Abstract
The COVID-19 global pandemic had a devastating impact on grassroots exchanges between Japan and the United States. In particular, the educational impact of the postponement of the departure of JET Program participants and the postponement or cancellation of various study abroad programs that resulted from Japan’s border restrictions has been immeasurable. This paper examines the future of student exchange between Japan and the U.S., taking into account the various effects of the border restrictions, input from those involved in Japanese language education, and the actual experiences of students and others in the U.S. since the relaxation of these measures. This paper will also introduce the JET program, which plays an important role in English education in many Japanese schools, from the perspective of a coordinator of the program in the U.S. The paper will also discuss what is expected of ALTs, including JET program participants, and the outlook for English education in Japan’s national curriculum guidelines.
