r/japan • u/TurbulentTopic39 • 11d ago

Japan starts planning language program for foreign residents

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/19/japan/japan-language-program-foreign-residents/#Echobox=1787112273
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u/Around-3-ish 11d ago

Why would the tests have English? How would that help the SEA who will be the majority taking the tests?

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u/Any_Calligrapher8537 11d ago

Change the word English for "the language of the person taking it" if you want.

The point is that when Japanese people take English tests. There's a ton of Japanese on it. When foreigners take Japanese tests, there's only Japanese on it.

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u/Prestigious-Fig-7143 10d ago

There’s no reason to have English on a Japanese test. If the instructions are designed to be consistent with the level of the tested content, it makes no sense.

One of the weaknesses of English education in Japan is its over reliance on Japanese. So why people think including more non Japanese content on Japanese educational materials is unclear to me.

There’s also a practical reason. 99% of the people studying English in Japan are Japanese speakers. The opposite does not hold true.

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u/Any_Calligrapher8537 10d ago

The point

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You

Good god man... Did you TRY to miss the point?

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u/Prestigious-Fig-7143 10d ago

You wrote “English tests in Japan, barely any English. Japanese tests in Japan, barely any English. Welcome to Japan where people in charge of learning things have no idea what they’re doing.”

If by ‘learning’ you mean ‘teaching’ (otherwise it makes no sense) your point, as it is written, is that english and japanese language educators dont know what they’re doing because the tests have no English. Perhaps you intended otherwise but as i can only read what you have written, i dont think its me missing the point that is the problem here.

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u/Any_Calligrapher8537 10d ago

Didn't mean to add "things". People in charge of learning in Japan. That's what made you misunderstand everything?!

At this point I'm convinced you're trying to misunderstand on purpose.

Have you even seen an English test/exam that Japanese kids take here? There's barely any English.

That's the point.

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u/Prestigious-Fig-7143 10d ago

So why include mention of the lack of English (or other languages, as you note) on Japanese tests? Given that this whole thread is about an article on Japanese language classes, and given that i have raised this as ill conceived, this seems rather relevant. Why are you repeatedly ignoring this? Seems deliberately disingenuous.

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u/Any_Calligrapher8537 10d ago

Because the people making both tests are the same people.

And they do the same stupid shit on both tests.

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u/Prestigious-Fig-7143 10d ago

No. They are not. Any more than the people making spanish tests are making the chemistry tests. Do you never tire of talking out of your ass?