The other day at school, during the lunch break on Field Day, I was invited by the very nice parents of one of the younger students at my school to go over to their little tent and have some food and drinks with them. I was really thankful for that gesture, because I didn't want to eat with the teachers, most of whom went back to the office for lunch, and I felt a bit left out, seeing all the kids sitting with their families. Maybe somehow they sensed that, because they "adopted" me for about 30 minutes, which was really nice! (I had met the mother several times before but not the father.)
We talked about all sorts of things, including school, of course, and at one point the conversation shifted to my favorite school subject here in Japan, English.
That's when the mother said something like, "My English is a victim of the Japanese educational system." I knew right away what she meant -- that she could read and write English fairly well, but her speaking ability was rather poor.
I can't help but point out the holes in the system here on an almost daily basis, but my suggestions for improving how English is taught (almost) always fall on deaf ears. That's why it was so refreshing to hear those critical words coming from a Japanese.
Believe me, that woman's stock went skyrocketing in my book as soon as she said that!
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