Job Discussion Forums

windsofchange · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 35 Location: NZ

What a delight to get a message full of optimism. Obviously an individual with whom I would enjoy a cold beer and a chat. Wink

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

windsofchange · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 35 Location: NZ

These boards are wonderful! Some people have an amazing knowledge of of the education system in Japan, and some people just think they have!
I'll heed advice from the former, although the latter never fail to amuse. Laughing

pay no attention to our Canadian friend Pnksweater-he's obiviously a frustrated comedy scriptwriter.

pnksweater · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Look, I'm not trying to say that the OP has a job just waiting in Japan. The OP did ask if anyone knew someone who... and I do happen to know someone. His program is unique and could serve as a good resource for someone interested in accomplishing the same. Said teacher also has a masters and lots of experience teaching. He landed the job because of his qualifications, not his drama skills. Sheesh, don't get your panties in a buch.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I don't think you get the full picture. Teaching drama in Japan exists, but it is rare. Teaching English with drama is probably rarer, unless you count eikaiwa teaching format ("edutainment") as drama English.

Count your blessings when you run across the positive things here, but you must realize that teaching English in Japan (which is what I think you are after) is still done in one of 3 ways:

1. the Japanese way, mostly through rote memorization and translation

2. the eikaiwa way, which is mostly for conversation practice

3. a mixture of western and Japanese styles (mostly western) to try getting across whatever is taught (reading, writing, or speaking), and this western style usually does not include the use of drama.

taikibansei · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 811 Location: Japan

windsofchange · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 35 Location: NZ

Pnksweater rocks! Solid helpful advice.
Some of the other posters seem to have lost the plot a bit.
If you look back at my original question;
'Has anybody out there in teacherland been involved with teaching drama/English at any universities in Japan? Does anybody know of anyone who has?'
Ok, I admit, it's not a very specific question but I still got the right answer from Pnksweater.
Reading comments like 'your acting career' or even getting full time work at a Uni!? Confused

I'm not sure I even mentioned that. I was really just seeing what was going on in Japan.
I do however appreciate the input.
Taikibansei, don't sell yourself short-I'm sure you have bundles of acting talent.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

As mentioned earlier, most teachers incorporate some aspects of role-playing into their classes. Depending on the level of the students, it can be pretty close to drama. In of my classes, students shot a video, but it didn't come out that well, so I don't use it as demo material.

Also I used a few scenes from Dramaworks 'PopStar'. The writers are a couple of teachers who decided to make a whole play that students could learn. They encourage people to teach a whole clourse (one semester) with it, but instead I have used the scenes as a filler for examples of real conversational English with the appropriate body language.