Job Discussion Forums

[blue jay]

Another interesting link...
http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041209f1.htm

[Mishark]

Well, I can't really blame the Japanese teachers for being reluctant to teach English. I took 4 years of Spanish, but there is no way that I would feel comfortable teaching it to others. Most of these people have probably never really had the opportunity to use English unless they have travelled extensively outside of Japan.

On the other hand, if the Board of Ed is pushing English learning so hard, they should think about having specifically trained individuals teach the English classes (I have no idea what the system is for teaching English in Japanese school right now. If anyone has info on this, it may be helpful).

[Glenski]

Elementary school teachers were thrown to the wolves with the Ministry's (not the BOE's) stupid pronouncement that they would have English in their classes. Why is this stupid? The Ministry gave such teachers, who had previously no need for using English, a mere 6 months or so to prepare.

Six months.

That is why ALTs have an advantage right now. They are needed. And, it is why the J teachers feel embarrassed.

What did the Ministry possibly expect J teachers to accomplish in that time in order to administer a foreign language? In my opinion, they DIDN'T think.

Moreover, the government didn't even set any specifications on how to teach English, or on how many hours per week it was supposed to be introduced, or what textbooks to use, etc. Is my use of the word stupid a bit harsh? I don't think so.

Look at this The Japan Times article (from yesterday):
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041208f3.htm
They can't even report on current news.
After visiting an English class at an elementary school in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, early this year, then education minister Takeo Kawamura told the principal, "In the near future, I think there should be English classes in all of Japan's elementary schools." (underline and bold are mine)

He acted quickly. In a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee in March, he indicated he was serious about compulsory English education in elementary schools, saying, "China and South Korea have already done it."
In March. Well, has anything changed? Nope.

He then asked the Central Education Council to study whether to introduce compulsory English education at elementary schools.
But the reaction of education ministry bureaucrats was cold. A high-ranking bureaucrat said, "Is there any time for English education?"
Well, shucks, the government cuts out Saturday classes for public schools just because it thinks this will give students more warm and fuzzy time to spend with their families, and therefore reduce the amount of juvenile crime, but it failed to take into account so many factors:
1. Students still needed to study the same amount of material in order to prepare for college entrance tests.
2. They didn't change the entrance tests to accommodate this maneuver.
3. Parents were against this.
So, now they complain that students don't have enough time to study, yet they introduce English as a general studies course option. Hmm. Does anyone in the Ministry know what its left hand is doing?

I know this is not Canada or other countries where you can find bilingual education being presented, but let's get real. People who say there isn't time to teach 2 languages just have not done their homework on countries that have successfully accomplished it. So, in my opinion, that lawmaker's remark is ...well...stupid.

As for Kawamura's statement about Korea and China already having English in its elementary schools, I suggest all lawmakers read this cozy little article. The last page sums it up nicely and slaps Japan in the face.
http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/files/98/oct/lim.html
Elementary Education Reforms in Korea (1998)
Although the article is 6 years old, it clearly shows that "in 1995, the two Koreas, Thailand, Indonesia, and China acted almost simultaneously to introduce English classes at the public elementary school level."

A few lines later, it says, "In contrast, Japan is still making plans for English to be taught as a part of general studies to improve international understanding."
STILL, 3 years after those other countries did it, and it STILL took them another 2 years to actually DO it. On top of that, look at the qualifier "to improve international understanding Such classes intend to expose Japanese children to other cultures, and promote the enjoyment of English, not necessarily the acquisition of communications skills".

Curious about that last page I mentioned? Here is the quote I love.
"Elementary English education is not unique to Korea. It has become a recent Pan-Asian phenomenon spanning China, Thailand, North Korea, Iraq, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, and Nepal. Japan has decided not to implement the teaching of English as a foreign language at the elementary level. Instead, by the year 2000, students will be introduced to English through studies of international understanding..."

Is Japan really serious about this issue? I think not. Look at the article about Kawamura again. It says, "The council's past recommendations on the issue were negative, saying, "The priority at the elementary school stage is the fostering of Japanese-language skills.""
Hello. You can teach both languages. Other countries do.

The next comment caused me to shoot my morning tea across the room:
proponents insisted that compulsory English education should be introduced at an early date if the training of teachers and other conditions are in place and that inaction would see Japan lagging behind other Asian countries.
Hey, you already ARE lagging, and every day you delay, you get further behind. Moreover, just what is meant by that big "if" regarding training and the nebulous "other conditions"?

On a weak positive note, the article said 88% of schools (in 2003) have introduced English in general studies, but read on...
hours devoted to English studies vary from one hour a year to two to three hours a week.
An hour per YEAR??? Yup, pretty general studies, I would say. Studies that certainly improve international understanding, expose kids to the culture, and promote enjoyment of the language. An hour per YEAR. Who are they kidding?

Read on...
A nationwide survey by the Japan Public Opinions Survey Society in September about whether English should be made a compulsory subject at elementary schools found that 82 percent of respondents replied in the affirmative, and the percentage among parents having children was 88 percent.

"Although public opinion gave the green light, the effects of the introduction will not appear until several years later," said a ranking education ministry official.
I could not find this survey online, and I have my doubts about how many people were surveyed (and who), but these percentages are quite overwhelming, aren't they? Yet, the lawmakers drag their feet and say wait, and wait, and wait. For WHAT? Japan has BEEN waiting, is behind, and is getting FURTHER behind.

Read another recent article:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041207f2.htm

In it, 3rd grade elementary school kids in one school in Kanazawa are studying English once a week, and 6th graders use junior high texts for English. Nice, however, the teachers are, not surprisingly, having a tough time.
The trouble Sugimoto and Kurosaki have with teaching English to such young students is the short number of hours available. The lessons are mainly conducted by Kurosaki, who is paid by the hour. But she and Sugimoto seldom get together. [Sugimoto is FT, while Kurosaki is PT.] Does this make sense? Not to me.

Ok, one more article just to put another nail in the coffin. Dec.7th
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041207a3.htm

The Saitama Prefectural Government will nominate to its board of education one of the authors of a controversial history textbook criticized for having a nationalist bias...

Shiro Takahashi, a Meisei University professor and former deputy chairman of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, has agreed to take up the post at the request of Saitama Gov. Kiyoshi Ueda.

Takahashi would be the first senior member of the group that penned the contentious textbook to sit on a prefectural education panel, according to group members.

Ueda and Takahashi are acquaintances, and the governor asked the professor to join the panel in October...

I know this is a topic for history, not English, teachers, but let's look between the lines. Who's running the show in Japanese education reform? What does Japan REALLY want?

[PAULH]

Glenski,

your Language Teacher link on elementary education in Korea doesnt work

here it is again with the password

http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/files/98/oct/kim.html

username: conference
password: nara

[homersimpson]

[Glenski]

[omarr380]

I am an ALT and I teach at two elementary schools. At the one elementary school there is only one teacher that speaks half-decent English. At the other school which is considerably out of the way of the city (fairly 'inaka') there is no one that speaks English. I get that at the first school I mentioned they would rather speak Japanese than English and at the other the just flat out don't want to speak English. I believe I was hired because I do speak Japanese and they hated the last guy that was at this school for many reasons including he had no Japanese ability. The government seems to be saying that they want their teachers to speak English, but they prefer ALTs with Japanese language ability. All the jobs posted for ALTs state a preference for Japanese speaking ALTs. If they really want to learn English, why do they hire Japanese speaking ALTs (or at least prefer them over non-Japanese speaking ones)? Who makes a better ALT: the Japanese speaker who makes it easier for communication with the staff or the non-Japanese speaker that forces them to use and beter their English?

[Brooks]

here is another article to look at:

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041208/kyodo/d86rouio0.html

Omar, nothing wrong with knowing Japanese but I can agree with using English only in the classroom. I used to use some Japanese in class, but for a while I have tended to stick to English.
It takes the students some time, especially with directions, but they do learn, and their listening skills have improved.
Outside class, I think it is ok to chat with them in Japanese (or English).

[Glenski]

[homersimpson]

[homersimpson]