Job Discussion Forums

yellow earth · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 41

I've noticed more and more job postings in Japan lately are for students "Ages 1 to 6", or even "From 6 months to 6". In my first two years teaching in Japan, I was fortunate to teach children and adults. Maybe 1 or 2 classes a week with 4 year olds.
More recently, I was given a class of 3 year olds. My first time working with anyone under 4. There were 10 of them. Not a parent in sight, by the way. It was an absolute HORROR SHOW. Even with a Japanese assistant. Crying, screaming, falling down, no attention, "Kancho" and so on. What really irked me was that my company sold these kids parents on 2 textbooks with CD's and told me to give them listening and letter tracing HOMEWORK. I mean, these kids can't even HOLD a pencil. I know some people will chime in and say something like "It's up to the parents to watch the lessons, then help them reinforce it at home during the week." I've found that the parents in most cases don't want to sit in and watch, and when they do sit in, they are texting away on the keitai, oblivious to what's going on. Maybe they watch the first lesson or two but after that, they would rather drop them off and gossip with the other moms during the lessons.
I'd like to hear from anyone who works with 3 year olds or younger. Can it be done? I mean TEACHING them. Really, I don't see how working with anyone 3 or younger could be any more than pure babysitting.

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

jillybean · Joined: 01 Jul 2011 Posts: 32 Location: JAPAN

Just wondering: who is responsible if one of the babies gets hurt during class? I cant imagine that it is easy for just two people to manage a baby class.

Industrial Helix · Joined: 16 Apr 2011 Posts: 12

I have a few two year old lessons, but its just one on one. Basically I just leave stuff out for them to play with and throw in some simple english language when I play with them. It's hardly a strategy so much as it is a damage control situation.

I'm not entirely sure what their parents are thinking when they sign their kids up for this stuff. I imagine they want their kids to just be in an english environment and maybe absorb a few words. I have one kid where the parent is very assertive and always pushing him to speak in English. I feel bad for the little kid. He barely knows japanese, let alone english, and this lady is harping on him to speak in full English sentences. I mean, I get positive encouragement but this might be too much.

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

Let's see... my interest in teaching English to kids that age ended about 10 years ago, while slaving for Nova, when one of those adorable Japanese Bundles of Joy walked up to my right ear and emitted a blood-curdling yell at about 1010 dab.

My right ear hasn't been the same since.

It's Scary!

yellow earth · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 41

I just don't get it. I understand the whole "Start them young" theory, but English for 2 year-olds? They can't even speak Japanese yet, or read hiragana. Some of these eikaiwa are absolutely shameless in their pursuit of more money.

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

No, actually, I think that you DO get it!

yellow earth · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 41

Yeah, I guess I do get it. I'd like to write "Refuses to teach any student under age 4" in my resume! LOL.

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:28 am Post subject:

Tara2117 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 89 Location: Gunma, Japan

I feel your pain!

I think it is possible to teach kids English at young ages, IF they attend something like an immersion pre-school, with enough teachers to take care of everyone, and a good curriculum, and teachers who know what they are doing. My old company had a pre-school, and the few times I had to cover for someone there, I was amazed at how much English the kids understood, and how good their behavior was.

I work for Peppy Kids now, and have a lot of random 2 or 3 year olds thrown into my classes with older kids. THAT sucks. I think its unsafe, and turns me into a babysitter more than anything. I'm the only adult there... so it it all about making sure no one gets hurt, rather than any actual teaching. It's my main gripe with the company. But whatevs... as long as no one gets hurt, I'm happy.

saloc · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 102

Agree that once a week lessons (for anybody, not just tiny kids) isn't going to turn people into fluent English speakers, but I wouldn't rule out starting young (even once a week) as being completely pointless. I've been teaching for well over a decade in Japan, many of which have been running my own school. Now, we don't accept kids under 3, but we do accept kindergarten kids and when those kids are ready for junior high you don't notice any great difference in output compared to kids that started in elementary school. But almost all of those kindergarten kids develop much stronger listening skills than the ones that started later. Usually they have better pronunciation, too. Other skills don't seem to be any better than those who started later in primary school, though.

I'm not trying to defend all eikaiwa and absolutely believe that there are many taking money without really knowing what they are doing. But there is also the point that there is no clear evidence as to whether this early, even limited, exposure to English has any effect or not. It may, or it may not. However, there are also far too many people shouting about greedy
eikaiwa owners and pointlessness of lessons when they have simply not spent enough time with the kids to see if there is any future benefit from this early exposure.

I complain about my students' inability to do simple tasks sometimes and you know what? My frustrations are nearly always borne of my own inadequacies in the classroom. I think that is true of many. We mumble about it being a waste of time. Well, if we think of it as a waste of time, it will be. I don't know what is happening in a baby's head with language at that time. Neither do you and nor do the eikaiwa owners. But if you are put in charge of a baby class, I would just say do a bit of research into what others with knowledge in that area are doing and then try to make the best use of the time. It may, may make a difference somewhere down the line. Maybe it won't, but you don't know that.

edited to add - have just seen the Peppy's kids post. Mixing kids of vastly different ages is incredibly difficult and very poor planning by the school. That is what I see as greedy eikaiwa operators.

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463

I have a friend who gives a pre-birth English class at his eikawa. He reads English to a child in the womb. No shit!

seklarwia · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 12:18 pm Post subject:

Tara2117 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 89 Location: Gunma, Japan

edited to add - have just seen the Peppy's kids post. Mixing kids of vastly different ages is incredibly difficult and very poor planning by the school. That is what I see as greedy eikaiwa operators.[/quote]]

The really stupid thing is, Peppy HAS classes specifically for 2 to 3 year olds. But most parents want their young kids to be in classes with their siblings. So they'll stick the 3 year old into a class with kids ages 6-8. Had a class like that today. It is like a circus... None of the kids can get much out of the lesson. I spend the whole time helping the little ones in the toilet, and keeping the siblings from fighting like they do at home. What a waste of my time, and the parents' money.

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu