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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: Questionnaire on Japanese EFL Classroom Management |
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| G Cthulhu wrote: |
| Japanology wrote: |
I'm doing some valuable research on Japanese EFL Classroom Management.
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�Why is there a difference in classroom management with Japanese EFL students between the Non-Japanese English teachers and the Japanese English teachers?
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Who are these non-Japanese teachers you keep talking about? There are 7-8000 EFL teaching assistants in Japan, but fewer than 50 licensed non-Japanese english language teachers. "ALT's" are not teachers. |
A lot of people officially registered as ALTs with the government teach without the support of a Japanese teacher in the class. To mark that distinction they usually end up with contracts for "Native English Teachers" (NET), if they are directly hired. If they are through a dispatch agency then their contract will likely still say ALT. They "Assist" the language department by writing a curriculum, lesson plans, grading rubrick, teaching materials, doing the testing and coming up with a grade for an entirely separate course, or for a segment of the English grade. I know a lot of people who teach 'solo' classes all of the time, not a single one who is a licensed non-Japanese English language teacher. ALTs are expected to be the main teacher in the room, or the ONLY teacher in the room, in every private school I've ever taught at. I'm pretty sure I remember Glenski saying that teachers at his old private school taught without a Japanese teacher there, too.
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�Why do you think the students behave differently between their Non-Japanese English teachers and their Japanese English teachers?
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Do they? Tell us more. Or, indeed, anything.
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�In what ways do you think the student�s behavior choices in the Non-Japanese English program and in the Japanese English program are related to both the A)teacher�s and B)student�s - cultural background?
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There are two programmes? MEXT says there's only one.
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Being a language teacher at a private school in Japan can be very, very different than being on the JET program. And yes, students do act differently (as in, at the junior high level, far, far worse) when there is only a foreigner in the room. They immediately do the deer-caught-in-the-headlights routine if a Japanese teacher has somehow snuck without them noticing and unleashes an "Urusai!" on them. I personally suspect that the reason so many teach without a Japanese teacher in the room is due to the Japanese teacher's union rules and number of contact hours. I've been in meetings where they talk about putting a Japanese person in the room because student behaviour is so abysmal when there are only foreigners in the room, and it always comes down to "But who will be in charge of the class? Oh, the Japanese person, of course! So then the Japanese person will have to teach more lessons each week? Yes, I guess so. Then that cannot happen." Followed shortly by "You foreign teachers teach 20 classes a week! That's just crazy!"
I think it is towards those language teachers that the OP was focussing his/her questions.
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�How can the Non-Japanese English teachers replicate the success of the classroom management models of the Japanese English teachers?
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Have you ever been in a Japanese classroom? 
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I think it's pretty obvious that the OP has. It may be that the OP has never been in the JET Program and therefore doesn't know how it is for them. I honestly don't think there's anything that a single foreigner can do to fix the problem without a massive attitude change on the part of not just the students but the Japanese teachers and parents as well, because the problem is one of seeing the foreigner as less of a teacher than the Japanese teachers (regardless of educational level- most of the foreign teachers I've worked with for the last few years have had masters degrees in language teacher, or were certified teachers in their own countries - in some cases both- and most of them spoke quite a lot of Japanese, too).
But, you know, G Cthulhu, the OPs situation was different than what you're used to and so you shouted it down. Every Situation Is Different. The motto of the JET program. Nice to see it totally derailed by this board's apparent JET authority. |
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Japanology
Joined: 17 May 2012
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you Gbingbangboom
You're right about my scenario. I'm not in the ALT or JET scene. And I tried to put it out there that some of the questions may not be for them.
The questionnaire was looking for someone with your background though.
Thank you.
Gbingbangboom wrote:
| Quote: |
| Being a language teacher at a private school in Japan can be very, very different than being on the JET program. And yes, students do act differently (as in, at the junior high level, far, far worse) when there is only a foreigner in the room. |
| Quote: |
| I've been in meetings where they talk about putting a Japanese person in the room because student behaviour is so abysmal when there are only foreigners in the room, and it always comes down to "But who will be in charge of the class? Oh, the Japanese person, of course! |
This is the same in my scene. I want to know why this is so? I've never seen this before with any of the nationalities I have taught before. I'd really like to know what a Japanese teacher would say about this.
Also note that there are 85 MEXT schools outside of Japan. There is even one in Kenya. I work for one of these schools.
I'm not sure why some of the JET or ALT respondants thought the questions must only be for them.
GC must of thought he was a University Thesis Supervisor. Not sure where the assumption came from that I wanted thesis structured question formats. Funny the imagination people get sittin at home - alone - in front of computer. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: Questionnaire on Japanese EFL Classroom Management |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| ALTs are expected to be the main teacher in the room, or the ONLY teacher in the room, in every private school I've ever taught at. I'm pretty sure I remember Glenski saying that teachers at his old private school taught without a Japanese teacher there, too. |
My private JHS/HS had no ALTs, only FT and PT foreign teachers. I was both. Only the FTers were required to get the standard 3-year license, simply by submitting translations of resume, degree, and courses/transcripts. (I forget the Japanese name for this.)
I did a survey on ESL Cafe quite a few years ago and got about 20 replies. It asked people working at private schools to give some information. Only one person as I recall stated they were an ALT. So, are there all that many ALTs at private schools? I don't know, but I suspect direct hires are in larger numbers, and I mean direct hire FT solo teachers like I was. We took part in committees, assisted clubs, did dorm inspections, taught solo and in teams (with JTEs and each other), wrote syllabuses, ordered textbooks, etc. like the JTEs. I even became an assistant HR teacher one year.
| Japanology wrote: |
| GC must of thought he was a University Thesis Supervisor. Not sure where the assumption came from that I wanted thesis structured question formats. Funny the imagination people get sittin at home - alone - in front of computer. |
I would caution against remarks like this, as they are against forum policy. Moreover, you could be chastised again for poor grammar ("must of" instead of "must have"). |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:49 am Post subject: Re: Questionnaire on Japanese EFL Classroom Management |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
But, you know, G Cthulhu, the OPs situation was different than what you're used to and so you shouted it down.
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Far from it. I responded and *they ran away from the discussion*. Are you actually saying that my response was somehow invalid simply because it (according to you) was different from the OP's experience?! Think that one through for a second...
You say it's clear the OP has been in a Japanese classroom. I don't see it as clear. That's actually why I asked: I honestly couldn't tell if they'd ever set foot in a classroom. Why couldn't I tell? Because the "survey" was so badly written and zero (absolutely zero) context was given for it.
I'll say it again: if they're saying it's for anything formal (academic or professional) then there are standards that should be met and they weren't even coming close. If, as they intimate above, that it's simply personal interest then fab: but in that case why not simply say that and stop pretending it's "important research"?
| Quote: |
Every Situation Is Different. The motto of the JET program. Nice to see it totally derailed by this board's apparent JET authority. |
And as I keep saying, I claim no such thing. So please stop with the ad hominem and get on with the discussion on/of the survey, thanks.
Look, the short version is that I thought the survey was terrible. Let's go from there, shall we? |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:26 am Post subject: |
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Stop with the personal asides and address the message and not the messenger. If not, you may lose the opportunity to address either message or messenger here.
Please feel free to disregard this warning if you are not responsible for it being issued.
There will be no additional warnings. |
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Japanology
Joined: 17 May 2012
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:48 am Post subject: |
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Thank you Mr. Kalgukshi.
The OP message is gone though - I deleted it.
Do what you want with this thread.
Way too much cleverness going on in here ...
I'm very interested in Japanese learners though.
Guess I'm going to have to take my interest somewhere else where I'm permitted to write informal posts.
Thanks again to everyone that helped. |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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Unfortunately, this thread is now being locked due to its having been derailed and no longer being on topic.
As a reminder and a warning to all concerned, this site exists to help/assist/aid prospective and current teachers.
Having to lock or delete a thread should not become necessary only because it has been derailed and gone off topic due to personal agendas, postings directed at the messenger rather than the message, overly pedantic concerns and comments and the like.
Should this problem continue, those members responsible for derailing a thread will be held accountable and it is more than highly probable they will be permanently banned along with their ISPs.
Members observing inappropriate behavior of the type described above are requested to bring it to the attention of the Mod Team by Report Post or PM as soon as possible. |
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