Today, even as the Internet revolution has prompted advances in globalization with increasing speed, English education policies in Japan are lagging behind those of our neighboring countries.

Last year, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced its top-level ``action plan for producing English-speaking Japanese'' to tackle language curricula before their weaknesses give rise to any lasting effects. However, if this ``eye-on-the-future'' plan is to succeed in reality, we need to determine to make sure the reforms are carried through.

China, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe have made remarkable progress in their English abilities. But in Japan, TOEFL scores continue their 30-year slump. The practical English abilities of Japanese are far lower than those other nations, and their scores are the lowest of the Asian nations.

The language education policies of the countries that have produced such real results all share some common points that Japan should learn from. Their governments clearly place foreign language education reform in their most important foundation policies, contribute a massive amount of their national budgets to this education, and implement comprehensive policies that are consistent from elementary school to university.

In many European nations, it is compulsory for students to study two other languages in addition to their own. Their governments are constantly developing curricula, teaching methods, teaching material and training institutions. South Korea has similar policies.

Looking at the steps these nations have taken, I feel that it would be advisable to rebuild the outline of Japan's foreign language education policies in the following ways.

Firstly, English-language education should be consistent and compulsory from the third year of elementary school until graduation from senior high school. In elementary schools, English classes should be held for two class hours a week. These classes should provide a systemized curriculum. Teaching methods and materials should also be geared for young children to inspire them to become actively involved in English-language activities.

Secondly, goals for English education in junior and senior high school should be concretely linked. They should be based on the foundations laid down in elementary school. The means by which those goals can be carried out also need to be clearly defined.

Next, a second foreign language should be made compulsory in addition to English during senior high school.

Lastly, universities should cooperate with senior high schools to raise the standards for both general practical English and specialized English. This would create a large number of students capable of performing jobs that require a high level of English.

From the beginning of the 1990s, a number of designated research schools have attempted to introduce English in every prefecture of Japan as well as most of the special education districts. In addition, more than 80 percent of public elementary schools have become more familiar with English conversation.

Private elementary schools are even more active in this regard. According to their implementation reports, most of the children at these schools enjoy learning English and take to heart its rhythm and pronunciation. These reports go on to indicate that children understand most of the English they hear, really have a grasp of cultural differences, and realize how different the Japanese and English languages are.

It is obvious from looking at a variety of public opinion polls that a great many people feel that all children should be given the chance to learn English. It looks as if the tide is rapidly shifting toward the teaching of English in elementary schools.

Japan probably does not have the resources to introduce English as a regular subject all at once-the lack of teachers with strong English skills alone is a major hindrance.

However, we have six or seven years until implementation of the aforementioned action plan. In that time, it is certainly possible to enhance teacher training and upgrade necessary tools.

Even assuming that English language education is introduced as a third-year elementary subject in 2011 under new teaching guidelines, we have 14 years until the first of those students graduate from university. If we miss the opportunity this time and simply wait for the next revision that comes along every 10 years or so, the negative effects for the people of Japan would be immeasurable.

In today's international society, where information is exchanged in terms of minutes and seconds, each nation is becoming more self-assertive by making full use of English and other foreign languages for active communication and to maintain mutual understanding.

I am proud to be Japanese, and I feel it is our responsibility as adults to prepare the tools of foreign language so that the younger generations can venture on to the international scene.

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The author, a professor emeritus at Keio University, currently is dean of the School of Languages and Cultures at Meikai University, where he also teaches and is director of the Graduate School of Applied Linguistics. He contributed this article to The Asahi Shimbun.(IHT/Asahi: December 1,2004)