English Language Teaching in Lithuania : Historical Overview and Current Status, in comparison with Japan

This article overviews the English language teaching in Lithuania with a focus on influences of the history to the choice of a foreign language, as well as a current status, in comparison with the ones of Japan. In order to cover how the history and current status influence the choice of a foreign language as well as students’ motivation to study languages, particularly English, the article mainly discusses the following points: (1) historical overview of the English language teaching in Lithuania; (2)current status in English education in Lithuania and Japan; (3) motivating factors for the students to learn English.