ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of secondary English education in Japan as it was and as it is aiming to be under the new Guidelines that will implement sweeping changes over the next few years. The problems with English education in Japan were summarized by Hato as unrealistic top-down goal setting with examination-oriented goals. The chapter provides an overview of the former and new Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Guidelines for English teaching in Japanese junior high and high schools. The former Guidelines included a section on English language education for the lower secondary level and also for the upper secondary level. The chapter describes the Super English High School (SELHi) and Super Science High School (SSH) programs initiated by MEXT to probe for ways of raising student motivation and thus aim for more effective language teaching and learning in Japanese high schools.
