Seeds of English learning / Primary classes aim is for children to enjoy language

Many parents have high expectations about the fact that English is to be made compulsory at primary school level, as stipulated in the revised teaching guidelines that will be implemented in 2011. Under the guidelines, fifth- and sixth-graders will have lessons on what the guidelines call "foreign-language activities" once a week. A transition period for the revised guidelines began last month.

During which primary schools can implement them in advance at their discretion. Therefore, many schools have already started offering such lessons. However, it seems that many parents do not clearly understand what English lessons are like at public primary schools, so I am going to take this opportunity to discuss them a little further. The revised teaching guidelines will make English compulsory for the oldest primary school students.

But it should be noted that the language will not be treated as a regular subject. This means that English lessons will not be taught by specialized teachers, and will not use the official textbooks that are subject to screening. Nor will the children be given graded numerically during these lessons. "English activities" lessons are supposed to be conducted by homeroom teachers with help from native speakers of English.

Community members who are fluent speakers of the language. Homeroom teachers are encouraged not to teach in advance what students will study at middle school level--therefore, writing English letters is discouraged--but rather to "plant the seeds within the students for developing communicative competence." I really hope that parents will take a generous and long-term view of how well their children are coming along in English.