I do think a more flexible education could inspire the children more. There is nothing wrong to learn from games. Look at the photo! I asked two children aged 5 and 7 to draw their faces for a English game. Their pictures look great! I think Japanese kids are very smart and good at music and art. However, surprisingly Japanese starts learning English since Junior high. Won't it be too late?
Since I grew up in Hong Kong where was a British colony, it stands to reason that I learnt English from kindergarten. There are always varies education reforms in Hong Kong. After 1997, the government had advocated the new generation should master two written languages (Chinese and English) and three spoken languages (Cantonese, English and Mandarin). Won't it be too much for the children?
The mainstream education system in Hong Kong has been often described as "spoon-fed". I was well educated under this system by doing massive amount of "mechanical work and meaningless homework". Obviously, this system is less welcomed than before. I rarely heard Japanese who was "spoon-fed" educated. Their schools and parents tend to encourage children to develop different interests and abilities freely. However, according to some researches, the academic performance of Japanese children falls behind China or Korea. Given all that, it seems Japanese is more willing to adopt the "spoon-fed" education system in the future. Education reforms seem to be essential, though it will be a very difficult task. It's hard to tell what is the best method, but I do believe it's more effective to learn new things in native tongue. Although I do believe it's better to start to learn a new language in early age.
