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KarenMarie
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 60
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 Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:38 am Post subject: What are the special needs of Japanese students? (cultural) |
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I have heard that they are shy, that they are reluctant to give their opinions, that they are reluctant to argue with other students, and that is important not to cause them to lose face in front of their peers in the classroom.
What else is there?
And how do you overcome them? Are there any methods you would recommend?
How do you cater to their needs?
What does an ESL teacher in Japan need to be sensitive to?
What are some common mistakes someone used to teaching in the West make? |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 5:14 am Post subject: |
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I think you answered your own question. They are shy and don't want to lose face. So don't put them in a situation where they might.
I'm not sure what ages you are referring to, so I will address adults or uni. students. Don't put the students in a corner (making a situation where they have to answer you, especially personal questions). They are not used to being put on the spot. It is a fine line because if they had their way, you would be the only one talking in class. Give them lots of time to discuss questions in small groups. In H.S. teachers lecture to them and they rarely shout out answers, they do a lot of group work.
Don't say "Hey Yuki! Why do you think there are so many suicides in Japan?" or "Akiko, what do you think about .......(anything)" They will look at the floor and keep their mouth shut.
Try to be sensitive to their reactions. You will have a steep learning curve if/when you come, but that is OK. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 5:44 am Post subject: |
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| they are reluctant to give their opinions, that they are reluctant to argue with other students, and that is important not to cause them to lose face in front of their peers in the classroom. |
True in most cases.
Some ways to encourage them to get around these problems (none are foolproof):
Work in pairs or small groups.
Don't ask an individual in front of a large group to give his/her opinion or the answer to a question, UNLESS you know that student fairly well enough to get an answer. It takes time to reach this stage.
Make the situations as fun as possible. Use contests or role-plays. You don't have to give a prize for every group (like they often do here), but giving praise for the losers' attempts sometimes helps.
Be a ham actor yourself.
Show that mistakes are ok, because you make them, too.
Minimize advertising a student's mistakes. Don't punish, admonish, or chastise for wrong answers (as much as possible). "Well, that's almost right..." "Hmmm, good answer, but it's not quite what I wanted..." "Gee, I never thought of that, but..."
Other problems might include...
discipline (in non-eikaiwa jobs). You have to deal with it as the school prefers. Sometimes a message to the homeroom teacher is the best route in high school. Sometimes contacting a sport player's club manager is better. Sometimes Japanese is helpful.
cheating on exams (non-eikaiwa again). Follow the school rules. You may have to learn Japanese.
students flirting with you. (eikaiwa or non-eikaiwa) How to handle this depends on the situation. Eikaiwas usually have strict rules against dating, so beware any obvious fraternization. You also don't want a stalker (it has happened) from one of your classes!
confrontations with the eikaiwa staff. Sometimes they will tell you that "your class" has complained about something. Pin them down. It sometimes may be just one student. When you point this out, the staff should realize that it is silly to ask you to change something major for the sake of just one student.
Class killers. This is a toughie. Some students at eikaiwas monopolize the classes/teachers. They do this in various ways, and it chases away other students. You have to find a way to get this person to shape up (usually not possible) or ship out (much more preferred, and cutting the school's losses is the best way to present this to the staff). Other class killers are students who have migrated to a level by the incompetence of the staff or the loopholes in the eikaiwa advancement system, so you end up with someone far below the level at which he/she should be, but he/she refuses to leave. Again, enlisting in the staff to help you convince this person to bail out is the best route.
Some high school students have severe social/mental/medical problems, yet they are allowed to take part with the rest of their classmates. In my school, their situation is explained to teachers as students go from one year to the next. You learn to handle them with care. I have some kids who should be in remedial classes, others who are on anti-depressants, others who are allowed to do as they please no matter how bizarre it may seem. Best you can do is follow the school's guidelines on this.
Don't be surprised if your grades for high school students are altered by the administration. It happens because schools have quotas to fill on how many A's, B's, C's, etc. they want to give.
