Going on its fourth year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic stimulus package, known more popularly as Abenomics, has progressed in fits and starts.
Continuing with the so-called three arrows — fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reform — to jumpstart the economy, the government has also encouraged improved English language skills among Japanese to help them engage more closely with the global economy.
While Japan has had to look outwards to grow its economy, proficiency in English has not become a priority in the education and training of the country’s business leaders. With its successful bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japan is again eager to show the world that it remains a global influence, whether it is in culture, economics or technology.
Framingham State University in Massachusetts, the first and oldest public teaching college in the U.S., is looking to narrow that language gap by training English language teachers in Japan through its officially accredited Master’s Program in Education and English as a Second Language (ESL).
“The university established the Master’s Program in 1988. We currently offer a Master’s Degree in International Education and ESL in 16 different countries. In Asia, we are currently teaching in China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Saipan. And it would be very interesting for us to explore Japan,” said President Javier
“Our programs offer a flexible schedule in order to meet the busy lifestyles of candidates. It’s a program that is designed for working teachers to obtain an accredited American master’s degree,” Cevallos added.
Both programs are available through distance learning and face-to-face teaching. At the end of the two-year program, students receive a U.S.-accredited master’s diploma.
