Six Benefits and Possible Drawbacks of Early English Education (2023 Edition)
I am the founder of CGK International School in Yokohama, Minoru Kai. This English edition retains the original article’s historical examples and 2023 framing. Editorial clarifications distinguish older claims from evidence and do not present historical figures as current measurements.
At our preschool, conversations with families often turn to learning English from childhood. Many parents are unsure about the methods or the need to start early. For generations of Japanese adults, English began as a junior-high-school subject. Learning in early childhood differs from classroom study as a teenager or adult, and the original article argues that school lessons alone have not always led to confident practical English.
To consider the value and approach of early English education, we need to look at its effects on children, the purposes of language learning and experiences in other countries.
Is English education before elementary school necessary?
Rather than concentrating on teaching techniques, this article focuses on the case for early English education, examining supporting and opposing views, possible benefits and possible drawbacks so that families can consider what suits their child.
For international education from elementary school onward, please also see the following article.
English Education in Japan
Before considering early childhood education, let us look at the context of English learning in Japan.
For many years, English conversation schools and English-learning books have been popular. What do the available figures tell us?
What Test Data Can and Cannot Tell Us
“Japanese English proficiency is low among developed countries” is a familiar claim. The original article examines TOEIC and TOEFL results, while also questioning whether their test-taker samples can support national comparisons.
TOEIC: The Original Article’s 2020 Comparison (27th of 32)
Reference: 2020 TOEIC Listening & Reading Test Worldwide Scores and Questionnaire Results
The original comparison placed Japan near the lower end. The author found this striking given the number of people studying English and preparing for tests.
However, these are results for people who took a test, not random samples of entire national populations. Numbers of test takers and their backgrounds differ, so the results should not be treated as a straightforward ranking of national English ability.
TOEFL iBT: A National Ranking Is Not Reproduced
The author considered adding a TOEFL ranking but noted the test provider’s warning against this use of the data.
Paraphrase of the guidance cited in the original article:
The mean scores are intended to help individuals compare themselves with other test takers sharing their language or country background. They are not an appropriate basis for ranking countries, and ETS does not endorse that interpretation.Source: TOEFL Test Library Resources for Institutions and Educators
Comparing country averages from differently selected test-taker groups is not the same as comparing whole populations.
The article therefore offers a reference link without reproducing a TOEFL country ranking.
The English-Learning Market
The original article uses Yano Research Institute surveys covering fiscal 2014–2022 and changes in TOEIC participation to discuss the language-learning sector. These are historical data, not a current market assessment.
References cited in the source:
Yano language-business market surveys published in 2015–2023 (covering fiscal 2014–2022); TOEIC Listening & Reading participation trends; TOEIC Speaking & Writing participation trends.
Historical Growth in Preschool and Online Learning, with Declines in Some Other Formats
The following figures cover fiscal 2013–2022 as listed in the original article.
Unit: ¥100 million. The sequences are retained from the source; they have not been presented as newly measured data.
Growing sectors discussed in the article included:
- Online conversation lessons and app-based learning in the online language-learning market(65 → 75 → 80 → 90 → 110 → 125 → 160 → 225 → 245 → 297)
- Early English education through the preschool market(298 → 310 → 340 → 360 → 370 → 395 → 425 → 400 → 400 → 400)
- Visiting-teacher services in the English teacher dispatch market for kindergartens and nurseries(31 → 34 → 35 → 36 → 38 → 39 → 41 → 42 → 42 → 43)
The author interpreted these sectors as showing demand for early and accessible English learning. Editorial clarification: not every series rises throughout; the materials series falls in its final year and preschool revenue is flat in the last three entries.
The article also reports that the related study-abroad agency and interpreting/translation markets contracted during the pandemic and began recovering in fiscal 2022.
As discussed below, foreign-language classes for children from infancy through junior high were affected by the pandemic, while preschool businesses serving children before elementary school were described as relatively stable. The author expected renewed growth, but that expectation is not a verified outcome.
The decline after fiscal 2018 in foreign-language classes for children led the author to wonder whether families were questioning infrequent, short lessons. This was a hypothesis, not a demonstrated cause of the market change. By comparison, online language learning can offer frequent individual practice, while the preschool market provides sustained daily contact.Online language learning may offer accessible pricing, while preschool can combine a longer English-medium day with childcare, although fees can be high. The author regarded this as a promising environment, not a guaranteed best option for every child. The childcare-fee support system introduced in October 2019 also offers eligible families support up to ¥37,000 a month for eligible ninkagai provision in the relevant three-to-five-year-old age groups. Certification, facility and other conditions apply; it is not an automatic grant for every working household.
The main sectors reported as declining included:
- Part of early English education, the foreign-language classroom market for children (excluding preschool)(952 → 990 → 1010 → 1030 → 1035 → 1035 → 1005 → 950 → 900 → 902)
- The electronic dictionary market(540 → 532 → 512 → 513 → 485 → 530 → 510 → 385 → 365 → 270)
- Paper-based correspondence education(240 → 220 → 220 → 200 → 197 → 194 → 191 → 192 → 174 → 140)
- Computer and game-console language-learning software(29 → 27 → 27 → 25 → 24 → 21 → 17 → 13 → 11 → 10)
The author suggests that the spread of smartphones influenced several of these changes; the sequences alone do not establish causation.
What Does “Preschool” Mean?
The word preschool has a broader meaning in English than its common use in Japan. The English definition cited below describes:
preschool
a school for children between the ages of about two and five
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Education before elementary school, often around ages two to five. The original article also noted a three-to-five age range in Wikipedia. It broadly overlaps with nursery and kindergarten provision, but terminology differs by country; see Preschool - Wikipedia for more detail. In Japan, “preschool” commonly refers to an English-medium nursery or kindergarten setting for children below elementary age.
At CGK International School, we also provide preschool education.
TOEIC Listening & Reading Participation Reached a Historical High in Fiscal 2015
The source discusses rising participation in both Listening & Reading and Speaking & Writing tests as one sign of interest in English, while recognising multiple influences. It also notes some decline around the end of fiscal 2019, including before the pandemic disruption. These are observations from the historical period covered.
Government and MEXT Policy
The curriculum described in the original article provides foreign-language activities in Grades 3–4, normally one period a week, and foreign-language subject lessons in Grades 5–6, normally two periods a week. The author sees this as a move toward earlier English exposure.
Potential Benefits of Early English Education
1. Early Familiarity with Speech Sounds
Please watch the TED talk embedded below.
Japanese subtitles can be selected in the video.
The talk discusses age-related changes in language learning. Different aspects of language have different developmental patterns; starting later can make some sound distinctions more challenging, but it does not mean that useful or advanced English becomes impossible.
Distinguishing speech sounds such as English /r/ and /l/, or unfamiliar word endings, is one reason the author values early exposure.
The talk describes how infants around six months old are sensitive to speech sounds and how experience shapes that sensitivity. This supports interest in early interaction with language, not a guarantee that any particular course will produce bilingualism.
Editorial clarification: the source attributes Japanese learners’ difficulties to different language “frequency bands.” That claim is not established here as a hearing limit. Speech-sound learning is more complex, and adult Japanese listeners have improved /r/–/l/ perception and production in training research; see Bradlow and colleagues.
The popular Japanese expression for becoming familiar with English sounds is “English ear”. It is an informal teaching expression, not a separate anatomical ability that adults permanently lose.
For the original discussion of “English ear” and “English brain,” see:
The author regards early experience as helpful, but this should not discourage adults: meaningful learning remains possible later in life.
2. Understanding English Without Translating Every Sentence
When speaking Japanese, we can think in Japanese; when using English fluently, we can increasingly understand it directly.
This is sometimes called an “English brain”, another informal expression. Avoiding word-by-word translation can support smoother communication. The author notes that Japanese and English are quite different in important respects.
Some European languages share more vocabulary or structures with English, which may help learners in particular areas. This does not mean their speakers never translate mentally or that Japanese speakers cannot develop fluent processing.
3. Making Time for Sustained Language Learning
The original article offers the following historical comparison.
It attributes a set of training-hour estimates to a 1973 Foreign Service Institute document about foreign-language training. The figures below are preserved as the source’s historical account; they have not been independently verified as that document’s exact figures or as current FSI requirements.
