Education Reforms and English Teaching for the Deaf in Japan

Deaf education is in a period of great transition in Japan as a result of the 'Educational Reform Plan for the 21st Century' proposed by the Japanese education ministry. Unfortunately, the communication needs of deaf students have not been taken into account in the Plan's recommendations. One area where deaf students must attain the same achievement goals as their hearing peers is in 'English as a foreign language' classes. Since most of the information about English teaching for the deaf in Japan is published in Japanese, the aim of this article is to review otherwise inaccessible sources for an English-speaking audience to show the current state of English education for the Deaf in Japan. Copyright (C) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.