The Latest News in ELT

May 2004

An Evening at the British Council
The British Council invites teachers to an evening of food, drinks and networking opportunities at their Tokyo centre at 7pm on Friday June 25th as part of the Award Ceremony for the winners of the 2004 Lesson Plan Competition for team-teaching JETs and JTEs. ALT Advisor Huw Oliphant and Masashi Koizumi (Ministry of Education judges) will be present and there will be a chance to see a video of the winning lesson plan. UK-related resource packs will be given to the first 10 confirmed attendees. To confirm your attendance, send an email to school-links@britishcouncil.or.jp (May 31, 2004 )

Staff, Managers Differ on Importance of Language Skills
A survey of new company employees shows that the skills they hope to acquire within the first three years at work don't necessarily match the targets set by their personnel managers. 55% of employees said they want to improve their language skills, something that only 10% of managers value, putting it 13th on their list of importance. The survey, carried out by personnel development company WiLL Seed, found that managers place the most emphasis on acquiring leadership and management skills. Staff at 52 companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange took part in the survey. ()

Dando Calls Foul on University Reform
Newspaper and Web Journalist Yasuharu Dando has published an article questioning the ongoing reform of Japan's university system. The article, which appeared on the Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies site, says incorporation of national universities has "revealed a parallel objective of implementing yearly decreases in budgetary outlays, in order to match considerable belt-tightening at the national level." Dando cites concerns of many university faculties, "who claim that academic freedom is being compromised". He also says that some closely involved have called for an evaluation system "based not on the numerical targets favored by the government, but on the peer review process widely used in North America and Europe."
A Worst Possible Beginning to University Reform (May 28, 2004 )

Nova A La Mode
Nova Co, operator of Japan's largest chain of English conversation schools, yesterday announced a tie-up with news agency AFP. The French agency will provide news articles which will be incorporated into original English language-learning materials to be used in a new Internet service for mobile phone users. Using the service, students will be able to learn English words and phrases for a monthly subscription fee of ¥315. The service is scheduled to be launched on June 30. (May 27, 2004 )

Nagoya Taking Off in English
An international airport to open in 2005 near Nagoya was formally named Chubu Centrair International Airport in English, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday. The new airport, under construction on reclaimed land off Aichi Prefecture, is slated to open Feb 17, 2005, in time for the 2005 World Exposition in the prefecture. (Kyodo News) ()

Berlitz to Offer Distance Learning
Berlitz Japan is to launch a new distance learning system on June 1. "Berlitz TV Conference Training" is a teleconferencing-based system aimed at business students of English and other languages. A maximum of eight students will be able to take a class together and the fee will start at ¥6,300 per lesson. Berlitz will also provide planning for training programs, trainers, evaluation and equipment where needed, which will carry additional charges. The company aims to achieve ¥500 million annual sales by 2006.
Story in Japanese ()

U.S. Still Land of Dreams
The United States is still the most popular destination for Japanese high school long-term exchange students, according to an education ministry survey. The 9th annual survey found that 4,160 students studied abroad for three months or more during 2003. Of that number, 1,721 went to the U.S., 635 to Canada, 592 to Australia and 544 to New Zealand. Only 221 students studied in the U.K. There are currently 894 high schools with links to a "sister-school" abroad, of which the largest number are in Australia (391), the U.S. (364) and New Zealand (215). The survey also found that of the 25 countries visited on "shuugaku ryoukou" school trips, Australia was the most popular English-speaking country, third overall behind China and South Korea. 26,114 students from 158 schools visited down under, the majority from private schools. The total number of students travelling abroad was down 7.1% from the previous year.
Survey report (Japanese) (May 26, 2004 )

English Speaking Union, eigoTown.com Announce "Surprising English" Award
The English Speaking Union of Japan and eigoTown.com yesterday announced the winners of their annual "Surprising English" Awards. The awards, in their first year, are designed to spotlight English used in Japan that is amusing, unnecessary, embarrassing, exceptionally creative or just downright wrong.

Masamichi Hanabusa, the Chairman of the English-Speaking Union of Japan commented: "The Awards are intended to cover various types of English, from those that make foreigners laugh out loud to those where older Japanese people are made angry by the utter absurdity of forced pseudo-English -- words which don't make any sense at all."

