How much english does the average Japanese person know?

Question

I hear the english education system in japan is not the greatest, and many students learn grammer and such, but cannot really speak it. How much english does the average Japanese adult (20-40) know? Simple sentences? Complex thoughts? Would he/she understand this question? Thanks for shining any light on this,

Answer 1

I've lived in Japan 20 years and that's a total myth perpetrated by both Japanese and foreigners. Their English education system may not be great but they set far more people on the course towards fluency than the dopey Canadian system does teaching kids French. It's not perfect by any means as most Japanese who become fluent would probably do so with extra conservation school lessons or working on their own to improve.

Students do not learn grammar well or they'd be able to write better. In fact, I would argue you could go up to pretty much anyone in the street in Japan and communicate with them in rudimentary English at least.

The average Japanese (20-40) knows a helluva lot more English than, say, English Canadians know French. Simple phrases are more the case. Complex thoughts--not a hope in hell. If you talk slowly and without using big words, you'd be understood 7 times out of 10.

Answer 2

almost 100% japanese do understand simple sentences.
japanese just study grammer at school.
and not so much native speaker in japan.
japanese are good at reading but not speaking and listening.

Answer 3

I live in Japan, and its true they dont really understand much. I dont thnk they would understand your sentence at all. I have a hard time figuring out where the train station or bank is...

Answer 4

They usually can recite from books, but don't understand
much. You'd be better to communicate with them in Jap
if at all possible.