Japan - information from Yuri Kono (Japan College of Foreign Languages and Bunka Women's University)

Progress in Japan:

1990s - Interest in Elementary School English among business and educational circles.

1992 - pilot scheme in Osaka involving two elementary schools and a neighbouring junior high school.

1993 - 2000 more schools start pilot schemes.

2000 - Three schools in Chiba, Ishikawa and Osaka Prefectures start experiments with English as a regular school subject, joined by two schools in Kyushu in 2001.

2001 - Teacher Training started by the government for 600 teachers per year. The 5-day training course consists of 6 lectures, 3 workshops and 6 microteaching sessions. Teachers who are involved are expected to pass on what they have learned to other teachers.

2002 - About 10,000 out of 23,800 elementary schools plan to include English activities as part of 'International Understanding', a theme of the new Integrated Studies curriculum.

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