Back??Japanese version is here......
97/04/28 12:24:38
Thank you all for giving me a nice suggestion !
(If these feedback-comments give offensive to you or the writers, please mail me.)
N.B.
JTE=Make lessons interesting and teach students about other
places.
Sentence:Internet=E-mail exchange.
Sentence:beginningage=Great idea. Look at Singapore or India.
Age? Any.
comment=USA Great site you starting up. We need more
communication in real time between English teachers.
generation:20=on
job:teacher=on
man=on
Sentence:Englishskill=The companies requiring English ability
need to carefully examine
the reasons for this requirement.
#I believe that in most
cases perfect grammar is not essential for effective
communication. Rather, a general comfortability in speaking
and ability to present and understand ideas is the most
essential. This can be done by people with both good
and poor grammar abilities. I could write much more on this
because I strongly feel as you do (I think) that too
much emphasis is placed on English perfection at an early
age. But time and space limit me right now. Contact me
by e-mail if you like.
comment=I'm an American teaching English in Korea. I have taught
many types of students, including school children, college
students, housewives, companies, etc. I'm not familiar with JTE.
I came across your web page while searching for somthing else.
job:jieigyo=on
job:teacher=on
man=on
Sentence:ESP=I don't know....
Sentence:Englishskill=The ability to get together with peple who
are from different origin.
Because Japanese tend to hang out each other... not with
different races.
Sentence:Internet=I think it would be great if students are able
to use the net, and wiritng email to American(or people who uses
English...) then Student would have more interest in English...
Sentence:beginningage=They better not teach english like in
junior high.(grammer&reading)
I don't disagree with education ministry's idea, but they should
put more weight on speaking and hearing.
comment=Japan
generation:20=on
job:student=on
man=on
When I am qualified to teach English to Japanese citizens, it
will be
with a specialty. Specifically, computer programming and
applications.
This means that not only will I be able to teach conversational
English,
but that I can adapt the English training to meet the special
requirements of an ever-changing information environment.
There will always be a need for teaching English, in ways that
native
Japanese teachers cannot provide. We must be ready to adapt.
* ( I'm looking forward to hearing from you.......)
1) The world is definitely changing in this post-industrial age.
In my
area of the globe, wild commerical fishing and forestry from old
forests is
just about finished. 2/3 of ----'s fish now are raised in
farms. The forests have no trees larger than 48 cm. at the base.
30 Years
ago, the saw mills were adjusted for trees 48 - 120 cm. The human
thirst
for resources has us cutting and catching inferior stock,
compared to 30
years ago.
I have lived on ----- only 2 years, having moved from the desert
country of ------a village of 5,000 people called ---------
Today, my wife and I try to maintain 4.5 hectares of pasture and
forests.
Our future source of income will be as owner/educators of
--------
objective is to host students from around the world, like a
mini- United Nations. Through the teaching of English as a second
language, we hope to exchange views on education, culture,
politics,
environmental concerns and future employment. You can find some
more
informtion on -----through WWW, by searching for ----- Our web
page will
be changed to add pictures and to be more interactive.
I am currently doing research on ESL Education in Japan, by
Native
Speakers. We are planning for me to go to Japan, perhaps in the
fall of
1997, for 3 - 5 months. I would hope to conduct ESL - speaking
classes, in
preparation for the students national exams in February of the
following
year.
From the Japanese students, ages 16 - 38, who have been to -----
#, we have learned that there is a MAJOR problem with the
current
Japanese ESL education methods. University students who have
passed 2 - 4
"English" classes do know the grammar construction but
their verbal skills
are about zero !! Unless a person is in contact with the spoken
language,
they are at a major disadvantage with understanding the language,
let alone
using the language in context.
In my high school years, I took "French" My marks for
spelling and grammar
were about 50% but my speaking skills were about the top in the
class.
When I went to ----- then to France, 10 years out of highschool,
I
found food and shelter through my ability to speak the language.
#Reading and writing developed afterwards. For the past 10
years I have been
learning Spoken German, through my wife and many visitors. My
Spoken
German will strengthen in February, while I am in Germany for 3
weeks.
There is a problem in all of this "Spoken"
communications. It is usefull,
or necessary only for persons who travel to the foreign country.
You and I
are now joined by electronics and the 2nd enabling factor to this
communication is a common language - specifically ENGLISH. As in
years
past, for the passing of secret communications, agents must know
a language
not known by the "other side."
So, in your concern for employment of Japanese Teachers of
English - Take
the cost of 3 months or 1 years university tuition and spend it
on a plane
ticket to an English speaking country. Enroll in ESL classes, get
a
working visa: learn the language by natives. Upon your return to
the
Japanese classroom, you will have a greater mastery of the spoken
and
written word, with a host of real life experiences to make into
teachable
moments. #With strong academics matched with life experiences
your students
will be more eager to learn and to apply the lessons. Japan's
historical
emphasis on route learning is not working when 21st century
students must
communicate or work with non-Japanese. Here at ---------, my wife
teaches the "formal language classes", that is the
grammar and vocabulary.
I then take the topic of the days lesson and think up ways to
have the
students "talk to me", verbally reviewing and applying
the grammar and
vocabulary of the mornings lesson. In the evenings, they must
write a
diary of the days events and the following day, in class, read
their diary
report. Throughout the day, the students are with us preparing
meals,
feeding the animals, going for walks with us, thus it is an 18
hour day of
ESL immersion.
A teaching suggestion, which I will use when I am in Japan, is to
utilize
the portable tape-recorder. Students would be required to read
from text,
to read from English magazines, to write reports and to read the
reports
onto tape. Questions and responses would be at the various known
levels of
difficulty ie: facts, agreement/disagreement, hypothesis and
support,
giving directions.
