This month's column (April 2008) 今月のコラム(2008年4月）

Which is more important for your English study, your test score or proficiency?

Spring is the best season to make a good start for your English study, not least because the school year and the fiscal year in Japan mostly commence this month. Then, what is your prime purpose to learn English? Many schools and companies in Japan exhort you to get higher scores on your tests and attain excellent achievement. Good test results will guarantee you a promising future. If you are a teenager who has good test results, you will be able to get into a high school and a university you are looking for. If you are a company employee who has good test scores, you will get promoted in your company or you will be able to change the firms you work for. Still, my concern is to what extent people can speak English after getting high scores on their English tests. It seems that Japan still possesses the tradition inherited from the ancient times in that test results are the most important documents when someone’s ability is gauged.

On the other hand, good English speakers are not necessarily shrewd enough to get high scores when they take written and listening tests in English. That does not debase the value of the ability to speak English. Rather, what this means is that it may be more judicious for English learners to learn both spoken and written English by turns. Speaking and listening to English is wonderful, and yet, reading and writing English is also beneficial. It may be the best way for the Japanese kids and students to listen and speak first, and afterwards, they can read and write English if they like to do it. It is a fact that some people are not fond of reading and writing language to receive high marks on written exams in any countries and/or regions.

All in all, I would recommend English learners keep in mind that they should not be biased in learning English. Some kind of balance in English study, including speaking, listening, reading and writing, is quite important. The skill to translate Japanese into English, or vice versa, is also needed as long as you are hoping to live in Japan.