The Latest News in ELT

November 2002

Macmillan Dictionary Seminars
The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners was recently announced winner of the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh English-Speaking Union English Language Book Award for 2002. It is the first dictionary to win the award for some years. The award is for the most innovative work of the year on the English Language, whether presenting a description, a teaching methodology or a work devoted to language in use for a specific purpose or profession. Macmillan Language House are sponsoring seminars next weekend on how to use dictionaries in the EFL classroom. Gwyneth Fox of Birmingham University will present many simple activities on introducing dictionary skills work into the classroom. The events will be held in Tokyo (Dec. 7) and Osaka (Dec. 8). Prior registration is required as places are limited. See our Events Calendar for more info. (November 29, 2002 )

Better Late Than Never For Smoking Bans
Bans on smoking by teachers in public schools are becoming more widespread. The latest decision has been made by Sendai City, which will bar anyone from lighting up at 195 education institutions, ranging from kindergartens to high schools, from next April. "All kinds of smoke will be eliminated from the (school) compounds," Mayor Hajimu Fujii said. "Even the separation of smoking and nonsmoking areas will not be allowed." A similar smoking ban was introduced throughout Wakayama Prefecture in April of this year. Utsunomiya City is also planning to introduce a ban in the next academic year. (November 28, 2002 )

Japan 2nd in UN Education Poll
In a table that the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) describes as "the first 'big picture' comparison of the relative effectiveness of education systems across the developed world", Japan is ranked second, after South Korea. "It is based not on the conventional yardstick of how many students reach what level of education, but on testing what pupils actually know and what they are able to do," UNICEF said. Its conclusions were based on combining results of tests conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, and the Trends in International Math and Science Study, or TIMSS, and also factored in results of the International Adult Literacy Survey. Canada ranked 4th, Australia 5th, the UK 7th, New Zealand equal-10th and the US 18th out of the 24 countries. UNICEF web site (November 27, 2002 )

DoCoMo Developing Emoticon Robot
NTT DoCoMo are developing a human-sized robot that reproduces the visual language cues otherwise absent from e-mail. The robot can still only manage rudimentary body language, such as scratching its head, waving or making a fist. But the ultimate aim of the software is for it to digitalize all the movements made by the sender and have them faithfully reproduced by the robot as it reads out the e-mail. As yet, there are no commercial production plans for the robot, which was shown at a recent conference. (November 26, 2002 )

School System Sapping Student Spirit
A recent survey of elementary to senior high school students shows that their interest in study and belief in its future usefulness declines steadily as they move through the education system. The survey of 950 students in grades 4 to 12 was carried out by the Asahi Shimbun and the Kumon Child Research Center in October and November. 52% of 4th-year elementary school respondents answered that they "like" or "somewhat like" studying, while the figure dropped to 26% for 2nd-year junior high schoolers. When asked how useful they thought study was for their future, 95% of the youngest students answered "very" or "somewhat" useful, but the number decreased with each school year and for high school seniors was only 60%. (November 25, 2002 )

"Itadakimasu" Tops Student Speech Contest
The recent 54th All-Japan Inter-Middle School English Oratorical Contest was won by Keita Iguchi, a third-year student from Chubu Junior High School in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. His speech was titled "What Itadakimasu Taught Me." The full text of the speech can be read at the Daily Yomiuri site. Iguchi took the H.I.H. Prince Takamado Trophy, named after the member of the Imperial family who sadly passed away yesterday. The competition is sponsored by The Yomiuri Shimbun, The Daily Yomiuri and the Japan National Student Association Fund. (November 22, 2002 )

The Education of HAL
For an interesting look at pattern-matching artificial intelligence, meet Alan. Developed by the A-i.com site, Alan is a "chatbot" and can provide an entertaining few minutes distraction. You can also speak to HAL, the Child-Machine, in the nursery or even raise one of your own. A bit too sci-fi for you? In Alan's own words: "When it comes to your relationship with non-human creatures, you humans see only two possible scenarios: an enemy or a slave. Look at your myths, your movies, and your books. When it comes to artificial intelligence, there is one major plot: robots gain consciousness; robots take over humanity; humanity fights back. Maybe you need to grow up, gain some self-confidence. No one is trying to take over your world just yet." The site is pursuing a serious line of research and is taking a long-term, behaviourist approach to teaching HAL how to converse. (November 21, 2002 )

New Regional ETJ Groups
ETJ yesterday announced that several new regional groups for teachers of children will have their first meetings in the next couple of months. In December: ETJ-Osaka (12/01), ETJ-Okinawa (12/15 provisonal). In January: ETJ-Chiba (restart), ETJ-Kumamoto, ETJ-Miyazaki, ETJ-Nagasaki; ETJ-Sapporo is also coming soon. Meetings are held about once every two months on Sundays. They consist of one presentation, two or three mini presentations, and more people exchanging ideas and activities. If you are are interested in being on the commitee of any of these groups or coordinating a group in your area, please contact David Paul at David@DavidEnglishHouse.com. (November 20, 2002 )

Bloomsbury Thrives on Potter
The weekend opening of the second in the Harry Potter movie series brought another huge payday for author J.K. Rowling and publishing house Bloomsbury. Analysts say that some 60% of the company's sales come from the series, which has sold over 130 million copies in 47 languages. The first three books in the series have taken the #3, 4 and 5 spots in the Japanese all-time bestsellers list. The first film in the series took in more than $900 billion at the international box office and The Chamber of Secrets is expected to do even better.

