Dear education ministry,

The article titled "Shame over poor English level lies with education ministry" by Mikine Dezaki (Hotline to Nagatacho, Jan. 20) succinctly summed up the stark reality of Japanese high school English-language education. Indeed, Japanese study English for six years in high school and at least another two years upon entering college, and yet most cannot use it for communication. In contrast, in most other countries around the world where English is not the native language and where it is taught as a foreign language, at least those with a college degree can speak the language with ease. In developed non-English countries in Europe more than 80 percent of the population can now speak English. It is a great irony that Japan, despite being a modern, developed country, remains a nation where not just a high school graduate but even an otherwise highly educated person cannot speak the global language that has become a lingua franca and a window to the world.

Why should it be that Japan lags behind the rest of the world in the English-language proficiency of its people? What could the systems of English education in other non-native English countries have that is lacking in the Japanese system? Comparisons of English teaching methods and tools used at Japanese high schools with those used in other non-native countries point to serious and fundamental flaws in the Japanese system.