As English has come to be used more extensively in various areas
of professional and social life, there is a growing perception that
people’s ability to communicate in English is closely related to
both individual and national economic success.In this context, however,
it is necessary for the authorities in charge of educational policies
to base their decisions on the actual conditions under which students
are learning the second language (L2) and not require results that cannot
be achieved under those conditions. Focusing on this point, the
present study critically examines the “Action Plan to Cultivate ‘Japanese
with English Abilities’”