brush up
東京オリンピック開催へ向けて，東京都では自治体をあげて英語教員の英語力向上に取り組むのですね。東京都を目指す教職学生には大きなincentiveになりますね。うらやましい限りです。
かつてUG先生に教えていただいたことですが、brush up（磨きをかける、勉強しなおす）は文字通り、一度は身につけたスキルが長い間、放置しさびついてしまい、それに再びブラシをかけてさびを取るという意味合いがあります。なお、習い事などの場合、目的語の前にしばしば前置詞のonをともなうことがあります。（Koyamamoto）
Tokyo English teachers to study abroad for Olympics
The Tokyo metropolitan government will send about 200 young English teachers from middle and high schools to English-speaking countries every year for three months to brush up their English teaching abilities in anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, sources said Thursday.
The program, designed to beef up the English ability of teachers as well as their teaching abilities, will start in the next academic year in April. Many foreign visitors are expected to come to Tokyo during the Olympics and Paralympics in 2020, according to the sources.
The number of assistant language teachers (ALTs) at metropolitan-run high schools will also be increased.
The metropolitan government plans to appropriate about 1 billion yen in next fiscal year’s budget. Through improvement in instruction capacities at schools, it plans to improve students’ language abilities, the sources explained.
Currently there are about 3,000 English teachers at public middle schools and high schools in Tokyo. Of them, about 200 teachers in their third year of employment will be sent to overseas universities and other educational institutions in English-speaking countries every year. They will attend English lessons and learn English teaching methods during the three-month period.
The metropolitan government also plans to increase the number of ALTs at metropolitan high schools, about 200 at present, to 300 in the next academic year and 400 in the academic year of 2015.
The Tokyo government plans to utilize the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, an international exchange program coordinated by the central government for local governments to invite young foreign nationals to teach English as assistants.
