Day said that in Japan, writing and reading in English are important for students to pass national exams, whereas students who want to improve their listening and speaking skills mostly go to private language schools.
"The exam system simply will not change," Day said, adding that as a result, changes in Japan's English curriculum to enhance communication abilities have been largely in vain.
Douglas Brown from San Francisco State University said assessment-driven English education is a worldwide phenomenon. "As English has been spoken around the world with various accents, I want to emphasize the significance of mutual intelligibility when talking about ELT reform."
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