A new teaching guideline released Dec. 22 calls for high school English classes to be taught primarily in English from the academic year beginning in April 2013. The drive is aimed at enhancing students' English communication skills, according to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry.
Complicated explanations such as those about grammar may still be provided in Japanese, a ministry official said. The number of English words to be taught during the three years at high school will be increased under the guideline to 1,800 from the current 1,300. The total number of English words to be taught at junior and senior high school will therefore be increased, beginning in April 2013, to about 3,000 words, or 800 more than now.
The level of vocabulary would match the level taught in China and South Korea, ministry officials said. (Kyodo News)