Ryukyu Shimpo wrote that Foreign Minister Kono said at a meeting of the Lower House Special Committee on Okinawa and Northern Territories on Monday that his ministry is hoping to upgrade and expand the “Think of Okinawa’s Future in the United States” (TOFU) program, under which high school and college students from Okinawa visit the United States to exchange views….Read more

The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) has adopted its new English proficiency benchmarks for entry into state-run universities, which now measure English speaking and writing skills, giving high school students a better grasp of the language before entering college.

The Japan Association of National Universities came up with examples of how to use privately developed English tests, which will be introduced in standard university entrance examinations from fiscal 2020, and recommended that at least 20% of overall English scores come from private English tests. It will present these proposals for endorsement to a general assembly to be held on….Read more

The University of Tokyo said on April 27 that it is considering using private-sector English tests to assess examinees’ academic performance in the standardized university entrance exam program, which will be put in place from fiscal 2020. The announcement highlighted a de facto sea change. In March the school said it would not use private English tests for the entrance….Read more

TOKYO — The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology began on May 1 a preliminary trial of a four-part English test it intends to add to the national achievement exam in fiscal 2019.   Approximately 40 third-year students at Tsunoga Junior High School in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, tackled questions related to reading, writing, listening and speaking, on day….Read more

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is proceeding with the design of a new system for its 2020 university admission reforms, with the National Center for University Entrance Examinations (NCUEE) releasing results of pretests of a standardized entrance exam and the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) issuing guidelines for how it will utilize….Read more

Universities in Japan are beginning to work on developing original tests to assess students’ English speaking skills amid a controversy over the introduction of privately-administered English tests for the standardized university entrance exam starting in the 2020 academic year. The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) and the Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT) are developing original tests that can be….Read more

TOKYO – English proficiency of students at Japanese public junior and senior high schools is improving but remains well behind government targets, an education ministry survey showed Friday.   Aiming to enhance students’ English ability ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the government has set targets for results in the Eiken Test in Practical English Proficiency, which assesses examinees’ skills on a seven-stage scale with….Read more

The government should listen carefully to the concerns voiced by high schools, universities, and other parties and make appropriate preparations before reforming the university entrance examination system.   A new “standardized university entrance examination program” will be introduced in fiscal 2020 to replace the existing national test for university admissions. Seven private organizations have been authorized to test applicants’ English abilities.….Read more

Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Monday extended a warm welcome to the ministry’s newest recruits, and asked the young diplomats to continue improving their English and other essential skills needed to connect Japan with the rest of the world.