Bloomsbury is a relative newcomer in the book business, only floating on the London Stock Exchange in 1994. Early coups such as The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje and the discovery of then unknown Scott Turow helped build the company, but the success of Harry Potter has seen its value rise to GBP110 million. Rumours of writer's block delaying the fifth installment in the boy wizard series saw the stock price drop. The company is not putting all its eggs in one magic basket, however. It recently bought out several smaller rivals, including ELT reference publisher Peter Collin. (November 19, 2002 )

Foreign Students Near 100,000
The Japan Times reports that the number of foreign students in Japan as of May 1 was 95,550, an increase of over 20% from last year. The majority (92.8%) come from Asia: China (61%); South Korea (16%); and Taiwan (4.5%). The schools with the largest foreign enrollment are Tokyo University (2,000), Josei International University (1,371), and Waseda University (1,368). The total is still short of the goal set by the government back in 1983 of 100,000 foreign students by the beginning of this century. (November 18, 2002 )

Bowlingual Going Global
Bowlingual, the gadget from toymaker Takara which interprets your dog's barks and yelps, has been such a hit in Japan that it is to be marketed overseas, according to Friday's Japan Times. As we reported back in October, the device won the 2002 Ig Nobel Peace Prize from a US science magazine for promoting harmony between species. And it has since won an award as one of the best inventions of the year from TIME magazine. The product consists of a small device attached to the dog's collar and a palm-sized console that displays the translated whelps and growls. The sounds made by the canine - from Chihuahuas to German Shepherds - are classified into six emotional categories: joy, sorrow, frustration, demand, menace and self-expression. Suitable phrases, such as "I'm sad" or "I'm going to explode with anger" convey these feelings to the owner. The product will be marketed in Asia next summer and later in the US and Europe, with a target overseas distribution of 2 million units by March 2004. ()

Nationwide Scholastic Aptitude Test
A nationwide test of the scholastic ability of high school students, the first in 40 years, is currently being carried out. The test was devised amidst concerns over the recent cuts made in the national syllabus and will serve as a benchmark of current academic levels. Some 105,000 third-year students are asked to choose three out of seven subjects, including English, Japanese and Mathematics, and their level is determined by a written test. The test is administered by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research and results should be published next autumn. (November 15, 2002 )

English on the Move
This week NTT DoCoMo released its latest, and thinnest, i-mode compatible phone, which is also the first to include an English to Japanese dictionary. The mova F212i weighs 70g, measures just 13 mm when folded, and incorporates a 40,000-word dictionary. Dictionary entries can be copied and pasted into email messages. The phone includes a reminder function for up to 100 events or times, an alarm for when call charges reach their maximum, and can be locked remotely in case of loss or theft. It is listed as having an "open price". ()

Evaluation On the Increase
A recent education ministry survey shows that faculty evaluation at the nation's universities has increased dramatically in the last few years. Of 671 schools surveyed, 76% said they implement teacher evaluation by students, almost double the number from 1997. Evaluations were based on ease of understanding, speaking style, and the use of blackboards and audio-visual materials. 61% of schools have systematic "faculty development", an increase of 20% from last year, but only 15% of universities have peer evaluation. About 20% have seminars for new lecturers. (November 14, 2002 )

Let It Be-Was-Been
Sir Paul McCartney made a group of 16 Tokyo high school students and their teachers very happy this week. The students, whose English ability is lower than that of their classmates, wrote to McCartney to invite him to visit their school while on tour in Japan. To their surprise, they got a reply, inviting them to the former Beatle's show at Tokyo Dome. After the show, the rock legend joined the students in an impromptu English lesson, as they all sang Yesterday. The song and the history of the Beatles are featured in the Kitazono High School textbook. "I was really fascinated. He's a real superstar and was wonderful, as I expected," raved senior Yusaku Murata (18), who accompanied the "lesson" on guitar. "I hope the students also use this opportunity to study English," said teacher Fumiko Shiroki, adding that she never imagined they would be invited to the concert. ()

PAC4 Held in Taiwan
The 4th Pan-Asian Conference (PAC4) and the 11th International Symposium and Book Fair on English Teaching were held last weekend in Taipei. The theme of PAC4 was "English Language Teaching in Asian Contexts: Four PCs in the 21st Century." The four PCs are: personal computers and software; the issue of political correctness; plural cultures; and personal communication as related to the teaching of English. English education was extended to fifth and sixth graders at Taiwan's primary schools last year and a spokesman for the Education Ministry said that the government plans to recruit 2,500 English teachers from abroad next year. "We need these foreign teachers not just because they are native English speakers. They will need to take TESOL courses," he said. Taiwan ranks second-to-bottom of 14 Asian countries in TOEFL scores, with only Japan below. (November 13, 2002 )

