What is the Reality of "Language Activities" in High School English Classes? Efforts and Challenges Revealed in a Survey of 285 English Teachers

ALC Inc. (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) conducted a survey targeting high school English teachers, supervised by Associate Professor Yuichi Suzuki of Waseda University, to clarify the actual situation of "language activities" in high school English classes. The survey was conducted from February to March 2026, and responses were received from 285 high school English teachers nationwide.

The 2018 Course of Study requires the enhancement of "language activities" where students actually use English to think and communicate with each other. However, the actual situation of what kind of classes are being conducted in real classrooms has not been sufficiently clarified.

Therefore, ALC conducted a survey on the content and frequency of activities in high school English classes, class structure, and challenges perceived by teachers. The results showed that while drills and reading aloud still occupy a large portion of high school English classes, efforts to incorporate communication activities are also spreading.

Survey Results Summary

[1] "Drills + Reading Aloud" at the Center of High School English Classes

In addition to drill activities such as understanding textbook content, grammar explanations, and Japanese translation, approximately 80% of teachers continuously conducted reading aloud within units. Reading aloud is the most widely practiced activity among practice activities.

[2] Communication Activities Remain Limited in Scope

While communication activities such as writing, interviews, presentations, and discussions are conducted, most of them are limited to about 1 to 2 times per unit. In particular, many responses indicated that debates and role-playing were "never conducted."

[3] Approximately 60% of Classes Adopt a Class Flow Incorporating Communication Activities

Looking at the class structure, 64.0% of teachers adopted a class flow that "connects practice to communication activities." On the other hand, 34.3% chose a class flow centered on drills and explanations, revealing that diverse forms exist in the practice of high school English classes.

[4] Structural Challenges Also Hinder the Implementation of Language Activities

Reasons for not being able to sufficiently incorporate communication activities include:

- Balancing with entrance exam preparation, lack of basic skills such as vocabulary and grammar among students, constraints on class hours, and the burden of managing large classes.

Comments from the Survey Supervisor (Associate Professor Yuichi Suzuki, Faculty of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University)

"High school English classes are all about grammar and translation" - this survey shows that this common perception is gradually changing. However, at the same time, it also highlights the challenges faced by teachers, who find it "difficult to incorporate language activities" rather than not doing them at all. What is important for improving classes is not to view drills and language activities as mutually exclusive. The key is how to connect practice activities such as reading aloud and retelling to actual communication activities. And to achieve this, not only individual teacher ingenuity but also school-wide policy sharing and enhanced training opportunities are essential.

ALC's Initiatives

As part of its support for high school English education, ALC publishes the "Web Edition English Teacher Support Magazine" every other month. We will continue to support the practice of high school English education through research and information dissemination.

https://alc-nds.com/k-alc-magazine/

Survey Overview

- Survey Name: Survey on the Actual Situation of "Language Activities" in High School English Classes

- Target Audience: High school English teachers

- Survey Period: February - March 2026

- Survey Method: Online questionnaire

- Number of Valid Responses: 285

About the Report

The detailed report of this survey, "ALC English Education Actual Situation Report Vol. 21," can be viewed here:

https://www.alc-education.co.jp/academic/souken/

Company Profile

- ALC Inc.

- Location: 3F, Gardening Grace Shinagawa Gotenyama, 6-7-29 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

- URL: https://www.alc.co.jp/