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Post by Otaku on Oct 11, 2007 9:24:39 GMT 8
Many of you already know that starting next year, 'official English classes' are going to be taught once every week in 5th and 6th grade in elementary school. ALTs will still be teaching in elementary school but these once-a-week classes will be taught by the students' elementary school teachers. These teachers have yet to receive ANY English teaching training.
Pronunciation in JHS and HS school is a current problem. How are elementary school teachers who mostly have thick katakana English accents benefiting the students' English education?
I watched a news program 4 years on NHK about English entering into elementary school as an official class. Since that time, what kind of training have these teachers received? None...
Do you think this is a good idea?
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Post by matt on Oct 11, 2007 13:46:05 GMT 8
I think that if the teachers are going to teach about how to fly airplanes, they should at least be pilots/pilot-trainees. Otherwise it'll be the blind leading the blind, and someone is going to crash on the high school entrance exams.
But in all seriousness...there is a right and a wrong way to teach a foreign language, let alone being able to actually use it. Not only should these teachers be trained in English in general, but HOW they should be trained should be taken into consideration too...otherwise they'll experience the same thing our jr. high students have to endure, and no one will learn anything.
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Post by smoothie on Oct 11, 2007 21:56:31 GMT 8
I agree!!! That is not good at all! They are going to perform "Eigo Fonikusu Kamikaze"...they are going to dive in and crash...that`s my opinion! ...."Killing me softly..." is the perfect choice as their theme song! If they would only think of asking us for help! They have this great valuable English teachers right in front of their noses and what they do about it?...nada....
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Post by matt on Oct 12, 2007 8:21:55 GMT 8
Yeah, one of the interesting situations in which so many of our Japanese colleagues find themselves is they see us almost every day, and if we are actively studying Japanese, we are usually progressing beyond their students in our respective foreign languages. But instead of asking how we are able to do so, they continue only in what they know/have been doing for however many years they have been teaching. It could be argued that we, more so than most jr, high kids, want to study a foreign lanugage (disregarding those who kids who do), have more time to do so, and have more opportunities to practice. If it were only the case! In fact, foreign language learning is not limited to a few gifted individuals, but rather to anyone who generally studies properly, and practices what they have studied. There are many more other Asians who are fluent/proficient in Japanese than there are Japanese who are fluent/proficient in other foreign languages. It's not because the Japanese are stupid- it's because they are not taught HOW to study a foreign language! Anyone disagree?!
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Post by hellndie on Oct 17, 2007 9:30:17 GMT 8
am reading an article about Japanese education.... These are the problems... Japanese teachers go to colleges/schools to learn how to be a teacher.. they learn how to be the mother of 1000+ students. Japanese experts are also encouraged to be teachers without any qualifications.... lets not forget that teachers dont get to choose what they want to teach.
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Post by hellndie on Oct 17, 2007 9:33:57 GMT 8
the question is ... how do the 5ws +h come in play with the education system (teaching)?
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Post by patrick on Oct 17, 2007 11:02:36 GMT 8
Occam's Razor is a theory that states, "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the right one." - Fact: Starting in April of next year, 5th and 6th grade elementary school teachers will have to start teaching English.
- Fact: It is a well-known fact that Japanese use the katakana-crutch to cross the bridge of English pronunciation.
- Fact: This isn't a new plan. It's at least 3 years old.
- Fact: Despite knowing about this plan, the Ministry of Education has done NOTHING to train these teachers in English.
- Fact: With no proper English training, teachers will teach their students based upon the English they receive 10+ years ago, which will more likely have a thick katakana accent.
- Fact: English written in katakana is Japanese.
Occam Razor SCREAMS that this is a bad idea. So, why is the Japan's Ministry of Education (MEXT) doing it? I think because the other Asian communities have started doing it. However, what sets Japan apart of its Asian counterparts is that MEXT has stated the one sole requirement for elementary school English is that it "must be fun". MUST BE FUN!?!?! Why is it that ONLY English has this requirement? Does that give the other subjects the right to boring?!?!? Isn't EVERY subject supposed to be taught in the most fun and educational manner? What happened to "edcuational"? Shouldn't elementary school English teaching be "educational AND fun"?!?!? I can tell you this...I have been teaching nothing but the alphabet in ALL of my elementary schools for over ONE COMPLETE term now. My 1st and 2nd graders are starting to be able to write their names CORRECTLY in romaji. I have implemented an OPTIONAL homework system for all the grades. How many students OPTION to do the homework? Well over 90%. I'm about to start going into Phonics with my elementary school students. Are my classes "fun"? Hell, no!! They are a blast! Are my classes "educational"? I would like to think they are more educational than showing students 8 flashcards and having them repeat after you... Anyways, I would think that because children are more susceptible to information flowing into their minds, more care and planning should taken to make the most out of this situation. Furthermore, why the hell would you give access to your kids without the proper training? Why do public schools give foreigners, who most likely have never taught before and can't speak the language, access to their children? Since song titles seem to be popular on this thread, in the words of Salt-N-Pepa, "Things that make you go HHMM..."
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Post by tom on Oct 17, 2007 20:11:02 GMT 8
I was just wondering who says the homeroom teachers will be teaching the classes----not junior high school or high school English teachers working part-time work.
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Post by matt on Oct 18, 2007 9:51:13 GMT 8
Well, personally, I don't know who will be doing the actual teaching in the elem classes regarding teaching English. However, seeing as how things are run in the Jr. High and 3 elem schools I work in, AND the fact that Niigata-ken is trying to keep costs down by doing such things as not hiring as many ALTs as they did last year and the year before, I believe they will most likely in all probability of likeliness... just use the homeroom teachers. Afterall, they do teach a variety of topics, and what's one more, eh?
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Post by patrick on Oct 18, 2007 10:33:11 GMT 8
Let me break it down...
Public schools in Japan fall under MEXT (Ministry of Education). 95% of all schools in Japan are public. Just like every other country, education never receives the budget they need. Because everything falls under MEXT, for Japan to hire extra part-time teachers to teach these extra classes, they would have to increase their budget to provide teachers to ALL public schools throughout Japan. Logistically speaking, this is not going to happen. Additionally, seeing how the current English education system is valued in Japan (I have statistics if you you require them), MEXT is not going to increase the English budget. Furthermore, current JHS teachers are already overworked as it is. Therefore, they could not possibly handle the additional work. Also, like Matt said, a lot of prefectures are cutting back on the number of ALTs they employ. This increases the number of schools ALTs are required to teach at. The means that ALTs are increasingly becoming more and more busy. Therefore, ALTs could not possibly handle the extra workload. Additionally, the average ALT's contract is 35 hours a week. For ALTs to handle the extra workload, BOEs would have to increase their number of hours, which would require new contracts because after 35 hours an employee is considered full-time. Additionally, if English is classified as an "official class", I hope I don't sound too biased, but I can almost guarantee you the Japanese would not make a foreigner in charge of class...especially foreigners with no teaching licenses.
The only logical option remaining is the homeroom teacher. However, considering I'm still grappling with 'Japanese logic', there might be other options remaining.
If this whole explanation was too difficult to follow, here's a more simple explanation. I was told by my supervisor 5th and 6th grade elementary school homeroom teachers are going to start teaching English starting next April. My BOE is currently working directly for MEXT to come up with a system of teaching it. Furthermore, all of my elementary school teachers are starting to become a little jittery because they are starting to receive lectures about elementary school English teaching. BTW, these lectures are not regarding pronunciation but rather methodologies of teaching English.
All of this being said, please don't think I just bitch about this upcoming policy. Currently, I am volunteering my free time to teach free eikaiwas to my elementary school teachers to better prepare them and to ease the transition into their new classes.
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Post by tom on Oct 18, 2007 19:32:21 GMT 8
I get your point and I presume it will continue as it is presently---each school board doing things differently as ii sees fit----some using AETs, some using HRT's and some hiring JTE's----thus continuing the trend in Japan of noone really being in charge and having no clear up-down direction for English education.
With English being introduced in grade 5 and 6 as a required subject will there be any kind of commuincation/flow between elementary and JHS? At present, the JHS seems to disregard that there is even any English being taught in elementary school and start off the school year with having the studetns repeat, 'My name is ( ).' and many other things that the students have been obvioulsy taught in elementary school.
