Why can't Taro speak English? Part 2

Japan's public English education is often criticized. But, few people understand what the problem is.

いま，『受験英語禁止令――あなたの英語をリストラする禁１３２条』（小倉弘著，研究社出版）という本を読んでいる．筆者は予備校教師で，ネイティヴスピーカーとの英作文の共同授業をした経験から受験英語の問題点について述べている．

日本の英語教育はよく批判されるが，批判者自体が何が問題か見えていない．よく，「文法と読解ばかりやるからいけないんだ」と云われる．ネイティヴもそんなことを云う．しかし，大人になって英語を使ってみればわかるが，文法なしに英語ができるわけではないし，ある程度読めない限り，仕事や勉強で英語を使うことなんてできるはずないだろう．

It is not bad to learn grammar and reading. How they are learned matters, though.

受験英語の最大の問題は，受験に出る（とされる）変な英語表現・構文を英語という言語そのものへの根本的な理解を無視して，ひたすら覚えさせよう，覚えようとすることにある．こういう受験英語のお決まり表現の多くはネイティヴには理解されない．↓にぼくが重要だと思うものを載せた．

I'm reading a book that is written by a Japanese-speaking English teacher. He wrote the book from the experience when he taught writing with a native speaker. This book contains some typical errors Japanese English learners often make. Some points will benefit you who are learning or teaching English in Japan.

H, Ogura (1998) Do not use English for test preparation in Japan: 132 Don'ts to make your English natural. Kenkyusa, Tokyo, Japan.

From the book:

1. "rather than" is not the same as "not so much as"
He is not so much a teacher as a comedian.
He is a comedian rather than a teacher.
Both sentences are correct, but the meanings aren't same.

2. "without doing sth" needs to be used when the two actions happen at the same time.
Wrong: He decided to stay home without going to the movies.
Correct: He decided to stay home instead of going to the movies.

3. "to come across sth" "run/bump into sb"
Wrong: I came across an old friend on my way to work.
Correct: I run into an old friend on my way to work.

4. "at midnight" means "at 0:00 a.m.," not "in the middle of the
night"

5. "had better" isn't "might as well"
Wrong: You don't look well. You might as well go home.
Correct: You don't look well. You'd better go home.

6. the misuse of the causative verb to "have"
Wrong: He had his house burned down.
Correct: His house was burned down.

7. Wrong: You have a wrong number.
Correct: You have the wrong number.

8. You don't need "the" for plural form's generic use.
Wrong: I like the girls.
Correct: I like girls.

I agree with most of the author. But, I didn't know this one.

9. You can't say "there are a(n)".

Wrong: There are an apple and three oranges on the table.
Correct: There is an apple and three oranges on the table.
Correct: There are three oranges and an apple on the table.