Job Discussion Forums

[TreborASU]

Dear Learned Teachers in Japan,

Hello, I�m currently in the process of completing the 2006-2007 JET application. The problem is that I have little actual experience or information about Japan and as such I came up with a few questions I was hoping to get the forum�s advice upon.

1)
I need some advice about where I should request for placement.
Now, I�m not too picky about where I get placed but I was looking somewhere in more of a Suburban type town or city and I need some good suggestions of places where to start looking.

Preferences
About 100,000 population
Not too cold (I am currently located in the Southwest of the USA)
A semi active nightlife (or one within an hours travel time)
Preferably located close or near to a center for higher learning

2)
I would prefer to be involved with a position that deals with High School or Junior High School students. Would answering NO to the following question harm my chances of being picked for the program?

�Language education in primary/elementary schools aims to familiarize students with different languages and cultures, and to encourage interest and enthusiasm for language learning. Do you wish to get actively involved in education at primary/elementary schools?�

3)
In the application they ask about �Are you presently an applicant or do you intend to apply for any other international exchange programs, jobs, or scholarships?� if I was, would it have a negative or positive affect upon my application?


4)
Any general advice about the JET application, the interview, or Japan in general?

Thank you

[PAULH]

[quote="TreborASU"]D1)
I need some advice about where I should request for placement.
Now, I�m not too picky about where I get placed but I was looking somewhere in more of a Suburban type town or city and I need some good suggestions of places where to start looking.

Preferences
About 100,000 population
Not too cold (I am currently located in the Southwest of the USA)
A semi active nightlife (or one within an hours travel time)
Preferably located close or near to a center for higher learning

The smallest towns in Japan start at about 100,000. How cold id cold? It snows in winter in Kyoto and Hokkaido is below freezing. Urban centers such as Fukuoka Hiroshima, Kobe osaka and Nagoya have expat populations and decent nightlife. Remember trains stop at midnight here and you have to consider how you will get home.
Center for higher learning? like a university? There are only two foreign universities in Japan.


2)
I would prefer to be involved with a position that deals with High School or Junior High School students. Would answering NO to the following question harm my chances of being picked for the program?

JETS are sent to work in junior or senior high schools in Japan. NO other choices.



�Language education in primary/elementary schools aims to familiarize students with different languages and cultures, and to encourage interest and enthusiasm for language learning. Do you wish to get actively involved in education at primary/elementary schools?�

3)
In the application they ask about �Are you presently an applicant or do you intend to apply for any other international exchange programs, jobs, or scholarships?� if I was, would it have a negative or positive affect upon my application?

]How can you work in two places at once and what if you are accepted? You would deprive some other perosn of a place.

4)
Any general advice about the JET application, the interview, or Japan in general?

Plenty of threads on JET here if you do a search. There have been several about the pros and cons of JET.

If you ask a general question you will get a general answer. You have a lot of veterans on here but they want to know what your question is than write a novel on the JET program.








Thank you

[Speed]

[PAULH]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[PAULH]

Overview of JET

JET started in 1987 and in essence involves the posting to Japanese schools of overseas university graduates, principally from USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These Assistant English Teachers or more commonly known now as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) support local Japanese teachers of English through a somewhat vaguely defined concept of �team teaching�. In the period 1987-2002 around 66,000 individuals participated in JET, around 90% of whom are not certified teachers (Macedo, 2002). The large number of participants highlight that JET is a high profile undertaking and the fact that virtually every public secondary school in Japan has an opportunity to see, hear and talk to a foreigner is a considerable accomplishment (McConnell, 2000). Organisational support for JET participants includes regular conferences, workshops (JET program, 2004) and an alumni association (JET Alumni Association, 2004) with over 15,000 members.

The stated aims of the JET scheme are principally twofold, firstly, to promote �internationalisation�, in terms of exposing Japanese nationals to foreign cultures or to increase the number of overseas people who understand Japan (JET review committee, 2001) and secondly, to enrich foreign (mainly English) language education. McConnell (1995) argues that the first aim, the benefits of the programme in terms of cultivating international goodwill and cross-cultural ties exceed the goals of the programme which relate to the enhancement of English language education, an issue which has been of concern to English language specialists e.g. Wada & Cominos (1994).