JALT National Officers Elected
The results of JALT's 2002 National Officer Elections are in. The posts were filled as follows:
President: James Swan
Director of Records: Mary Christianson
Director of Public Relations: David Magnusson
Director of Program: Alan Mackenzie
Director of Treasury: Peter Wanner
Auditor: Morijiro Shibayama
There were just two other candidates: Peter Ross received a considerable number of votes for the post of President, while Robert Swanson was a distant second for Auditor. ()

Bathouse Suit Verdict
Arudou Debito, formerly David Aldwinckle, is a university lecturer and naturalized Japanese citizen from the US. He and two foreign plaintiffs yesterday won a racial discrimination case against a hot spring in Otaru, Hokkaido. The Yunohana bath house, which had claimed that the presence of foreigners drives away Japanese visitors, was ordered to pay 3 million yen to the three men, half the amount claimed. In the case against Otaru City, the judge ruled that the city itself had no legal obligation to try to put an end to discrimination. The problem dates back to the early 1990s when drunken Russian sailors caused havoc in several establishments in the city. Since last year, the bath house has been allowing foreigners in but only with the preconditions that they "behave" or "understand Japanese". (November 12, 2002 )

Teachers, Students Under More Pressure
A recent survey of 16,200 teachers shows that the change to a five-day week has only added to the pressure on students and teachers. Only 1% of respondents said the change had made education less pressured, while 39% said they don't have enough time to prepare for classes, and only 15% said they were able to rest on weekends. 72% answered that student life has become more hectic and 50% said students have become less focused during class. The survey was carried out in Tokyo, Hokkaido and 17 prefectures by the All Japan Teachers and Staff Union (Zenkyo) during the autumn. (November 11, 2002 )

University Applications Up Slightly
The number of applications to the National Center for University Entrance Examinations is slightly up this year to a record high of 602,950. The increase of 0.1% is due mainly to the large number by high school graduates - up by almost 9,000 - which covered the decreasing number by high school seniors, down by just over 8,000. The ratio by gender remains unchanged at roughly 60% male to 40% female. (November 08, 2002 )

JALT SIG Seeks Officers
JALT's junior/senior high school Special Interest Group (SIG) is seeking people to fill three officer positions which are currrently or soon-to-be vacant. These volunteer positions are: treasurer, whose duties include processing expense payments and submitting monthly financial reports to JALT Central; newsletter editor, responsible for collecting relevant articles and compiling them into the quarterly newsletter; and program chairperson, responsible for organizing SIG-sponsored presentations such as at the yearly JALT national conference, events in conjunction with other SIGS and groups, and solo events. The positions are not limited to current JALT members. For more info, contact Matthew Pakos (current program chair) at mpp17@mac.com. ()

The Fight Continues
ELT News was recently contacted by naturalized Japanese Arudou Debito (aka David Aldwinckle) regarding the latest development in his Japanese university blacklist. It seems Mie University is still blatantly discriminating between Japanese and foreign candidates for its teaching positions. The university was originally added to the blacklist because of an ad placed in 2000. A recent job ad clearly stated that the position of assistant/associate professor was one of tenure-track for a Japanese but only a (renewable) three-year contract for non-Japanese citizens. A professor from the university wrote asking that the job ad info be removed from the debito.org site. Mie is only one of 95 universities currently on the list. Read more on Debito's views here. (November 07, 2002 )

Vancouver Reputation Hurt by Asian Attacks
Attacks on young Asians, including two 21-year old female EFL students, in Vancouver this year have taken their toll on the city's reputation for safety. Chinese student Wei Amanda Zhao was found murdered at the end of October, while Korean student Ji-Won Park was attacked in May and left confined to a wheelchair with brain damage. The last week has also seen the murder of a 19-year old male Indo-Canadian university student and the disappearance of a 20-year old Indo-Canadian woman. Combined with the events of Sept. 11th last year, the attacks have started to hurt the EFL business in the area, which hosts about 60,000 students a year. (November 06, 2002 )

The News According to Grace
Publishing company Toppan and Internet firm Netlife have launched a new online service for English learners. The service is part of Toppan's information distribution 'Bitway' site and is based around a weekly English-language news article provided by Reuters and AP, and read by TV personality Hiroko Grace. The articles are used as the basis of lessons developed by Waseda University professor Akio Fujii. These include vocabulary quizzes and mini listening tests. The members-only service is aimed at students of all levels, from beginners to those doing TOEIC test preparation, and costs ¥950 a month. Bitway site. (November 05, 2002 )

New Face at OUP
Alison Watts is the latest member of the Oxford University Press family of ELT Consultants. Alison works in the Osaka office and will be looking after Kyoto, Shiga, Fukui, Toyama, Mie, Nara and Ishikawa. If you teach English in these parts of Japan and need advice selecting texts for the coming year, you can get in touch with her at watts@oupjapan.co.jp. (November 01, 2002 )

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