General stunted grammar skills. Don't let the high school situation fool you. Students get 6 years of English instruction, but most of it is devoted towards passing entrance exams with arcane and highly persnickety grammar rules. Students, as a result, still have a hard time with the simplest stuff, whether they are writing or speaking. After 5 years, my kids still don't know how to ask "How do you spell X?" or "How do you say X in English/Japanese?" When someone comes in late, and you ask for the reason, you may not get a response because of these poor skills. Same holds when you want simple writing tasks performed. You have to ignore a lot of mistakes. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 6:08 am Post subject: Re: What are the special needs of Japanese students? (cultur |
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| KarenMarie wrote: |
I have heard that they are shy, that they are reluctant to give their opinions, that they are reluctant to argue with other students, and that is important not to cause them to lose face in front of their peers in the classroom.
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Personally I dont think students are shy so much- they are somewhat reticent and embarassed to speak English perhaps, but if you saw them outside yapping eagerly with their friends in Japanese, or see them at drinking parties you would know that japanese are not shy people. They just lack confidence in speaking foreign languages.
| KarenMarie wrote: |
that they are reluctant to give their opinions, that they are reluctant to argue with other students, and that is important not to cause them to lose face in front of their peers in the classroom.
in Japan need to be sensitive to?
? |
This is becuase Japanese is a hierachical society, they are conditioned not to answer back to teachers and authority, they are not asked to give their opinions or what they think. teachers do not use the Socratic method to engage students but simply transfer knowledge from teacher to student. Students are not really taught to think for themselves and often seem to lack basic common sense.
They do argue with each other- bullying and teasing is a major problem in Japan, but you may not see it in the classroom as most students dont have the language skills and vocabulary to engage in heated discussions or debate.
Usually its not a good idea to embarass individual students, though as a disciplinary measure its possible to physically separate a student from the rest of the class or put his desk outside.
Telling a student he is wrong in front of the class may be a bit embarassing so you have to be tactful when correcting errors. (Get other students to point out his mistake for example).
Students will often consult in a group before giving you an answer. Try and get them to answer you directly before asking their friends. tell them its OK to make a mistake and be wrong, as its part of learning.
| KarenMarie wrote: |
How do you cater to their needs?
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Im not sure exactly which needs you are referring to- i teach in a university young adult situation with thirty kids in a class, similar to Gordon. I will get them working in small groups, give them individual attention and answer questions. be approachable and let them know you are human too and can make mistakes.
try to get them to take charge of their own learning and get them helping each other than have you do all the work.
I cater to their needs by making them feel worthwhile, giving them encouragement where its needed
| KarenMarie wrote: |
What does an ESL teacher in Japan need to be sensitive to?
What are some common mistakes someone used to teaching in the West make? |
We are EFl teachers, as English is a Foreign Language
Common mistakes?
Assuming because they cant speak English that they are somehow stupid
Speaking down to them or being condescending becuase of their pronunciation or lack of speaking skills.
Assuming they cant understand what you are saying just becuase they cant speak English (or they may be pretending they dont understand English)
Speaking too quickly or using slang, unfamiliar vocabulary. |
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KarenMarie
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 60
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Gleski and PAULH, you really gave me a wealth of information. Thank you very, very,  much. |
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guest of Japan
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 1601
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski, PaulH and Gordon are spot on. The only thing I have to add is that after you have established a good classroom atmosphere, do the opposite of things on this list. Although, it might not always work. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 9:17 am Post subject: |
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| Guest of Japan is right. Students are not used to speaking orally in English (or speaking at all in class). It takes them awhille to a communicative approach to learning. Students have to feel comfortable first before they start to talk. Some students that I've had now for a year and a half are a lot of fun now and we joke together in class and outside the room. They have to know you are human, it sounds strange but often Japanese people treat us like we aren't from this planet. |
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BuddhaRhubarb
Joined: 22 Jan 2004
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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yeah
there is much that is wise and sage from these posts and to add, maybe also just the talking in the lobby, or if you have a few minutes after/between classes, especially with students who dont actually take your class...they want to talk to you too, not just their own teacher...
some rookie (and not so wily veteran) teachers only chat with their own/favourite students...
but please talk to others...its very encouraging especially if you know their name (ask their teacher or the mgr if you are unsure) and they may end up your students too, so it helps in getting a handle on tricky names and so on...the lobby can be a detriment to the vibe of the school if its too business like and quiet, but if there is some chat it changes the entire aura of the school...
it has been a real change at my school...everyone is way more genki and outgoing than when my current very talkative coworkers and i first arrived. |
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