在全球化时代背景下，为了提高日本下一代在21世纪的竞争能力和生存能力，必须全面提高日本国民的英语交际能力，对此，日本政府在新世纪初叶先后出台了《提升日本国民英语交际能力》（2003年）、《发展英语国际沟通能力的五项建议》（2011年）、《因应全球化英语教学改革》（2014年）。同时，文部科学省对《课程教学标准》（2009年）也进行了相应的修订。这场“以交际为导向”的英语教育改革取得了一定的成效，推动了日本英语教育的发展，但同时也引发了一些争议。本文对日本所进行的这场当代英语教育改革进行了引介和评析，旨在为中国新世纪外语发展战略的制定、为国家“软实力”的建设提供一定的借鉴。

With the progress of globalization, it is essential that Japanese people acquire communication skills in English, in order for living in the 21^st century. Then, the Japanese government issued a series of policies at the beginning of the new century, including Action Plan to Cultivate Japanese with English Abilities in 2003, Five Proposals and Specific Measures for Developing Proficiency in English for International Communication in 2011, English Education Reform Plan Corresponding to Globalization in 2014. Meanwhile, Course of Study, which guides English language education in elementary school and high school, was revised by the Japanese government correspondingly. Although there are some controversies about these new initiatives, this communication-oriented reform has advanced Japan’s English language education, which is helpful to China’s formulating foreign language development strategy as well as to China’s constructing  “soft power” in the 21^st century.