it does mean that exposure to the language is so widespread that those who do speak it can communicate quite fluently.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2013
English education set to get serious
Junior high school English teachers should conduct classes exclusively in English and be periodically tested on their skills, and formal English instruction should start in the fifth grade from 2020 under education reforms.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 22, 2013
Honda makes English official language for global talks
Honda Motor Co. made English the official language for global meetings as the carmaker shifts decision-making power to regional units.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 15, 2013
A war of words over butchered English
The student wanted to make a brochure in English, aimed at attracting foreign tourists to Shiraishi. The English title of her presentation was “Come on my Island!”
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Nov 3, 2013
Six years following bankruptcy, Nova boosts the brand
In September, Tokyo-based Jibun Mirai Associe Co. (JMA) announced it would adopt Nova as its official corporate name — 19 months after it acquired the eikaiwa (English conversation) school chain from its previous operators, and almost six years after its well-publicized downfall.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2013
Indulge in 'Morning English' seminars with breakfast
What better way to start the morning than with a plate of eggs Benedict — made from organic eggs, of course — a cup of coffee and a copy of the new Japan Times/International New York Times?
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2013
Required English from third grade eyed
The education ministry is considering moving up the starting year of obligatory English-language education in elementary schools to the third grade from the current fifth grade by around 2020.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 16, 2013
TEAP stresses pragmatic approach
As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party forges ahead with its strategy of nurturing "internationally minded" talent to aid economic growth, the prospect that students' scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will be used as criteria for entering university looms increasingly...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2013
Firm floats alternative to TOEFL
While Japan looks to make a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language mandatory for university entrance, it should also consider alternative exams that might work better, said John de Jong, senior vice president at Pearson English, a division of Pearson PLC.
JAPAN
May 29, 2013
Education panel touts more global approach
A government education panel submitted a report Tuesday to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urging the nation's universities to be outward-looking in order to foster global talent among Japanese.
EDITORIALS
May 26, 2013
Super global English schools
One recent proposal likely to have a good effect on English education in Japan is allowing certain high schools to teach subjects such as science or math in English.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 21, 2013
Ambivalent Japan turns on its 'insular' youth
Japan's decision to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations shows that at least some in government have accepted the fact that 'opening up' Japan is in the nation's best long-term interests.
WORLD
May 20, 2013
English-language education proposal has French up in arms
There was a time, not so long ago, when anyone with a proper education spoke French. Diplomacy and business were conducted in French. Knowledge was spread in French. Travelers made their way in French and, of course, lovers traded sweet nothings in French.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2013
Abe wants TOEFL to be key exam
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not satisfied with revising monetary policy — he also appears bent on reviving another failing field: the public's ability to speak English.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2013
Higher English test hurdle awaits ministry applicants from fiscal '15
Would-be bureaucrats may soon have to take an English-language proficiency test before getting a shot at a ministry job.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 16, 2013
William Zinsser and the art of good writing
Careful writers will not want to skip anything in William Zinsser's essays for brains whose circuitry has not been shaped by 140-character tweets.
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2002
Yamanote adds English and standing room
Come April, Tokyo's Yamanote Line will be kinder to English-speaking foreign passengers.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji