Job Discussion Forums

Reesy · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Japan

Nagoya Guy makes a good point. The JET Programme was not begun as a teaching program at all. In fact, the real motivation for the program comes from Japan's huge trade surpluses in the 1980's.

Japan was increasingly being viewed by the outside world (especially the U.S.) as an economic parasite, eating up foreign assets and exporting goods to all corners of the Earth while at the same time adopting protectionist domestic policies. The JET Programme was meant to "humanize" this Western view of Japan. Kuniyuki Nose, The Minister of Home Affairs when the JET Programme was conceived in 1986 put it this way:

"The purpose of the JET Programme was never focused on the revolution of English education or changing Japanese society. Frankly speaking, during the year of the trade conflict between Japan and the US... what I was thinking about was how to deal with the demands of the US that we buy more things such as computers and cars. I realized the trade friction was not going to be solved by manipulating material things, and, besides, I wanted to demonstrate the fact that not all Japanese are economic animals who gobble up real estate. I thought that seeing how Japanese live and think in all their variety, seeing Japan the way it really is, would improve the communication between younger generations in Japan and America."

Another bureaucrat at the time (Inoguchi) said: "It (JET) was generated by pressure from the outside and carried the goal of demonstrating Japan's commonality with other countries in order to protect... Japan's vulnerable security system and international economic encirclement."

The improvement of foreign language education was, indeed, more of an afterthought as the official goal of the program as laid out by MOFA in 1986 illustrates: "The Japan Exchange and teaching Programme seeks to promote mutual understanding between Japan and other countries including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and N.Z. and foster international perspectives in Japan by promoting international exchange at local levels as well as intensifying foreign language education in Japan."

All of this being said, the Curriculum reforms in 1995 and again in 2001 have given the JET Programme a greater role in improving foreign language education. JET has certainly evolved and the increasing attention paid by recruiters to hire people with English language teaching training and experience bodes well.

Nonetheless, until some very large barriers are removed, the JET Programme will never achieve its present objective of "internationalization at the grassroots level (whatever that means???) and improving the communicative ability of Japanese students." These include:

1. The university entrance exam system
2. The textbook selection process
3. The poor pre/in-service training of ALTs. How can teachers be told to teach communicatively and apply CLT methodologies without first ensuring that they have the training to understand and apply these concepts in the classroom?
4. The top-down approach to curriculum renewal
5. The insufficient training of Japanese English teachers
6. The long tradition in Japan of solely using foreign languages for receiving information about the outside world and not using them to transmit Japanese ideas, thoughts and beliefs.
7. Long-held social stigmas attached to those who can use foreign languages communicatively.

Sorry to take the original thread slightly off topic, but I think it was heading this way anyway.

Any thoughts?

Sez · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 32

Mosley · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 158

Well, Sez, if you can indicate where I ever asked for your "life story".... I was (and always am) willing to help point a newbie in the right direction based on my experience(for what it's worth), but all too often on Dave's people want some magic formula by throwing out some vague goal and not giving even a modicum of description of their BASIC qualifications and aspirations. How can any potential advice be narrowed down enough to give meaningful help? If you want a "very GENERAL overview" you're going to get one that is so general it won't help you a bit. You chose to sarcastically reply to my post-I suppose that's your privilege, but you ended up biting the hand that potentially could've fed you. Too bad. Anyway, good luck and I hope you get the start you're looking for.

Sez · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 32

Mosley · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 158

I had ended my last post by being gracious & encouraging-my mistake. I now hope, as the appropriate response, that you experience nothing but a lack of success in the ESL field. I extended the olive branch...you chose to break it over your knee...well, that's your privilege. I still hope you have some kind of "success'', in GENERAL terms. I'd write more, but w/my small mind, you see....

Sez · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 32

Sunpower · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 256 Location: Taipei, TAIWAN

Reesy · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Japan

G Cthulhu · Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 1:37 am Post subject: Re: JET

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

read the book called
Importing Diversity. I found it at Kinokuniya.
It was kind of pricey (3700 yen) but it was a good intro to what JET is about. I thought the writer was kind of critical of some JET participants (although some acted badly), but overall I thought it was worth reading.

Brooks

Mosley · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 158

Sez: Y-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-W-N....
Reesy: NOVA treats the WORKERS(Western teachers & Japanese staff) like dirt but the students are catered to to the point of servility.

Sez · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 32

Mosley · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 158

Sez: I can't compete with your Wildean wit. Not to mention your flawless command of the the English language:"Mosley, you're(sic) obviously sat at the computer with your trousers around your ankles...." Sorry to disappoint you(maybe YOU'RE salivating around the computer) but as "yawn" means, well, sleepiness, then sexual excitement doesn't quite enter into the equation. I guess, sez, that "equation" should send you into a frenzy: a dictionary will be sought out in a panic. Sure, I've sat at a computer with my "trousers around your(sic) ankles...." HA,HA. Yep, sez, when it comes to pure eroticism, nothing like the witty "biggest hard on " bit. Why, bring on Shannon Tweed onto the ESL scene. I'd like to do a battle of wits w/you, sez, but I've always held that I should never do such a battle w/an unarmed opponent.

MODERATORS: Are you following this thread??!!

Sez · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 32

Mosley, your biggest battle is not with me but with trying not to 'send your seed' over your keyboard whilst trying to write that last reply. Bravo!
Furthermore Mosley, take your hard-on, take your olive branch, take your insignificant little career, and find a real job rather than waiting for me to post another thread so you can jump on it like a dog on heat.

Reesy · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Japan

First off, this thread is getting a bit weird between Sez and Mosley. Can't you just kiss and make up fellas? Such a gesture might lead you to more deeply explore your feelings for one another thereby putting an end to your mutual accusations of the other needing self gratification to relieve pent up sexual frustration.

Anyway, let it go lads....