Back to the top menu97/04/28 12:26:17
Please give me your opinion on the notes below: mail me
Thanks you very much for your advice and suggestions...
These notes have been written a smart ESL instructor in Canada.
We Japanese EFL instructor staffs will put it to practical use.
Mainly we were moved to hear the phrase:'"Teacher or
Technician"', we
think much of it because nowadays many teachers want to use the
Net
but they (including me) are liable to forget their students, to
face them and talk much to them. It may result in the long
distance
between students and teachers without heartful real
communication.
Today we are annoying more about students bad behaviors than
the English teaching methods here at a Japanese junior high
school.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Motivations to Learn a Second Language
You comment that learning L2 (American English) is motivated by a
desire to
emigrate to the U. S. I agree, but would also add that English
has become
the international language of Business and higher education. As
an
example, we are communicating in English. During my 3 weeks in
Germany,
this past February, I learned that ALL students take a minimum of
4 years
of "English" and like in Japan, the emphasis is on
grammar. Students who
are motivated to apply their English grammar into a living
context, take
the additional courses, go on school and family trips where
English is
spoken, or get involved in activities where they must practice
their
English ie. meeting tourists and offering to help them. This
"post-WW 2,
L2 activity, has helped to move Germany into the forefront of
power and
influence. I would suggest that Japan and its' view of self is
quite
similar to the Germanic psyche.
I would agree with your comments that most people, young or old,
only
really learn, when there is a motivation, be it a second
language, higher
mathematics, science, computers, carpentry etc.
Pride, Dignity and Humility
You sketched a thought about inviting an Irish associate home for
a meal,
how your wife made many dishes then commenced to apologize:
"I am sorry
that I could not cook enough to please you." Such humility
is not solely a
Japanese trait. The peoples whom I have met from many countries,
most
often try to put on a major meal for foreign guests, in many
cases going
beyond their economic capacity. Aware of such, before going to
Germany, I
faxed a note to all hosts that we were not interested in going to
a fancy
restaurant; more importantly, we wanted to eat their normal meals
and if
possible help in the market purchases, and the kitchen
preparation.
Japanese and their Language Identity
1) Why have the Japanese come to "not like their own culture
and language ?
2) Entrance Exams: they exist in Canada only to enter college,
the trade
schools and university. Depending upon the faculty, general
acceptance is
granted if you have a 65% overall average, 70% for university.
Engineering, medicine and law start accepting students when their
average
is 90%. Instructors who emphasis the need to research and write
critical
reviews of material have become very frustrated at Canadian
students
inability to put a coherent thought together. As a result, our
universities and colleges have for the past 10 years implemented
an English
Proficiency test, for all applicants. Generally, this is a 500
word essay
the applicant chooses from a set list of topics.
3) Hankering after the "American Lifestyle"
What a pity !! Mind you, "Americanization" has swept
Europe as well.
Psychologist have done a tremendous job developing advertizment
campaigns
to promote the Consumer God $, =A3, =A5, DM. People of the
developed world,=
in
the past 37 years have had a very easy, bountiful life, buying
and buying
more material goods. We are witnessing however the collapse of
industrialized nations, as the Consumer God is truly a false god.
The
North American school system, based on "no failure's"
has prevented 2
generations from dealing with the cycles of life: some days are
very rough,
tough and vicious - others are gentle and sweet and friendly.
4) Learning needs a reason which is the motivation !
All German students take a minimum of 4 years English lessons,
which are
structured similarily to Japanese: Grammar rules.
Highschool students who are well travelled through sports or the
arts or
who have parents involved in multiple languages, take the Spoken
English
courses as well as arrange their holidays or activities to be in
contact
with English Speakers. In Canada, French is available in most
schools.
Canadians curriculum emphasizes conversational and grammatical
studies. I
did very well at the conversational component yet miserably in
the grammar:
to many spelling mistakes and gender mix-ups.
5) English is a Tool: I fully agree ! Some need the tool very
early in
life, others need a more technical and precise English tool and a
few
others do not need it!.
6) a) The most important thing is to learn the whole subject on
the
average. b) We are so averaged people, without conspicuous one.
a) This statement needs much more discussion !
b) Averaged - No conspicuous one !
Such a different point of departure from Canadian. Students here
are
constantly told that "they are very special !" Stand up
for yourself, don't
be lead by the crowd ! Set your own course and follow YOUR DREAMS
!!