Turning to the impact on schools, McConnell (2000) provides evidence of a largely enthusiastic reaction of students to ALTs. These positive responses seemed to be largely threefold: the opportunity to hear real live conversational English which may have future practical uses; team teaching providing some variation from traditional teacher-centred instruction; and the ability of some ALTs to form meaningful relationships with students. Meerman (2003) also points out that informal contact with ALTs allows students to focus on matters of interest to them, which would be seldom voiced during formal classroom instruction.

McConnell (2000) claims that the introduction of team teaching has led to change in English education in Japan through the development of conversational English and other activities which would not normally be done. He notes that there is however, little carry over from these activities to other JTE-taught English lessons. On the basis of a large scale questionnaire survey, Browne & Wada (1998) report that the overall response to team teaching was highly favourable; they conclude that the JET program �has clearly had an impact on the JTEs themselves as well as their confidence level in working together with native speaker ALTs� (p.107). Whilst providing a balanced picture of team teaching, Tajino & Tajino (2000) note some anxiety from JTEs and some confusion from both ALTs and JTEs about their respective roles in the classroom. Gorsuch (2002) argues that the JET scheme provides a professional development opportunity for JTEs, by helping to diversify their instructional practices and stretching their abilities to communicate in English. Wada (2002) warns that it is debatable whether JET has supported the implementation of communicative approaches, but acknowledges that the scheme has clearly had an impact on the English language ability and self-confidence of JTEs.

McConnell (2000) also notes a genuine desire to tackle problems and improve the JET scheme and praises the persistence of Japanese officials who grappled with problems and strived to solve them. The longevity of the programme is testament to a firm and sustained commitment on behalf of the Japanese government (McConnell, 2000). Whether this will continue over the longer term is not necessarily assured, however, as there is a rising demand for trained NESTs and some preference for locally based ALTs employed directly by local governments as opposed to those imported through the JET scheme (Tope, 2003, Wada, 2002).


JET Findings

Impact of JET on students

A number of the ALT informants felt that the most satisfying part of their job, and the one where they were having the most impact, was on enhancing student confidence and providing a chance to converse in English. Many highlighted the opportunity for informal communication, for example, one ALT commented as follows: �outside of class, many of my students would sit and chat with me. It was good for them to get exposure to non-Japanese people and realise that it could be fun to learn and speak English�. Other informants emphasised the need to model appropriate English pronunciation, whilst others commented that their presence helped to promote English language as a means of communication rather than a grammatical system. In order to maximise their impact on students, a number of ALTs noted that they needed more training and support, due to their limited knowledge of the fundamentals of teaching. A JTE commented more critically, �The main problem is that ALTs do not seem to be that interested in truly helping the students. Their goals seem to me to be more self-contained; making money, experiencing Japan or gaining teaching experience�.

From the classes I observed in Nagoya, I noted the positive reactions of the students towards their NESTs, but was struck by how much Japanese was used in English lessons, both by JTEs and ALTs. One very experienced ALT perceived that his ability to interact in Japanese was a key factor in gaining acceptance into the school community. This acceptance in turn, facilitated positive attitudes towards English language and non-Japanese culture.

I also observed in Nagoya an elementary school lesson taught as part of the curriculum area of �International Understanding� introduced within the subject of Integrated Studies. English in elementary schools in Japan is currently a non-compulsory component of this subject but one that is attracting increasing attention (Honna & Takeshita, 2002). I was told that the extent to which English is introduced within Integrated Studies is largely dependent on the willingness (and ability) of the homeroom teacher to take it up. In the Nagoya lesson, the homeroom teacher was present but the lesson was led almost exclusively by the ALT. She provided opportunities for meaningful English language practice through lively communicative games. The �fun and games� seemed well-suited to the needs and interests of the pupils (aged 8-9 years old) and provided an enjoyable language lesson. The ALT for this lesson was positive about her experiences in the elementary school, noting that the students were usually more co-operative and interested than some of those in Junior High Schools.

Other ALTs referred to elementary school experiences, one commenting on the need to provide a good model of pronunciation at an early age: �At the elementary school, I can prevent the kids from fossilising their pronunciation mistakes�. Another ALT noted that the presence of the homeroom teacher could have a negative impact on students: �a few elementary teachers barely know any English and their reluctance to speak can transmit to the kids and that can be frustrating�.

