Education English proficiency of Japanese students improving

[thomas]

According to a recent survey by Japan's education ministry, the English language skills of public junior and senior high school students are showing signs of improvement. The survey revealed that half of the third-year junior high students had achieved an English proficiency of Grade 3 or higher on the Eiken tests, a slight increase from last year. Similarly, more than half of the third-year senior high students have reached a Grade Pre-2 or above proficiency. This is the first time both groups have surpassed the 50% threshold, aligning with the government's goal to elevate this rate to 60% by the fiscal year 2027.

By prefecture and major city, the proportion of third-year junior high school students with Grade 3 or higher Eiken levels was highest in the city of Saitama, at 88.4%. Fukui Prefecture came second, at 83.8%, followed by the city of Yokohama, at 67.2%. The lowest figure was marked in Saga Prefecture, at 30.1%. For third-year high school students, Toyama Prefecture recorded the highest rate, of 61.4%, followed by Fukui Prefecture, at 61.1%, and Ishikawa Prefecture, at 59.0%. Miyagi Prefecture posted the lowest figure, of 39.6%. The overall proportion of third-year high school students with Grade 2 or higher was 19.8%. The levels of English skills greatly varied depending on the region. High scores were marked in prefectures and cities encouraging more students to take Eiken tests, ministry officials said.

Japanese students' English proficiency is improving

The levels of English skills greatly varied depending on the region, according to the education ministry.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[dracuella]

I'm not familiar with the Eiken tests; are they written or oral? I get the feeling that a lot of Japanese do well when it comes to English in text but lack confidence and practice to excel when speaking the language - or is this changing, too?

 

[mdchachi]

I'm not familiar with the Eiken tests; are they written or oral? I get the feeling that a lot of Japanese do well when it comes to English in text but lack confidence and practice to excel when speaking the language - or is this changing, too?

Overview | EIKEN Tests | EIKEN | Eiken Foundation of Japan
The EIKEN grades are given in two stages. The first stage is a paper-and-pencil test that evaluates reading, listening, and writing ability. The second stage is a speaking test in the format of a face-to-face interview. An examinee must pass both stages of a grade in order to receive certification. The second stage is not given for the two beginner levels, Grades 4 and 5. However, from 2016, a new online speaking test where examinees answers are recorded has been introduced for both grades.