| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
|
 Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:30 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| Sour Grape wrote: |
But surely only the most paranoid of employers would even suspect for a second that an applicant was a pedophile simply because he had no questions to ask them. Not particularly interested in doing the job well, perhaps (as you said).
|
As G Cthulhu said, it is the context that matters.
For example, the OP demonstrated that he hadn't really thought too much into what the job involved, has no experience with kids and yet still had no questions to ask about the job or anything else for that matter.
That could easily be interpreted as someone not being interested in the job and possibly trying to come over for the wrong reasons (partying, women, manga or whatever). Or even someone who hasn't considered just how difficult it is to relocate to a country where things are quite different and very few people speak your language, so is more than likely to get over here, find that Japan is not what they had expected or succumb to culture shock and bail on them a month down the road.
If the person clearly demonstrates throughout the interview that they understand what the job involves and has the experience to back it up, has relocated to and lived in other countries for a significant amount of time successfully, and can demonstrate a decent understanding of how things work here and Japanese culture and etiquette, then of course it would be understandable if the person didn't have too many questions to ask... even so it might be a good idea to not be too much of a know-it-all and keep a couple of good questions handy; you want to show that you have a willingness to learn, too  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
You do realize that you're hired as an assistant and aren't a licensed teacher in Japan, don't you? I understand that your schools may suck or your JTL's don't trust you to teach (or any number of possible other reasons) but there's a reason that "ESID" is in use.
Some people do teach. Some don't. The number that do is increasing rapidly. Heck, there are even <gasp> non-Japanese that're licensed these days! Get over it.  [/quote]
ESID may be true, but I feel as for answers it is a cop out, and a non-answer.
Did have a Chinese lady who was a Japanese teacher at my last JHS.
At my current school, the JTs don't even teach. As according to them 'zoo zoo, this is zoo'. It's pretty bad, and I am wondering what happens in Japan to the kids who drop out. In the US, most the bad kids who drop out, end up in gangs, or as criminals of some kind. At my last SHS 2 girls didn't bother job hunting/getting in to college. I asked what will happen, 'Delivery Health' was the whispered answer. But for boys, I am still looking into socially what statistically happens to drop outs. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| seklarwia wrote: |
| it's all about fostering a positive attitude toward communication through the English/foreign language |
Which is a fluffy way of saying that MEXT don't really know why the .... the JET (or dispatch) ALTs are in the classroom. Having a pet foreigner in the room so that the students can say "what is your like AKB48?" to someone that isn't... well... no-one, doesn't really "foster" communication skills. The simple fact is that MEXT ignore the opportunities for communication afforded by having a classmate or 40 to talk to.
How the hell does one assess a "positive attitude toward communication through English"? Should one award grades by how many classroom hours the Sts stay awake? Concrete, achievable goalsm anyone? I hear they taste like the finest Cognac when reached.
| G Cthulu wrote: |
| Speaking from the interviewing side of the table (for JET and professionally) |
Freud would have a field day with this. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Mr_Monkey wrote: |
Which is a fluffy way of saying that MEXT don't really know why the .... the JET (or dispatch) ALTs are in the classroom. Having a pet foreigner in the room so that the students can say "what is your like AKB48?" to someone that isn't... well... no-one, doesn't really "foster" communication skills. The simple fact is that MEXT ignore the opportunities for communication afforded by having a classmate or 40 to talk to.
How the hell does one assess a "positive attitude toward communication through English"? Should one award grades by how many classroom hours the Sts stay awake? Concrete, achievable goalsm anyone? I hear they taste like the finest Cognac when reached. |
Hey! Don't shoot the messenger. I gave fair warning about the wonderful MEXT guidelines back on the first page of the thread:
| Quote: |
Because MEXT seems to believe that plonking any old native speaker in every school is some how going to miraculously improve the kids' English ability.
Because the MEXT thinks that by bringing in a curio foreigner to play games and "make English fun" they can magically increase the kids' interest in English... anyone else read their latest wonderfully vague guidelines in which they tell of what they want to achieve but give no hint of how to do so?
Because ALTs are supposed to help with pronunciation (something that many people here struggle with including the JTEs) and communication since the JTEs normally focus only on grammar and text based exercises that will allow the kids to pass the almost entirely paper based entrance exams to get into HS and uni.
... any number of reasons that don't include cutural exchange. |
Ahh. Quoting myself... my sense of self-importance knows no bounds.
Besides, I hope not, otherwise nobody stands a chance of getting any positive feedback from me; all brandy tastes like crap to me.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Agree with you on the brandy issue.
