Job Discussion Forums

[ssjup81]

Well, I did get a new job and am still hanging around Japan, but I am in Tokyo. Anyway, I'm working at two Japanese nurseries (one in the morning, one in the afternoon) everyday and I'm the only English speaker....so I have to use Japanese because none of the staff speaks English so no matter what, the kids will hear me using Japanese at some point, but they are aged 0 - 4...so...yeah.

With them, though, as beginners, and since we move around and stuff, I use very very simple commands and mimic. Like if I want them to sit down, I'll sit down and "say it" or "make a circle" which they all get confused looks with, so I will say it in Japanese really quickly, especially if the Japanese teachers didn't catch it right off. The more and more we meet, then I don't have to use Japanese for some things. So yeah...

When doing ALT work five years ago at the junior high school, I didn't use it at all in front of the students if I could help it...but, I also had English-speaking Japanese teachers. With the high-school two years ago...that was excruciating. I didn't use Japanese, but it was annoying that these kids needed a translation for everything....but there's that strong possibility that they were holding back and playing dumb due to being shy. One kid came to me after class to the teacher's room and he was having a good convo with me in English. He said he was too shy to answer in class and had aspirations to go to university in the US.

Anyway, imo, I think classes should use some of L1 while incorporating L2 and gradually fazing out L1 and incorporating more of L2.

[mitsui]

A bad JT can make or break the class.
It really helps if they speak English.

I work with one who only speaks Japanese and students just tend to talk to her.
It really creates a distance.
Some older teachers are really proud and cannot deal with sharing a class.

[nightsintodreams]

OP Although I agree that there are times when using Japanese is appropriate, there's really no need to be telling kids to sit down, stand up or make a circle in anything other than English.
Especially when they're in small groups like I presume you have at your kindergarden.

[jrwhisky]

Thank you everyone for the insightful comments and ideas.

It is interesting many of you agree as I do myself that the older students should see less and less of their L1 being used and more More L2 as their proficiency grows. Funny enough with the said teacher, she is a bit of a special case. for years she never used Japanese in class, she doesn't believe in it, and even to her students would claim to be from Hawaii. Although some students became quite angry after finding out the lie because as they get older she uses more and more Japanese with them. Even now there is a bit of a problem in her class in relating instructions with younger students because she gets nervous and uses a lot of "umm" "yeaa" "well" "ok" "yups" in excess to the point the students are generally staring in confusion. Then she continues to play the game they don't understand and often starts yelling "do it! do it do it do it do it." in a progressively rapid fashion.

Perhaps she is not typical of most Japanese teachers. By the time the kids are in Jr. High and up, I will rarely bust out any Japanese at all. While the Japanese instructors will hardly speak any English at all with the students except in the manner of speaking out examples and reading from the text book. The latter works well in team teaching but I really would like to see my own teachers speaking the language they're teaching and with our younger students allowing kids to relax in their L1 for at least for some more elaborate games and ideas so that the class can progress at a speed that doesn't bore and overwhelm them.

[Inflames]

I think this totally depends on the class and rules that foreign teachers can't speak Japanese are, quite frankly, idiotic.

I teach at universities and some places have different "guidelines." I try to minimize Japanese but there are some times when, as a teacher, you really should use Japanese. For example, when I explain the class rules and explain about our test, I use Japanese because it is essential that students understand this. I have a TOEIC class with fairly low level students (think TOEIC 300 or so) and I have to explain strategies in Japanese, otherwise the students simply won't listen.

[Yokaides]

If the L1 teacher likes you, it doesn't really matter. It all depends on how the L1 views you, s/he's going to tattle on you.

[rxk22]

As what has been said before, Japanese should be used. Especially for ambivalent meanings and directions that might be vague.

Here in Japan, English learning always seems to try and mimic total immersion, without doing any actual immersion. I find it hurts the kids, as they never really do know what they are precisely learning. It is a dumb standard that 99.99% of schools here can in no way hope to live up to

[RM1983]

Im not anti-L1 per se, but this is the first time Ive even been able to use it in any capacity really.

I always used to manage before, because I was an early adopter of these things called dictionaries. So for example, if the student didnt know a word, I told them to translate it in their dictionary and then tell the rest of the class about it.

It is very suspect how the L1 use grows larger isnt it? Last week one of my co-teachers was prattling on in Japanese when all of a sudden some parents are hovering around the door and BOOM he has flipped his button and the English is suddenly being used!

I dont think I need to use L1, cos Im so used to not using it(over about 6 years before I came here) so probably wont start in earnest. Although I think it depends on the specific class.

But I wouldnt call you a bad teacher if you do use it. I think what you have to do as an ALT is just chill out a bit and focus on the helping the J teachers rather than covering yourself in PPP glory. After a while some thinfs become obvious. On average, I teach each student maybe 12 times a year, so what difference is that going to make? It is just an experience or a sample of a native speaker class. I try and help more in other ways.

Also having said this, I have been doing some work where the main part of the lesson is a grammar translation activity. And this is actually very popular and I think useful, so again if you wanna use L1 in such a way it can be beneficial I think. I think it is more how you use it that matters.

In the future Id prefer not to though I think

[RM1983]

[mitsui]

Some teachers are so idealistic and just think the gaijin should play a role.
Only Japanese should speak Japanese, you foreigners should speak English.

Like what Mombusho said, that high school classes have to be in English only.
Low level students are just going to struggle with such a dogmatic approach.

[ssjup81]

Personally, I think lessons should be done in levels. The students that are actually good at the subject, should be in a more challenging-leveled class. Like it could be broken into advanced, normal/average, and low/below average. I feel this is a problem with Japanese schools in general...putting everyone on the same level when they clearly aren't.

[Maitoshi]

Many classes are split this way at the tertiary level.

[ssjup81]

[Maitoshi]

Since most of this leveling is accomplished through standardized test scores, there is still quite a bit of variance in student communicative ability. In other words, I'm not altogether convinced it accomplishes all that much for many classes.

[ssjup81]