Other persons wanting to learn a foreign language have taken the
time to
listen to radio broadcasts in the language of choice. They then
order
music and magazines in the desired language. #This is "life
application"
not just learning for a national exam.
3) Use of High Tech Media for the learning of English.
I fully agree, and this message is an example of the benefits of
learning
various skills and their applications to communicate. Without
"Email" and
its common denominator of a single language: English, you and I
would not
be in contact. Learners however, as suggested above, must come
into
contact with the real thing, from NATIVE Speakers to truly grasp
the
lessons and to meet government expectations.
A problem with this "Email" technology is that we do
not get to "spell
check" our work. Errors, through keyboarding mistakes, can
be taken as
poor language skills. It is a must for the writer therefore to
re-read
their message and to edit the structure of their thoughts.
Correction and
editing of written works takes not addressed when thoughts are
spoken. I
have become aware that in the Japanese classroom, the spoke word,
standing
up in class and giving a 2 - 5 minute talk is not done by
individual
students, In my 4th year of French, at age 18, I took on the
class
(started a debate) for 1/2 an hour. My topic was "the
reasons to support
Capital Punishment". Having learned to Stand-up: Speak-up,
was a skill I
insisted on teaching my students, ages 13 - 18. To stand up
though,
required the learner to have a capacity to read. Written skills,
I place
as know less important. This in-balance has been recognized by
your
instructors and addressd through the changes in their curriculum:
#written
mastery falls flat unless it works with reading and speaking.
Therefore,
Japan must hire more Native Speakers, so Japan can be remain
competative.
Here, I would suggest that "English" is somewhat
outdated, as Mandarin and
Cantonese are the power languages for Pacific Rim students, along
with
English and Japanese.
As each language is brought to a people, then the culture is also
brought
introduced. The awareness of cultural alternatives in marriages,
economics, politics opens up a new set of variables which
national power
brokers will struggle to control.
--
Unfortunately, I can only agree with you, that there are many
people who
occupy a seat in a classroom and are there only for the credits;
NOT TO
LEARN. With age, we often regret our wasting the chance to learn.
In
Canada, and the U. S., many students take classes only because
their
friends are in the same room, or they wish to be seen with the
sports star
!! When there is one student who wants to learn and 5 friends who
just want
to stay warm and gossip during class time, then the
"student" generally has
a very tough time overcoming peer pressure. Unless they have
tremendous
self-confidence the "student" slowly but surely looses
out on learning and
becomes just another body, taking up class space and denying
others the
right and the opportunity to LEARN.
Students who are bored, generally of their own making, look for
ways to
have fun in class. Their definition of fun however becomes very
frustrating and annoying for teacher and learners. Classroom
behaviour
problems start back at those occupying the seat - not the
learner. In
Canada, at the junior and highschool level, it is accepted that
perhaps 15
minutes per 1 hour class is addresses lesson objectives for the
period.
The remaining 45 minutes are in some form of classroom
management,
counselling, administration for lates and non-completion of
assignments
etc. Other educators equate that a 9 month course could be taught
in 3
months, if all participants wanted to learn, not just keep the
seat warm,
or catch up on gossip.
While I was outside today, cutting firewood, I came up with an
achronime
for JTE: Japanese Technicians of English.
A Technician, keeps the equipment (bodys) under control, while
the total
work site machinery keeps up production. Technicians are trained
to keep
systems operating, conducting preventative maintenance. JTE's at
university, are learning or practicing how to maintain living
machines.
Post-graduate studies in JTE could thus explore Industrial
Maintenance
Systems, to construct parallel maintenance control systems of
students
(seat warmers).
I have thought for over 20 years now that indeed television,
videos and
video-games are well designed to minimize post-industrial
consumption.
Keep the brain dead human stuck in neutral and their body still,
through
electronics ensures a greater volume of limited resources to be
distributed
amongst an ever increasing population. Siting at a monitor /
television
means they will eat junk food, not wear out clothes or footwear,
not read
newspapers or political magazines. They also do not go to class,
write
political letters or criticize the system at large. Thus, bless
the
research being done by JTE (technicians) directed by the Ministry
of
Null-Education to utilize computers, video, computer gaming: your
doing
research to ensure that minds are kept dull or at low function,
permitting
the thinkers and politicians to work with business people to
maximize
returns with little political upheavel !
A JTE (Teacher) or any other teacher, throughout the world,
thrives having
their students love their subject and the lessons presented. Each
day is a
challenge and a joy as we dream of taking our students to the
next level of
skill mastery or thought.
So, in YOUR PERSONAL post-graduate studies: are they to advance
technology
and systems controls - or are they to TEACH !
A technician will never be out of a job in systems maintenance. A
teacher
will always have students, and will always be a student !
Sentence:ESP=
Absolutely.
Sentence:Englishskill=
I think all students need to speak and understand in writing and
reading another language. Learning English, Japanese and German
are all good ideals and if we all became confident with another
language then we would all become better friends. If one learns a
different language, then that one has to also learn about
anothers' culture which makes for a small and cohesive world with
little or no misunderstandings.
Sentence:Internet=
As you are using it. Find some penpals. Exchange teaching ideas
and information. Arrange for reciprocal tours. Foster good will
among people.
Sentence:beginningage=
Children need to learn another language as soon as they learn
their country's language : because , then it does not become a
burden and children can learn more easily the younger they are.
comment=White middle class
job:teacher=on
woman=on
Sentence:ESP=
Need it for the internet?
Sentence:Englishskill=They must ask questions to learn.
Sentence:Internet=
Sentence:beginningage=
interaction for letters and simple words age 2-4
job:agriculture=on
job:jieigyo=on
job:others=on
job:teacher=on
man=on
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