小学校の先生は英語ができなくても当然だ、という前提の議論が多いが、ちょっとおかしい。だって、彼らは例外なく、中高6年間に加え、大学でも数年間は英語の授業を受けているのだから。今の小学校で求められている基礎的な英語くらい、できても罰はあたらない。それができないのは、中高大の英語教育の責任だ。
The argument that it is only natural that primary school teachers are unable to teach English is invalid because, without exception, they have studied the language for six years at junior and senior high schools plus for a couple of years at college. I would not be surprised if they can use very basic English required at primary schools today. If they cannot--and in fact that almost always seems to be the case--that is another piece of evidence that English teachers at junior and senior high schools and colleges are not doing their job.