Impact of JET on Japanese teachers

My ALT informants had mixed views on the success of team teaching and any impact they may be having on JTEs. A JTE informant summed up the weaknesses of both parties as follows: �Some ALTs lack teaching experience, some JTEs are not confident in negotiating in English�. A few ALTs reported positive experiences of collaboration, whilst several reported on an unwillingness of JTEs to work with them, not explicitly expressed but clearly noticeable through various actions. One ALT noted �I felt that some teachers really didn�t want to teach with me. They often cancelled classes I was supposed to teach with them. I felt that they just preferred to teach alone�. Another commented, �some may dislike working with the ALT, for others it may just be that they don�t know what to do with him or her and are afraid of making mistakes�. One of my JTE informants commented that a shortage of planning time was one of the main obstacles to co-operation, �This means there is a lack of continuity between what I teach and what the ALT teaches and because the ALTs role is mostly to teach game-oriented activities, some students don�t take it very seriously�. Related to this, an issue which was frequently identified as a problem was that conversational English carried out by ALTs was often in conflict with the more grammar and reading-based preparation for high stakes external examinations. One informant commented, �I believe that the JET program would be very good IF the exam system is taken away from grammar towards communication�.

With regard to impact on JTEs language proficiency, this often depended on the willingness and enthusiasm of partners to converse in their counterparts mother tongue. Sometimes, the Japanese proficiency of ALTs developed more significantly than the English ability of JTEs. Conversely, one informant reported that in an elementary school, some of the teachers �really want to learn English and try so hard to communicate with me�. She proposed that �because their roles are as general elementary school teachers and not �English teachers�, they are a lot more open to practising their English and less fearful of making mistakes�. My interpretation is that for High School JTEs, English interaction can be more threatening in revealing limitations of their spoken English.

Overall, my data in this section seemed to paint a somewhat less rosy picture of ALT-JTE collaboration that than reported from JTEs in the questionnaire survey studies by Browne & Wada (1998) and Gorsuch (2001). I speculate that e-mail data may facilitate a more frank response rather than a questionnaire survey about a government-sponsored program which may trigger a more guarded response.

Cultural roles and impact of JET

The general consensus from informants was that they had more impact in terms of cultural exposure than as English language teachers. A number of informants referred to positive elements of the cultural side of JET:

once we leave, we take a part of Japan with us and spread an understanding of the country amongst our friends and family. I think that is the real benefit of the scheme and why it is still being run

when I go home, I won�t be leaving Japan completely behind. I guess somehow or other I�ll be internationalising on Japan�s behalf for the rest of my life

the JET program is a good PR exercise for Japan as most ALTs have a great time and have positive experiences.

The data also showed that the dual role of cultural ambassador and English language facilitator is clearly a challenge for ALTs, and their precise role is somewhat unclear and may vary widely across schools or prefectures. One informant noted the subsidiary role in the classroom, �we are not teachers but, assistants�; another described himself as �a performer, a comedian, a guest entertainer�, a third employed in a rural community perceived her role as �to provide grassroots internationalisation, definitely not teaching English�. This data reinforces the point that the internationalisation aspects of JET are particularly prominent.

Longevity of JET

Overall, for me one of the most striking elements of JET was its longevity. When the impact on English teaching and learning was acknowledged to be somewhat tenuous, I was curious about why the JET program had sustained itself for so long, particularly in an epoch when shifting from one reform to another is common. Some informants explained this through the successes of the scheme at a cultural level, others noted that JET participants are treated well, have good support networks and lots of other ALTs to socialise with. Others focused on long-term economic competitiveness, �I think it has continued for so long because the Japanese government believes that learning English and learning cultural appreciation will help Japanese citizens to be more competitive on the global market�. Others commented, more persuasively in my view, on the financial benefits to prefectures. As one informant observed, �JET is funded centrally by the government so prefectures see it as free money�. My interpretation is that obtaining resources in this way is an important advantage for a prefecture, particularly if the budget can be managed so as to create a surplus which can be diverted towards other channels.