The other day I volunteered at a local group for learning English, and one of the participants made a presentation about the English proficiency test called “ESAT-J” (https://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/school/content/esat-j.html), which is now given to all Japanese 9th graders (3rd year in junior high school). As you may know, the state of English proficiency in Japan is dismal. An EF Education First survey in 2022 ranked Japan at 80th out of 112 non-English-speaking countries (https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01509/). When it comes to oral proficiency, the oft-cited (though slightly dated) source is the TOEFL speaking score from 2010, which placed Japan at the very bottom in the entire world. So it did not surprise me to learn that junior high school students scored very poorly in the speaking section of the latest ESAT-J: The average score for the section was 12.4%, and 63.1% of the 9th graders scored zero! (https://unseen-japan.com/english-exam-japan-fail/)
But the presenter’s point was how difficult the test is for junior high school students, who are not only not used to speaking English but also not used to expressing their own opinions. He believed that the test was difficult even for Japanese adults with moderate English proficiency, like other participants in the class. He showed us the test:
An exchange student from New Zealand gives a class presentation about the harm to the environment caused by the continued use of plastic bags. He cites statistics that more than 25% of Japanese shoppers ask for plastic bags (usually for a nominal surcharge) at stores. In New Zealand, he says, shops do not even carry plastic bags. He argues that Japan should do the same. What do you think?
Now you have 1 minute to prepare and then 30 seconds to express your opinion.
My first reaction was that 25% does not sound that bad. I was certain that many countries in the world fare worse than that (I was thinking about the United States.) While I could not find comprehensive or reliable data on plastic bag usage by country, one study in New Jersey found 50% of American shoppers ask for plastic bags and an additional 10% ask for paper bags (https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_nj_041922/). To the best of my knowledge, New Zealand is one of the leading nations in the entire world for environmentalism. To aspire to their practices is noble, but to hold everyone accountable for not meeting that standard struck me as a bit unfair. I was also critical of the validity and reliability of the exchange student’s data. Where did the statistics come from? What exactly does it mean that more than 25% of Japanese shoppers ask for plastic bags? Do they ask for them every time they shop or just once in a while? How many bags do they ask for in a year?
However, I am not their target test taker, and I can appreciate how difficult the test must be for the students who must respond under the pressure of the testing environment and the ticking clock. Furthermore, I wasn’t sure about the fact that the instructions for the test questions were spoken in Japanese rather than in English. I suppose that the test instructions must be clear to all test takers, but I felt the priming was wrong, and it interfered with speaking/responding in English. A real junior high school teacher who actually administered this test added that the testing environment was also a problem. The testing must be conducted using government-approved equipment, and his school did not have the physical space to accommodate all the students in private testing cubicles. So they were taking the exam in an open classroom where everybody could hear everybody else. Many of his students were too embarrassed to say anything in English in front of their peers, further undermining the validity of the test.
Even with all the difficulties and problems, I recognize the effort the government is making to improve English proficiency in Japan, and I support the speaking test of this kind in principle. There is an expression in educational testing that goes, “The testing tail wags the curriculum dog.” Changing educational practices is never easy. A testing reform like this strikes me as one of the most effective tools for eventually changing English education in Japan so that more people will be able to speak in English. But for now, the test needs to improve and evolve in order to attain its intended purpose.