Abstract
Since the early 2000s, the pace of English language education reform in Japan has accelerated and broadened to incorporate almost everyone engaging in English language education. In particular, attention has been drawn by educational administrators to the level of English proficiency among Japanese teachers of English; clearly, in order to develop students' English proficiency, teachers are first of all expected to have a good command of English. In spite of this, there has been very little actual discussion as to what we mean by English proficiency, and its definition therefore remains unclear within the context of Japanese education. This paper argues for clarity in this area. First, I draw on various terminologies relating to English proficiency. Then, I make a comparison between, on the one hand, the attainment goals in terms of English proficiency which the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) has set out for Japanese teachers of English in their "Action Plan to Cultivate 'Japanese with English Abilities,'" and, on the other hand, those which the Hong Kong Education and Management Bureau has set out for Hong Kong teachers of English in the "Language Proficiency Requirement (LPR, English Language)." To this end, I summarize each of their respective approaches in terms of content, purpose, in-service teacher education and training. Finally, I suggest possible ways for setting effective attainment goals in terms of the English proficiency required for Japanese teachers of English.