Group 1: languages described as similar to English, such as German and French — 480 hours
Group 2: somewhat different languages, such as Greek and Hindi — 720 hours
Group 3: substantially different languages, such as Russian and Turkish — 1,320 hours
Group 4: Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Arabic — 2,400–2,760 hoursSource attribution in the original article: Foreign Service Institute training outcomes and learning-hours material (1973). For comparison, a later official archived FSI page describes an 88-week, 2,200-class-hour category. These are training-programme benchmarks for specific learners, not a universal requirement for children.
The original comparison concerns
English-speaking US diplomatic trainees learning
German to the described working level in
480 hours, compared with
Japanese requiring at least
about five times as much, or 2,400 hours in the source’s account
.
The author uses this to illustrate that language distance may affect the learning task. It does not establish an equal requirement in the reverse direction, from Japanese to English.
The source also estimates fewer than 1,000 classroom hours across Japanese schooling and university, but does not establish one total applying to every learner or programme.
If one assumed a comparable requirement for Japanese speakers learning English, the author’s rough calculation would imply roughly 1,500 additional hours outside regular classes. Editorial clarification: this is an illustrative extrapolation, not a validated target or assessment for an individual child.
The practical question is how to create regular opportunities to use English over time.
One way to make room for those opportunities is starting in early childhood, if it suits the child and family.
4. Learning Through Immersion and Interaction
Young children often learn through doing, observing and joining in, rather than through the explicit grammatical explanations adults may use.
They imitate people around them, try out expressions and gradually use language for their own purposes.
The author therefore recommends plenty of meaningful English together with communication. Other approaches can be combined with this.
An immersion environment can provide such opportunities.
immersion
- ～ (in sth) the act of putting sb/sth into a liquid so that they or it are completely covered; the state of being completely covered by a liquid
- ～ (in sth) the state of being completely involved in sth
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
“Immersion” literally suggests being surrounded by or immersed in something. In English-immersion education, teachers create an environment where children communicate and learn primarily through English rather than continually translating through their home language.
Repeated exposure can support familiarity, but the quality of interaction, understanding and individual support matters.
At home, families may find it difficult to provide sustained two-way English interaction and may rely on materials. A preschool with skilled English-speaking or bilingual teachers can offer back-and-forth communication in which children respond and participate.
5. Exploring Different Ways of Expressing Yourself
The author contrasts some everyday Japanese and English communication conventions, including formality and directness. These are observations about contexts and habits, not fixed personality traits shared by every speaker. The article suggests that using different languages can sometimes encourage people to experiment with different styles of expression.
More animated expression, more direct opinions and feelings, or more frequent jokes are examples the author noticed. People may also feel different levels of familiarity with older conversation partners. Such behaviour varies by individual, culture and situation; English does not automatically create one personality.
6. Openness to Diversity
Our prejudices and discriminatory assumptions can be conscious or unconscious. Experiences in childhood can help shape how we respond to other people.
The author argues that limited contact with other languages and backgrounds can narrow our outlook unless we actively seek wider experiences.
Limited perspectives may reinforce prejudice, although this is not an inevitable characteristic of living in any one country.
Encountering people and their backgrounds through language can help children develop openness to diversity.
Language learning alone does not prevent prejudice; respectful relationships and thoughtful education are important too.
Possible Drawbacks and Concerns
Having considered the potential benefits, let us examine concerns that families may raise.
A balanced choice considers both opportunities and the support a child needs.
Supporting Home-Language and Academic Development: The Older “Semilingualism” Debate
The original article presents this as a frequent objection to early English education.
It cites Chikara Ichikawa’s book Eigo o Kodomo ni Oshieru na. The following is a paraphrase of the argument, not a new scientific conclusion:
When English dominates a child’s environment, sustained development of more advanced Japanese language is important.
The source passage then distinguishes everyday conversation from the language used for academic learning.
Difficulty using language for school learning in both languages was described using the older term “semilingualism”.
Source cited in the original article: Chikara Ichikawa, Eigo o Kodomo ni Oshieru na (paraphrased).
Editorial clarification: the source goes on to suggest lasting limitations in logical thinking if both languages are underdeveloped. That is not a justified prediction about bilingual children. Multilingualism does not itself cause a language disorder. Support access to rich conversation, reading and learning in the child’s languages, and seek professional advice about individual developmental concerns. See ASHA’s guidance.
The practical aim is to support both communication and academic language, rather than treating bilingualism itself as a risk or attaching an outdated label to a child.