I can see a few problems that need to be corrected. One, the students in elementary school are generally taught in an atmosphere of all English---then they go to JHS and an atmosphere of mostly Japanese (why are not the JTEs in JHS using almost all English especially in the first year where the English is much the same as it is in elem.) Two, elementary school English will continue to not be evaluated----then in JHS, the students are suddenly faced with tests (why not introduce some kind of gentle testing system in grade 6 so there is a better transition). Three, currently there seems no nation wide mandate for introducing writing and reading in elem. school----then in JHS the students are suddenly faced with reading and writing (why not phase reading and writing in elem. schools and make it a balanced subject; not one so heavily focussed on listening and speaking?)
Just some thoughts.
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Post by patrick on Oct 19, 2007 12:47:03 GMT 8
Tom, you are correct. Japan's English education is 'bimyo', at best. There are a lot of reasons for this bimiyoness, but the most obvious is the people deciding the English education most likely can't say anything outside of "This is a pen." I do have hope for the English education system here in Japan, but that hope does not lie WITHIN the Ministry of Education (MEXT).
I have seen many great Japanese English teachers who have refreshing views on the English education system. One works for a Tokyo school where he teaches English at all all four schools -- university, HS, JHS and ES. He's got a ton of great ideas to revamp the English system here. I think he's even given some presentions to the people at MEXT. Another guy works for Sophia University in Tokyo, Mr. Yoshida. If you don't know him, he's the guy who relates Japan's English education to a fish bowl vs. open sea. He too, has given speeches to MEXT. Has anything happened? Has any changes been taken to change this system? NO!
I have a couple of theories why this change has not or will not ever happen, but I won't bore you with that. However, my g/f is doing a master's program and one of the classes she is taking is all about Japanese culture. She was sharing something the other night that I totally agreed with. "Japanese, as a society, will never gain a level of fluency in the English language unless they divorce their culture." I'll leave it at that.
Tom, all the questions you asked in your last post are great questions, which have legitimate concern that Japan's English system must address if English is going to succeed in this country.
Doesn't it blow your mind how something could fail on such a basic level? And, how people little to no prior teaching experience and who probably self-taught themselves how to teach English in Japan could pick up on these problematic issues so quickly?
I too am concerned that Japan's future generations are going to suffer because of the decisions made today.
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Post by Otaku on Dec 3, 2007 20:42:38 GMT 8
Here's an update to elementary school teaching.
Starting next year, SOME elementary schools are going to be teaching English classes once a week. All of my initial research has told me that ALL schools would be introduced to these English classes, but like all forms of communication in Japan, nothing ever seems to be out-in-the-open. These English classes will be taught by the elementary school homeroom teachers. They will be in addition to the current ALT classes already being taught.
Starting April 2007, chosen elementary schools will have participate in teaching these English classes. The schools who will be 'officially' teaching these English classes will be the 'guinea pigs' for the official nationwide mandate that every school will adopting by 2011.
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Post by junkdna on Dec 4, 2007 8:18:35 GMT 8
And let's not forget yesterday at the Monthy Meet(ing). What a fiasco.
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Post by Otaku on Dec 4, 2007 8:43:30 GMT 8
I about died laughing when a co-worker pointed out what our supervisor wrote on the whiteboard: "ALT committee" and "ALT representative board members".
She said, "What do each of the titles have and don't have...an ALT."
Yesterday's meeting just furthered proved out unimportant the BOE views their ALTs.
Another thing that I almost died laughing about was when our supervisor was questioned about why ALTs, who most likely have the most experience teaching English at the elementary school level, weren't in on the elementary school English planning: "Umm...yeah...maybe we need to take that into consideration in the future."
I'm not a rocket scientist, but I would logically assume this would have been already considered. Then again, I think I made the mistake of trying to think logically. And, if that was just a BS answer and they actually had thought about it and chose not to care what the ALTs thought, it further proves that the city's ALTs are viewed as mere pets, not capable of offering any tangible ideas.
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Post by junkdna on Dec 4, 2007 11:22:15 GMT 8
you'll get no arguement from me.
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