TOKYO — AI can correctly answer about 90% of the University of Tokyo’s English entrance exam questions and is capable of achieving a 900 out of a 990 perfect score on the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication). The average TOEIC score for Japanese in 2023 was 561.
Developments such as these are significant enough that AI translation researcher Eiichiro Sumita asserts, “Practical English for business use should be left to AI.”
Meanwhile, English-language education has accelerated in Japan in order to better nurture people who can play active roles in the world — a move that has received a strong push from the business community. English-language kindergartens and international schools are also popular, and parents are enthusiastic about English education.
However, these advancements in AI have raised an intriguing question: Is English-language education even necessary anymore? NIKKEI Film explores the future of English learning in the age of AI, with the help of a class of fifth-grade elementary school students just starting to study English.
