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rich45
Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 127
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:01 am Post subject: Junior High changes? |
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Hi,
I recently heard that some changes are going to take place at junior high schools from April, but I can't remember where I heard it. For a start, the New Horizon book will be changed, and possibly more English classes per week? I just wondered if anybody could shed some light on these changes...
Many thanks,
Rich |
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nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:08 am Post subject: |
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In Shizuoka Prefecture the text book will be changed from Sunshine to New Horizon and an extra lesson added to make four periods of English per week instead of three.
Why? No idea |
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rich45
Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 127
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:48 am Post subject: |
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nightsintodreams wrote: |
In Shizuoka Prefecture the text book will be changed from Sunshine to New Horizon and an extra lesson added to make four periods of English per week instead of three.
Why? No idea |
Thanks for your reply. I don't envy you having New Horizon, but I suppose all the books are similar(ly bad). |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 1373 Location: Way, way off course.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:07 am Post subject: |
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nightsintodreams wrote: |
In Shizuoka Prefecture the text book will be changed from Sunshine to New Horizon and an extra lesson added to make four periods of English per week instead of three.
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Errr, when did JHS start to be run at the prefectural level and textbook decision made there too? Last time I was at a school (all of 9 months ago now) they were all still municipal and the texts were decided locally from the MEXT approved options. |
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nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:22 am Post subject: |
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I wouldn't know, just reporting what my JTE told me. |
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marley'sghost
Joined: 04 Oct 2010 Posts: 255
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:25 am Post subject: |
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The changes are nation-wide as far as I know. 4 English classes a week, thicker textbooks to go with the extra lesson time. I'm not sure what class they cut to make room for the extra English lesson. It must be an elective. So, if you thought the kids hated English before, just wait. |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009 Posts: 132
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:07 am Post subject: |
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Our school district is going to 4 days a week as well. Also, switching from Sunshine to New Crown (thank goodness). |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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rich45 wrote: |
nightsintodreams wrote: |
In Shizuoka Prefecture the text book will be changed from Sunshine to New Horizon and an extra lesson added to make four periods of English per week instead of three.
Why? No idea |
Thanks for your reply. I don't envy you having New Horizon, but I suppose all the books are similar(ly bad). |
I think they both have some bad points. But New Horizon just looks better, without actually being any better. Just more pictures and fluff imho |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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My school district is switching to Sunshine. Maybe they rotate books between districts, the same as they rotate teachers between schools? |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 486
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:27 am Post subject: |
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Schools might change textbooks but pretty much all of the JHS English textbooks I've seen are still terrible. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Pitarou wrote: |
My school district is switching to Sunshine. Maybe they rotate books between districts, the same as they rotate teachers between schools? |
LOL, why not? But with the 4 classes a week, wonder what classes will suffer? Will music and PE be pushed aside? My school really only has 4 classes a day as it is now, be hard to cram an extra class in that schedule. |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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Well it is the end of Yutori Kyoiku. I knew this even a few years ago.
Sunshine is a joke of a book.
New Crown and Birdland are better. I hope students get better at English but it depends on the Japanese English teachers. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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mitsui wrote: |
Well it is the end of Yutori Kyoiku. I knew this even a few years ago.
Sunshine is a joke of a book.
New Crown and Birdland are better. I hope students get better at English but it depends on the Japanese English teachers. |
Good luck with that. I like my JTEs, but 2 of outa 3 of my current JTEs, aren't even conversational. When we did the end of semester interview test, the kids couldn't understand what I said, when I said 'Girl'. As the JTEs pronunciation is such, that is sounds like 'Gaul'.
Thing is, practice makes habits. And you can't build any real foundation on tons of bad habits. |
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Squire22
Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Shizuoka, Japan
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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From what my BOE here in Shizuoka prefecture said, they're going to cut a 'sougou' (integrated studies?) class to make room for the extra English lesson. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:00 am Post subject: |
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Squire22 wrote: |
From what my BOE here in Shizuoka prefecture said, they're going to cut a 'sougou' (integrated studies?) class to make room for the extra English lesson. |
That's basically studyhall. Which will suck to cut. As most kids will have to do their homework and studying at home. But a lot of kids simply don't have the time to study much at home. This will effectively eliminate half their study time. Another bad bureaucratic decision, full of good intentions, but with disastrous results. |
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