In grade 3, at age 10, I and all other students, were encouraged
by our
teacher to become independent performers - you will gain more
public
support, than if you do not speak up for yourself. In grade 10,
age 16, my
English Literature teacher, for 10 - 15 minutes at the beginning
of every
class held "What's Your Opinion." Students were
expected to contribute a
"thought and opinion. Other students were then called upon
to respond to
the opinions stated. In many cases, those who disagreed with an
opinion,
then had to develop arguments which would be supportive. Thus, we
were
taught to listen, consider, formulate and present thoughts. This
skill was
then transferred to debates in history, biology and indeed in
French. I
excelled in the "Speech and Debate" component of
English Literature, and
indeed went onto teach Speech and Debate in all of my Business,
History and
Geography courses.
The Japanese students who have stayed with us at ---------------
agree
with you that the emphasis on grammar is a significant problem in
their
schooling. There are 85 ESL schools in --------, whose students
are
primarily Asian-Pacific, and that 3 months doing a Foreign
Exchange. They
conclude that this exchange has greater benefit than doing
English courses
in Japan, with technically qualified teachers, accepting that the
teacher
would likely stumble severely when faced with a spoken English
situation.
You can do a bad thing, so long as no one sees you !
Many in Canada believe and act the same way. Here though, we are
taught to
"imagine that you are being watched - would you do XXXX. In
fact,
businesses, shops, schools, government offices, hospitals and
many private
homes have TV cameras to record activities for the use by the
police. We
also have phone numbers with the police where we can call in
suspicious
behaviours. At least once a year, I'll phone or write the
authorities
about some persons action. Cellphones are so important in Canada
for
reporting accidents, crazy drivers, drunk drivers, robberies,
other
emergency or unlawful activities.
Page 3
"Only other teachers understand us !"
As a teacher, I share your sentiments and frustrations.
Task based "English"
I've been developing many more scenarios to use with students,
when I get
my contract in Japan to teach Spoken English. To accommodate
those who
wish to be less-conspicuous, the use of puppet theatre has been
very
successful.
The "mock radio broadcast" is just through the
in-school system. Canadian
schools all have a central switch board, where announcements by
the
principal, teachers or students are made. The announcements can
be limited
to specific rooms, or hallways. There is no charge, for this
in-school
radio. All universities and colleges do have their own student
run radio
station. Some stations do broadcast beyond the campus, into the
community.
English Proficiency brings suspicion about knowing Japanese
Culture.
In Europe, knowing more than one language is the norm. Knowing 2
- +
languages is highly praised ! The more languages one can use, the
greater
is ones' appreciation for one's native language, its cultures,
history and
politics.
"Breaking the Codes . . . Why is Japan only criticized and
blameworthy ?"
The Book, "Breaking the Codes" is not a criticism of
Japan, indeed it often
compliments the military for its methods and technology used to
track
foreign radio transmissions. It does criticize the American
handling of
foreign radio transmissions and mistakes made by the military,
the FBI, CIA
and the Presidents Office.
Page 5
"Teacher or Technician"
My first week of full-time teaching was in 1980. My department
head gave
me the following thought and advice.
a) You may have your ideals and think that you'll be able to
motivate all
your students. Don't ever loose sight of this ideal - HOWEVER, at
the end
of the year and for every year afterwards, consider
a) in the highschool, your primary job will be to simply train
your
students to behave, in a socially acceptable manner.
Should 5% of your students love your subject and your methods,
COUNT
YOURSELF FORTUNATE AND SUCCESSFUL !!
From New York City
I just returned this afternoon from ten days in Japan. I think I
am ready for India or Nepal. I am tired of touring first world
countries. I did a home visit with a local family, but they were
just like Americans-only worse-richer than the ones I know. The
wife had been to the US at least 20 times and has a degree from
the University of Tennessee. She showed me three boxes of
silverware that she has collected from her airplane trips. She
also showed me a popular ladies' magazine in which her house and
garden were featured. She helped me try on her mother-in-law's
wedding kimono, which must have been worth at least $20,000.
Their new Honda arrived the evening of my visit, so as a test
drive, they drove me back to my hotel on the other end of Tokyo.
I met a family-wife, husband and one-year-old daughter on the
express train from Kansai Aiport to Kyoto. They were combining a
business trip with pleasure, as the husband was to speak at the
University of Kyoto on his latest cancer research.
I took a tour of Kamakura with a volunteer student guide. Her
father was leaving for Los Angeles next week to present his
chemistry research at an international conference. She had never
been to the US, but she was in Spain last fall, and now she is
taking some Spanish classes.
Everybody I met was highly educated, well-off, good English
speakers, and well traveled. Everywhere I went I saw people in
American t-shirts and sweatshirts. The only thing really special
was the food. Otherwise, they appeared as people of another
culture trying to emulate the United States, especially the young
people.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Thankyou for the brief essay from your teacher associate
regarding "averaging of self" in Japan. The thoughts
were most disturbing !
