I agree with Gregory Clark's idea in his Dec. 30 article, "English should be an elective." Nowadays we often hear of the importance of English education in primary school. But I don't think we should attach great importance to it. Certainly, children can learn languages faster than adults, but in Japan, even after studying English since middle school, most Japanese students don't attain the ability to speak English fluently.
We study English because it is a subject in college entrance exams. We don't study English for our future. Some students are good at English and make use of it; others are poor and grow to dislike it. We have to change this situation. Languages are for communication. Get English out of the entrance exams.
nozomi imai
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