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Sour Grape
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 241
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 Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:12 am Post subject: Helping students with university interviews |
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I've had a few requests in the past from students wanting interview practice.
In the UK, and I assume the USA as well, I would advise the student to take the chance to sell himself - point up his abilities and successes. However, everything I've read about Japan suggests that such an approach would be considered brash and arrogant, and comments along the lines of how much they have learned from their excellent teachers and sempais would be more appropriate.
Anyone have any thoughts? |
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AgentMulderUK
Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Posts: 360
Location: Concrete jungle (Tokyo)
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| Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:53 am Post subject: |
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It would be considered arrogant in my neck of the woods too. All that "blowing my own trumpet" stuff is the exclusive rights of Americans isn't it?
 
Ah we love our cousins across the pond. |
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Sour Grape
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| It depends how you phrase it, of course. But in the UK, at least, I would point out my strengths and reasons why I thought the university should choose me, if I could back it up. It seems less culturally appropriate in Japan, however. Or do I have an old-fashioned view of Japanese culture? |
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AgentMulderUK
Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Posts: 360
Location: Concrete jungle (Tokyo)
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:03 am Post subject: |
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No, you are right what you say. They never say they are good at stuff until they really know you.
I did some lessons with this theme a while ago and they seemed to have no problem listing relative strengths - relative being the key word. Because then, even their chosen skill at the top of the list wasn't being explicitly stated as "I am very good at this", it was just "well, I am better at this than the other stuff"
I have seen Japanese staff's CV's and they don't look much different just more concise if anything. More sort of experience bases over skills-based , in the case of the ones I saw. Perhaps there is an assumption that if you did Job A you must have had skills X, Y,Z or you would have been fired? |
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taikibansei
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:25 am Post subject: Re: Helping students with university interviews |
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| Sour Grape wrote: |
It depends how you phrase it, of course. But in the UK, at least, I would point out my strengths and reasons why I thought the university should choose me, if I could back it up. It seems less
culturally appropriate in Japan, however. Or do I have an old-fashioned view of Japanese culture? |
You'd probably get more (and better) responses if you were clearer about what the interviews were for (e.g., suisen nyuugaku, shougakukin senbatsu, etc.) and the type of university/program involved. E.g., the English-language expectations vis-a-vis students applying through shiteikou/suisen nyuugaku for regular spots at even most national universities are much "different" (read a joke) compared to someone attempting to get, say, a competitive scholarship or someone interviewing for admission at Kyoto Daigaku or to get into the English-intensive programs at Miyazaki International College, ICU, Kanda Gaidai, etc.
For general admission at most low- to mid-rank universities (including most national universities), students will usually be evaluated--unofficially, of course  --according to the following general criteria:
1) genki-ness [keep smiling...and respond when asked a question!]
2) "maturity" [e.g., conservative dress/hair, maintain eye contact, demonstrate an ability to give/receive opinions with at least some sense of grace]
3) Japanese ability [proper keigo is important]
4) English ability
I.e., English fluency is not very important--particularly compared to #1 and #2. Typically, for the English section, students will be asked to begin with an English self-introduction (including high school club and/or sports activities), then discuss what about the university interests them, what they want to major in at the university, and what they want to do after graduation. Often, these latter questions will be asked in Japanese as well--i.e., the students will sometimes end up answering the same question two (or more) times. "Bragging" is unnecessary (with the steep decline in application numbers, most will be accepted as long as they don't do something stupid); moreover, older Japanese faculty, especially, might take offense, and anyway, as the main purpose of these interviews seems to be merely to weed out the severely "non genki" (read extremely neurotic) students and/or those who might make waves/cause problems, there's no real merit to "selling" yourself at all.
Interviews for competitive scholarships, top universities (Todai, Waseda, etc.), or entrance in special English-intensive programs are very different. Students should be prepared to "sell" themselves--in English and in Japanese--by articulating clearly what their presence would contribute to the university/program. Typically, they'll be asked about any leadership roles (e.g., in a club or on a team) they had in high school and their plans for contributing to the university after admission. (Successful students often check out the university website before the interview and name-drop one or two areas of possible contribution during the interview.) Students also will usually be asked at least one question regarding a "current" news issue--bullying, North Korea, global warming, etc. being especially popular. While they don't have to "solve" the problem during their interview, it would be a good idea if they'd at least heard about it!
My two yen--for what it's worth!  |
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Sour Grape
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:22 am Post subject: Re: Helping students with university interviews |
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| taikibansei wrote: |
| Sour Grape wrote: |
It depends how you phrase it, of course. But in the UK, at least, I would point out my strengths and reasons why I thought the university should choose me, if I could back it up. It seems less
culturally appropriate in Japan, however. Or do I have an old-fashioned view of Japanese culture? |
You'd probably get more (and better) responses if you were clearer about what the interviews were for (e.g., suisen nyuugaku, shougakukin senbatsu, etc.) and the type of university/program involved. E.g., the English-language expectations vis-a-vis students applying through shiteikou/suisen nyuugaku for regular spots at even most national universities are much "different" (read a joke) compared to someone attempting to get, say, a competitive scholarship or someone interviewing for admission at Kyoto Daigaku or to get into the English-intensive programs at Miyazaki International College, ICU, Kanda Gaidai, etc.
For general admission at most low- to mid-rank universities (including most national universities), students will usually be evaluated--unofficially, of course --according to the following general criteria:
1) genki-ness [keep smiling...and respond when asked a question!]
2) "maturity" [e.g., conservative dress/hair, maintain eye contact, demonstrate an ability to give/receive opinions with at least some sense of grace]
3) Japanese ability [proper keigo is important]
4) English ability
I.e., English fluency is not very important--particularly compared to #1 and #2. Typically, for the English section, students will be asked to begin with an English self-introduction (including high school club and/or sports activities), then discuss what about the university interests them, what they want to major in at the university, and what they want to do after graduation. Often, these latter questions will be asked in Japanese as well--i.e., the students will sometimes end up answering the same question two (or more) times. "Bragging" is unnecessary (with the steep decline in application numbers, most will be accepted as long as they don't do something stupid); moreover, older Japanese faculty, especially, might take offense, and anyway, as the main purpose of these interviews seems to be merely to weed out the severely "non genki" (read extremely neurotic) students and/or those who might make waves/cause problems, there's no real merit to "selling" yourself at all.
Interviews for competitive scholarships, top universities (Todai, Waseda, etc.), or entrance in special English-intensive programs are very different. Students should be prepared to "sell" themselves--in English and in Japanese--by articulating clearly what their presence would contribute to the university/program. Typically, they'll be asked about any leadership roles (e.g., in a club or on a team) they had in high school and their plans for contributing to the university after admission. (Successful students often check out the university website before the interview and name-drop one or two areas of possible contribution during the interview.) Students also will usually be asked at least one question regarding a "current" news issue--bullying, North Korea, global warming, etc. being especially popular. While they don't have to "solve" the problem during their interview, it would be a good idea if they'd at least heard about it!
My two yen--for what it's worth! |
Thanks. It is the latter case that I wanted comments with. I have told the students to find out from their Japanese teachers what would be appropriate to say, and then I'll help them say it. However, for whatever reason, the students seem little the wiser.
Appreciate your thoughts. |
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