When I was working at a university, I often heard the same remark from students who had returned from studying abroad. They would say, “Although my grammar and vocabulary levels were comparable to those of the European exchange students, they spoke much better and had far superior communication skills.”
About 17 years ago, I had the opportunity to study foreign language education in Spain and France. While observing English classes there, I was impressed by how the children used English confidently without worrying too much about pronunciation errors or grammatical mistakes.
Europe is a multilingual and multicultural society. For example, in the Barcelona region of Spain, in addition to the official languages of Spanish and Catalan, various languages are spoken, and diverse cultures coexist. According to local elementary school teachers, children play together in neighborhood parks with others who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds from a young age.
I began to believe that this experience of “playing in the park” contributes to Europeans’ proactive attitude toward foreign languages and their high communication skills. A commonly cited study on the elements of communication suggests that language (the words themselves) accounts for about 35%, while non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, etc.) makes up about 65%. In other words, European children likely learn naturally how to communicate with others from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds through play in the park, making full use of non-verbal methods. They do not give up playing together just because they speak different languages. Sometimes, even while arguing over playground equipment, they share experiences that foster tolerance for other cultures and a positive attitude toward language learning.
The other day, while walking through the school, I saw lower-grade students playing around with one of the foreign teachers. At Amicus, it is common to see children interacting freely with foreign teachers, without hesitation. Perhaps the term “playing” isn’t entirely accurate—it might be better described as “clinging to them,” especially among the younger children. To me, this scene overlapped with the image of children in Barcelona playing together in the park, regardless of differences in language or culture.
When I observe the children at Amicus, I sometimes feel that they are “completely different” from those who learn English in typical Japanese public schools. One major difference is their attitude toward English. For them, English seems to be a tool for communication, much like how European children use language when playing in the park, rather than something to study. This stands in stark contrast to my own experience—and likely the experience of many Japanese people—of learning English through grammar-focused lessons, which sometimes involved a degree of struggle. The attitude I had toward English as a “subject to be studied” is fundamentally different from the attitude they have toward English as a “means of communication.” This difference in the process of English acquisition seems to shape the contrasting attitudes toward the language. I believe the significance and value of early English immersion education lie precisely here.
Watching these children acquire English through a process so different from my own, I must admit that I even feel a twinge of jealousy (laughs). This year, as always, I hope the entire staff will work together to support the growth of the children at AMICUS.