When we had 3 Japanese girls (ages 21) stay with us, they did a
creative
project and stayed up 6 hours into the night to have it finished
before
breakfast. In talking with Megumi afterwards, during her 3 month
ESL stay
with us, she was pained at how much creative energy is squashed
out of
students by the Japanese education system: making cooky cutter
Japanese
robot-thoughts ! She was especially upset over the discrimination
between
female / male, and the opportunities for activities, travel,
employment
equality
I am reminded of an event in 1989, when I was part of the
production for a Asahi T. V. program: THE NEW WOMAN OF JAPAN. In
10 years of global tourism, when the Japanese who once arrived
all dressed the same, with the same luggage (1986) now arrive
independant and set their own itinerary. Some, meet others of the
opposite sex and move into an apartment together. I'm sure this
would cause a heart attack and banishment, by the parents if they
were to learn of their childs activities, in the foreign land.
For myself, I support the liberlization of women into all aspects
of equal opportunity. It is worth the thought: How would war and
the military budgets change if women were the generals and
defence ministers or the corporate executives ??
How would the use / abuse of the environment change if Women made
up 50% of the decision makers ?
My education has been heavily influenced by females, as my high
school, college and university years most often had me and other
males outnumbered 4:1. When I was teaching, I made it a point to
give extra encouragments to the females, as I had noticed that
the system in Canada was not equal and that the girls were harder
workers than the males, and thus deserved the scholarships,
travel opportunities and other recognition. Here at Bold Point
Centre, we are not co-ed and indeed want to develop and advance
the motivated female.
'Tis 1:00 a.m. PST
# This is my, my friend's thoughts:(As the reply for the ESL
instructor)
>Nature:
>"Green peace" protect whales from fishing as a
commercial whaling.
>But they never protect us from Russian illegal waste of the
radio -active
>Spoiling.
>God has created just nature and human beings.
>We should cherish and admire both of them.
>But many take it wrong, because they never cherish
human-beings but
>Animals or natural resources alone.
>I want to think more highly of human beings than natural
resources.
>Now we have many children who has starved and rob adults of
money
>to earn their life all over the world.
>However many richmen criticize the commercial whaling of
Japan.
>Instead of it why don't they send much money to the starving
children in
>Central America and Africa….etc.
>Some of the behavior named protecting the nature might be
regarded
>as kililing time of richmen. They never face the core or
essentioal things.
>Tecnician:
>We are not tecnicians but openminded warmful facilitator for
the students.
>But today "give and take" is basis, so many
teachers want to promote
>theirselves in the educational world.
>There is no considerations on childrens' development or
improvement.
>In Japan many young stars have been forgetting their own
culture and
>the world is getting cinical, logical, unwarmful. It is the
material world.
>Communication is "heart to heart", but many ESL/EFL
instructors are so
>Proud and cool, smart, inteligent that they cannnot produce
the warmful
>communication between them and students.
>The instructor's personality comes first, I know well about
it.
>I am supposed to use the net just as "motivation and
encouragement".
>We cannot use it 6days per week but once a week .
>The rest of lessons are the classroom works.
>Games, watching videos, communicating with others…etc like
you do.
>Your suggestion:
>You offered : exchanging texts or other materials . but when
you really
>--------
>This essay is written by a high school woman teacher:
>b) Averaged - No conspicious one!
>Japanese people like to be 'an average'... Although this may
have
>something to with the 'modest' characteristic of our culture,
>this doesn't make sense to me. In my own working experience
at
>a trading company (I worked 4 years before becoming a
teacher),
>everybody was expected to be special in doing his/her
business.
>You had to be conspicious. You had to have creativity or
originality
>to appeal yourself to your co-workers, bosses, and above all
to customers.
>I think that's how things begin, especially, of higher
quality.
>And this is not only at my former workplace but at all places
for people
>to live on, I believe.
>In school, however, students are not taught its importance,
or how to make
>themselves understood clearly by others. Then what happens to
them
>after school? New grads at thier workplceses tend to just
follow their
>former examples, and then, finally, companies teach freshmen
how to be
>special, in theory and practice. I've been thinking this is
unpracitical
>and wasting of time. Moreover, teachers at school as thier
workplace do
>not want to be speacil, either. This is also because of their
own
>'average-oriented-education'. Unlike at companies, teachers
are not
>provided with chances to learn it. How come those teachers
could
>teach students how to be special?
>Fortunately, I have such experience where I felt this gap
between school
>and other society. I'm teaching high school students, most of
whom
>start working after graduation. So I'm hoping that I could
teach them
>'how to be special' in some ways. Of course there are much
more things
>as you're doing in Canada than what I could do, though....
>(I'm very much intereted in what you're doing, which you
mentioned,
>such as a total system in bridging many subjects. Listening,
considering,
>formulating and presenting thoughts.... this process is
essential for
>people to do one's job, communicate with others and for one's
>self independence.)
Back to the top menu