Believe it or not, I've been following this thread! I'll try harder next time and review. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Mr_Monkey wrote: |
| G Cthulu wrote: |
| Speaking from the interviewing side of the table (for JET and professionally) |
Freud would have a field day with this. |
Sometimes a turn of phrase is just a turn of phrase. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Xanato
Joined: 04 Feb 2011
Posts: 18
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
Good to know. I'm going to see if I can take Jiu Jitsu/Budo classes and get experience with kids as a volunteer at a library or through psych-related work. I'll also try to come up with a suitable answer to that insidious riddle in the meantime. Yes, formulating questions for the phone interview is also on the itinerary. -_-
Is it too late to apply elsewhere this fall? Around what time is the application deadline for most of these dispatch companies? I've tried to find out on my own, but only see when the actual hiring/travel to the country takes place. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| G Cthulhu wrote: |
| Mr_Monkey wrote: |
| G Cthulu wrote: |
| Speaking from the interviewing side of the table (for JET and professionally) |
Freud would have a field day with this. |
Sometimes a turn of phrase is just a turn of phrase. |
I know - my post was made with my tongue firmly in my cheek. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Xanato wrote: |
Good to know. I'm going to see if I can take Jiu Jitsu/Budo classes and get experience with kids as a volunteer at a library or through psych-related work. I'll also try to come up with a suitable answer to that insidious riddle in the meantime. Yes, formulating questions for the phone interview is also on the itinerary. -_-
|
You're really not making things sound any better.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| G Cthulhu wrote: |
| Xanato wrote: |
Good to know. I'm going to see if I can take Jiu Jitsu/Budo classes and get experience with kids as a volunteer at a library or through psych-related work. I'll also try to come up with a suitable answer to that insidious riddle in the meantime. Yes, formulating questions for the phone interview is also on the itinerary. -_-
|
You're really not making things sound any better.... |
 Time to throw in the towel.
There's no helping some |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
This is a little off topic, but its something ive had on my mind for a while now.
I believe putting the ALT in a separate room, getting small groups of 5 or 6 kids to go in at a time and practice using today's (this week's) new language for ten minutes would be a much better use of everybody's time. I also imagine the kids would be much less embarrassed about talking English if they were in a small group.
Ive thought about suggesting this to the JTE/Kouchou sensei, but realise that perhaps it isnt my place to try and shake things up.
Any thoughts? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Xanato
Joined: 04 Feb 2011
Posts: 18
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 8:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Au contraire, mon frere.
"If, for example, there is a karate dojo near where you live and there is a significant Japanese population in the area, then just by joining it, you may be able to get not only Japanese culture (karate) but working with small kids (helping the small kids learn karate- even if all you're doing is practising lunge punches with them (or more accurately, you act like a human sand-bag that they can pummel- yes, that's personal experience, but from both Korean kids in TaeKwonDo and both Japanese and Canadian kids in Karate) from that." - GambateBingBangBOOM
"If you have no experience teaching children, then rely on other experiences you have had with them. Babysitting? Your siblings' kids? Youth camps? Sunday school? Bazaars? Swimming lessons? Even if you have had none of those things, project a feeling of enthusiasm towards helping the kids in some way, not in getting some on-the-job training." - Glenski
I will come up with several questions based on the suggestions given and, if I can still apply for other companies this fall, attempt to come up with answers for questions about working with children that project enthusiasm towards assisting them and focus less on what I learn from the process. Henceforth, I believe my propositions are logical and rooted in the advice given here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You seem to have this magic way of making things sound awful.
| Xanato wrote: |
| ... and get experience with kids as a volunteer at a library or through psych-related work. |
Who suggested this as a good way to get experience? Sounds as if you took the "helping the kids in some way" part way too literally. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| nightsintodreams wrote: |
I believe putting the ALT in a separate room, getting small groups of 5 or 6 kids to go in at a time and practice using today's (this week's) new language for ten minutes would be a much better use of everybody's time. I also imagine the kids would be much less embarrassed about talking English if they were in a small group.
Ive thought about suggesting this to the JTE/Kouchou sensei, but realise that perhaps it isnt my place to try and shake things up.
Any thoughts? |
Number one, it is illegal to have the ALT in the room as the only teacher.
Number two, considering the little amount of Japanese that they know, it is also unsafe for many reasons.
Number three, yes, smaller groups do tend to make students feel safer and freer to speak up, even 10-15 is too large for total comfort, as anyone who has taught eikaiwa or any public school situation will tell you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Glenski wrote: |
| Number one, it is illegal to have the ALT in the room as the only teacher. |
Do you have an official link for this?
My old junior high school principal told me that they understood that this had changed and that only in elementary schools was this actually illegal now. He believed that for JH and above it wasn't necessarily advised, but it wasn't actually illegal anymore.
| Quote: |
| Number two, considering the little amount of Japanese that they know, it is also unsafe for many reasons. |
There is no reason that it need be considered so unsafe. Aren't eikaiwa teachers in a room alone with the numbers of students that nightsintodreams is suggesting?
This kind of thing works in schools all over the world. Even in my UK secondary school, once per week our modern language classes would be split with half being sent to a language assistant (normally an international student from one of the local unis who may or may not have a decent level of spoken English) to practice speaking whilst the other half studied with the teacher. As long as the classroom being used by the assistant is close to the main classroom (or at the very least, a classroom occupied by some other class with a teacher) there is no reason that they can't call for assistance should an emergency arise.
So why should it be any different in a Japanese school? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