Identity and Cultural Belonging
Whether a change in identity is a drawback depends on how one sees identity.
The author is concerned about children becoming disconnected from Japanese culture and customs、 or finding them difficult to understand, but argues that respecting those traditions can coexist with an individual and international sense of belonging.
Living abroad actually strengthened my awareness of being Japanese, because the differences became more visible.
Adapting to Japanese School Routines
International schools、 and preschools may use different routines from those encountered when children move to a Japanese public elementary or middle school. Some children need support with unfamiliar expectations and social practices. The source also raises concern about bullying. A child’s language background never makes bullying acceptable or inevitable.
School preparation, family support and an inclusive receiving school are all important when making a transition.
Pressure to Learn English
Parents’ hopes for their children can sometimes result in a learning environment the child does not enjoy.
Parents naturally introduce children to new experiences, but should also notice whether the child feels overwhelmed. When choosing a preschool, look beyond a rigid timetable and observe how teachers respond to the children in front of them.
Making a child dislike English defeats the purpose. Young children should not face excessive pressure or burdens in the name of language learning.
Ways to Address the Concerns
Supporting Japanese Language and Culture
The original article draws on Ichikawa’s experience teaching children of Japanese families in the United States. The following account is paraphrased from the passages it cites.
One child, given the pseudonym Kenichiro, moved to the United States at five and returned to Japan in Grade 5. The account describes strong English reading and writing performance on a state assessment.
The passage also describes his Japanese development.
Although handwriting kanji was a challenge, the author reported Japanese skills comparable in other respects to children studying in Japan.
The account then turns to his home environment.
His mother focused on the quality of Japanese experiences at home because English occupied much more of his daily life.
The author challenges a narrow view of language study.
Learning Japanese need not mean only sitting with drills and workbooks; shared activities can make it enjoyable rather than an additional burden.
His mother used reading aloud as a relaxing time after the school day rather than presenting it as another lesson.
They read during snacks or after dinner, repeated favourite books and talked freely about the stories.
The account emphasises consistency.
Regular, enjoyable reading encouraged his interest in Japanese.Source cited in the original article: Chikara Ichikawa, Eigo o Kodomo ni Oshieru na (paraphrased case account; not a guarantee of outcomes).
This is one example of Japanese support at home. Even if a child attends an international school in Japan and uses substantial English at school, Japanese may remain important in family and community life. Consider the child’s actual opportunities in both languages rather than assuming either a problem or a guarantee.
Learning English can also make children more aware of similarities and differences between languages. It is too simple to assume that more English necessarily means less Japanese ability.
With appropriate opportunities, the languages can support broader interest in language learning.
The cited book advocates consistently using Japanese at home when English dominates life in the United States. It also criticises parents using imperfect English. That is the cited author’s position, not a rule that non-native speech harms children; families have different effective multilingual routines.
The book gives an example of prompting a Japanese response.
In the account, the mother sometimes acted as if she did not understand an English expression to encourage the child to find the Japanese wording.
Source cited in the original article: Chikara Ichikawa, Eigo o Kodomo ni Oshieru na (paraphrased).
For parents without an English background, choosing how to use English with a child should not become a source of anxiety. The original article raises concern about possible counterproductive effects but also recognises that context matters. Families in Japan may enjoy learning English together while continuing rich communication in the languages they know best. Imperfect English alone is not evidence of harm.
Combining Cultural Perspectives
Educational approaches sometimes associated with overseas settings emphasise independence, initiative and individuality. The author values these while also appreciating aspects of Japanese education.
Japanese settings often emphasise cooperation. Rules can sometimes constrain individuality, but consideration for others and working together also have value. These are broad tendencies, not descriptions of every person or school.
Must these aims conflict?
The author’s answer is no.
Understanding both can help children develop leadership together with consideration for individuals and the ability to build a team.
Reflecting on the strengths and limitations of different educational traditions can provide a useful foundation for children’s futures.
Language Learning Should Not Mean Boring Deskwork
Early English education should not rely mainly on textbooks and workbook exercises when children can learn through enjoyable, meaningful experiences.
Children growing up in English-speaking homes encounter language through everyday relationships and activities. Providing similar opportunities in Japan can encourage children to want to communicate in English for their own reasons.“I want to talk with this person, so I want to use English” is a meaningful motivation.
The source again refers to Ichikawa’s book, whose argument can be paraphrased as follows:
A child’s capacity to learn languages is not enough on its own; motivation, an appropriate environment and suitable methods matter.
Source cited in the original article: Chikara Ichikawa, Eigo o Kodomo ni Oshieru na (paraphrased).
The practical implication is to support motivation, an appropriate environment and suitable methods. These are helpful conditions, not a formula that guarantees bilingualism.
The author recommends choosing a good preschool as one way to bring these conditions together.
A longer day can provide substantial opportunities to encounter English alongside teaching responsive to each child’s development. Children can also learn through enjoyable daily routines and care, rather than repetitive language drills. A suitable school can support motivation, environment and methods, while family involvement and individual circumstances continue to matter. Preschool attendance alone does not guarantee bilingual outcomes or remove every need for support at home.
Looking Toward the Future
Widening Children’s Options
The original article predicts that English will become more widely used in Japan. This is the author’s expectation, not a measured forecast that everyone will speak English.
The author points to differences between generations in Hong Kong and links them to its history of English use.
The article also describes English as important to many young people pursuing education and careers in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. These observations should not be read as population-wide statistics or as a claim that people without English have no future.
The author expects international communication to become more important in Japan too.
For children looking twenty, thirty or forty years ahead, English may expand their options even if it is not essential to every part of life today.
The original article cites a 2015 estimate that tasks associated with roughly 49% of Japan’s working population might be technically susceptible to replacement by AI or robots over the following ten to twenty years.
Nomura Research Institute, December 2015, as cited in the source. Technical susceptibility is not the same as a prediction of actual job losses.
It also repeats a widely circulated claim that 65% of children entering US elementary school in 2011 would eventually work in jobs not yet existing. The underlying statistical basis is not verified here, so this should not be treated as an established forecast.
Attributed in the original article to Cathy Davidson of Duke University (2011).
The author’s broader point is that work changes and that initiative, creativity and adaptability are valuable. The quoted forecasts do not themselves prove any particular child’s future.
English can be a tool for curiosity, learning and exchanging ideas across borders, alongside many other skills.
To explore future options, families may wish to consider early language education and international schooling from elementary age onward, taking time to gather information.
Would You Like to Work Overseas?
This question appeared in Sanno University’s periodic survey of newly hired employees’ international outlook.
The original article discusses the survey as a historical example of attitudes toward working abroad.
Source: Seventh Survey of New Employees’ International Outlook, Sanno University
In the 2017 edition cited here, “I would work in any country or region” and “I would work abroad depending on the country or region” recovered slightly, but “I do not want to work abroad” accounted for 60.4%, roughly twice the share quoted for 2001. These are the source’s historical survey figures, not a current measure.
The author describes contrasting overseas and domestic orientations.
Language barriers need not be the only factor in those choices. The author hopes people can move beyond prejudice or an assumption that unfamiliar countries and people are threatening and develop a wider outlook that includes the world beyond Japan.
At CGK International School, the source also describes a year-abroad pathway in the first middle-school year, corresponding to Japanese Grade 6. Please consult CGK’s current programme information for availability, timing and requirements; this historical article is not an individual placement commitment.
Conclusion
Age can influence aspects of language learning, and early experiences can be valuable. Families should consider opportunities thoughtfully, without interpreting this as a deadline after which bilingualism or successful English learning becomes impossible.
This article has explored possible benefits, concerns and supportive approaches. At CGK International School in Yokohama, we aim to combine care with global education through our curriculum, supporting children’s English and international understanding.
We invite you to explore the school’s website and ask about the current programme.
Web: CGK International School in Yokohama
The world opened by English is not limited to work or travel; it can enrich life in many ways.
I continue studying English myself and enjoy looking ahead to the opportunities it can bring.
Thank you for reading.
I hope this discussion encourages more people to take an interest in language learning.
Author Profile
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Minoru Kai - School Founder, CGK International School (Japan)
Born in 1984, father to two children.
After residence and stay in Australia, Canada and America, worked at an advertising agency concurrently in overseas exhibition work and domestic advertising work.
He also founded CGK International School (Yokohama) from scratch and provides management consulting for international schools.