On the 15th, the Japan Tourism Agency announced the number of foreign tourists who will visit Japan in 2024, which is the highest number ever. However, when you ask tourists from overseas, they say they are troubled by something. The theme of the 15th is "Even with the inbound "explosion", Japanese people are not good at English". What is that about? When I talked to foreign tourists on the street, they said, "The store clerks didn't understand English at all. I thought they didn't want to have anything to do with me because they had their hands crossed," and "I felt that their (English ability) was low compared to Taiwan and Thailand." According to a survey by a Swiss company that operates language schools worldwide, Japan's English proficiency index is 92nd out of 116 countries and regions. The number of foreigners visiting from overseas announced on the 15th is about 36.9 million. As a country that is still under the scrutiny of the world, it may be necessary to do something about this English ability. So, I talked to people who usually communicate with foreign tourists in English. The first place I visited was the famous rickshaw pullers and rickshaw drivers who deal with many foreigners in Asakusa, Tokyo. Suzuki, who has been pulling rickshaws for three years, says he learned English after joining the company. We filmed Suzuki showing people around Tokyo. Akina Suzuki, Tokyo Rickshaw: This is the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest building in Japan. It is said that it is good to actively speak, but some people have improved their English in other ways. Zauo Meguro, a Japanese pub in Meguro, Tokyo. There is a fish tank right in front of the pub, so it is a popular spot for foreign tourists because you can enjoy fishing while drinking. Nakata, a staff member, tells foreign customers about recommended cooking methods. Nakata is fluent in English, but we asked him how he studied it. Nakata, Zauo Meguro: I don't feel like I studied much. I used to like hip-hop music, and I often watched movies and played Western games. As I did that, I gradually had more opportunities to speak, and I learned as I spoke. So, what should you do to be able to speak English? Mr. Nakata, Tsuribune Chaya Zauo Meguro Branch: Speaking is the best. Repeated trial and error. I couldn't get through to anyone in the past either. You learn the correct way to speak as you speak. Aoi Minoru, newscaster: Pakkun, people still say things like this. How did you learn Japanese? SP newscaster Patrick Harlan: I learned it from scratch after coming to Japan, but Japanese people study a lot beforehand and know a lot of English words. They are much faster than me. You just have to get rid of perfectionism and speak English. However, Japan's English ability is ranked 92nd in the world. Why are Japanese students still bad at English even though they have English classes from elementary school onwards? We asked English conversation teachers what they think about the cause. Perry English Higashiazabu School Perry Many: English education in Japanese schools places too much emphasis on "reading" and "grammar". On the other hand, there is not enough emphasis on "listening ability" and "speaking ability", this is the biggest problem. Students learn English using Japanese. Therefore, students are not given the opportunity to use English in a practical way. Finally, we asked children attending the classes about tips for becoming able to speak English. 8-year-old (2nd grade, elementary school) attending an English conversation class: If you keep studying every day to the extent that you can without forcing yourself, I think you will be able to speak a little. In order to convey the spirit of hospitality, it might be a good idea to start by challenging yourself with the goal of being able to give simple directions. FNN Prime Online https://www.fnn.jp/