OSAKA -- In a pioneering move, the city of Osakasayama in Osaka Prefecture will in April begin a program to teach English to children over the eight-year period from nursery school through elementary school.

Municipal officials said it will be the first time for a city to spearhead efforts to encourage English language education for that period of a child's education.

The city has allocated 24.11 million yen in its fiscal 2001 budget for the program, under which four native speakers will be hired as instructors and dispatched to help Japanese teachers teach English conversation through methods including games, songs and stories.

Two municipal nursery schools, two private nursery schools, 10 municipal kindergartens and seven municipal elementary schools will utilize the pioneering English-education program, according to city officials.

The city said the curricula envisioned for the 2001 school year will deliver 20 45-minute lessons to first and second graders, 25 classes to third and fourth graders and 30 lessons to fifth and sixth graders.

The municipal board of education said it also hopes to establish a committee to promote English language conversation studies among children.

This committee is expected to include English language teaching experts as well as school officials and parents. The city said its eight-year English language program will help pupils learn from a receptive age how to speak English while enjoying their classes, rather than worrying about grammar.

The move comes at a time when Japan is rethinking its policy toward English education as the language becomes increasingly important in a rapidly globalizing world.

An education ministry advisory panel suggested earlier this year that the government should seriously study the idea of introducing English language education from the elementary school level and did not rule out the option of including it in the compulsory curriculum.