Interview
Kumiko Torikai
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On Japanese Students (cont'd)
There is a general perception among Japanese that the best way to learn English is from
a native speaker. Many of the big eikaiwa schools hire foreign teachers even though they have
no teaching experience or qualifications. What are your views on this?
Native speakers have a great deal to offer language learners when we think how language is
closely related to culture. As such, I fully understand the learners' preference for native
speakers. However, if a foreign person is hired just because he or she is a native speaker
without any training in teaching languages and without any understanding of their students
and their culture, the teaching often ends in frustration and disappointment on both sides,
which is unfortunate.
On the Future
What changes would you like to see in the ways English is being taught in Japan at the
various levels (e.g. high school and university)
I'd like to see the following:
- * More consistency and cooperation among different levels.
- * Discussion and agreement on the goals of teaching English.
- * More discussion on why we need English, and what kind of English we need to teach
the future generations.
- * More training to teachers of English; giving them easier access to post-graduate level
TESOL study and more opportunities to study in English speaking countries.
What advice would you give to a young Japanese graduate who wishes to enter the ELT
profession?
Always think why you want to teach English, and try to give as much as you can so that the
students can enhance their world-view via English. Always bear in mind that we teach
English for global communication.
On English
If there were one thing you could change about the English language, what would it be?
Can you do something about definite and indefinite articles?! I'd like the rules of
usage simplified!
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