Russell Willis, CEO of eigoTown.com Limited noted "This is the first year of the competition and we've had a good response. We hope that the Awards help to shed light on the good, the bad and the downright ridiculous usage of English here, and that as a result, English usage in Japan is improved."
See the Award winners... (May 25, 2004 )

Is the Revolution Happening Online?
Can English and the Internet together bring about a cultural revolution in Japan? Steve McCarty, a professor at Osaka Jogakuin College and President of the World Association for Online Education, recently posted the question for discussion on the Child Research Net web site. In his article, he wonders whether the younger generation's ease with online communication, often in English and without the traditional Japanese emphasis on "face time," will also allow them to become more comfortable in the foreign language than their parents could ever be. He seeks to allay fears about the spread of English having a negative effect on Japanese culture by emphasizing that the two are not inseparable. He says that "Japanese-English bilingualism is 'additive' for adult native speakers of either Japanese or English in Japan."
Using English and the Internet could foster a Cultural Revolution in Japan (May 24, 2004 )

Vice Education Minister to Resign
Yoshiaki Harada, senior vice education minister, said Thursday he will resign from his post because his claim that he graduated from a graduate school in the United States is false. Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Harada, of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said on his home page that he graduated from Tufts University's law school. The former Ministry of International Trade and Industry bureaucrat won a House of Representatives seat in 1990 and is serving his fourth term. (Kyodo News) (May 21, 2004 )

Overcoming the English Barrier
The Reno Gazette Journal reported yesterday on a Japanese student who earned a degree in psychology from the local university despite arriving in the US with virtually no English speaking ability. When Kanagawa native Kiyoshi "Teddy" Noda came to Nevada in 2000, he "could read and understand English from books but not to speak, so it was kind of useless." Noda (27) adds, "I was afraid of speaking English, but to learn psychology I had to learn English". So he enrolled at the Intensive English Language Center at the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the next four years, he earned an associate degree in applied science at a community college and enrolled in classes at UNR, where he received his bachelor’s degree earlier this month. Noda plans to return to Japan next month and work for a couple of years to earn enough money to return to the U.S. and pursue a doctorate. Lack of English couldn't keep student from psychology degree ()

Keikaiwa.com
After reading an article in this week's ELT News about Japanese students wanting to learn English on their mobile phones, Richard Graham has revamped the Genki English Keikaiwa.com website. The site provides lots of cool English phrases with examples, all accessible over a mobile phone. Richard originally wrote the site for his Junior High School students, and they were a big hit in boosting their enthusiasm for learning English. If the site is accessed on a PC, recordings of the phrases are also available.
()

Many Parents Unsure About Primary School English
The Gendai Kyoiku Shimbun recently published the results of a survey that asked readers what they thought of introducing English education in elementary school. In response, 74.6&337; of parents said they "agreed or "somewhat agreed", while 25.2% were "opposed" to the idea or "have doubts" about it. But when looking at the answers given by parents who have children either in or yet to enter elementary school, the negative response rate jumps to 41.6%. Many said they would prefer their children to attend English classes outside of school, or that the school curriculum should help children develop a natural interest in foreign culture rather than just teach language.
Story in Japanese (May 20, 2004 )

Ota School in Text Cost Shock!
The highly-anticipated new school planned to open next spring in Ota City, Gunma, hit an early hurdle - the cost of English-language textbooks. The school – the first one approved in a government reform zone – plans to use English translations of texts already approved by the education ministry for all subjects except Japanese, an approach officials think meets the expectations of parents. However, while the originals of such texts are distributed by the central government for free, the English translations will not qualify for such support. Since last summer, the Ota school has been working with publishers to reduce the projected cost of texts for the four subjects taken during six years of elementary school, but currently they still add up to around ¥215,000 per student.

The original estimate provided by a major publisher last August came to ¥216 million for 600 texts, 100 sets for each of the six years: ¥100 million for production and printing costs, ¥54 million for copyrights, and ¥32 to cover translation. The high cost was exacerbated by the need for royalty payments for the new English versions and the low production volume. To reduce costs, the school asked new teachers to contribute to the translation, renegotiated royalties, and increased the print run to 800 sets. The overall estimate fell to ¥172 million, which still works out at about ¥8,300 per textbook. With tuition fees at around ¥50,000 per month, the school is seeking further cost-cutting measures to reduce textbooks expenses to about ¥10,000 per year. (May 19, 2004 )

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...only
US military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported Sunday on the issue of residents at military bases having Japanese English-language students spend the night as part of a home-stay immersion. Policies vary from base to base in Japan, but the ambiguity of the matter was first raised a month ago when Yokosuka Naval Base commander announced that the common practice would no longer be allowed. Many base residents, who supplement their income by teaching privately, were thrown by the announcement. The base's legal affairs office sought to clarify the issue in a letter, saying, "English teachers, whether privately employed or self-employed are not authorized to have students stay overnight … or to charge their students or anyone else for staying overnight in government quarters." The home-stay practice has used by brokering businesses who offer Japanese students a chance to experience US culture. One quoted in the article said they have rewritten contracts to say students are allowed to pay only for actual lessons and meals to comply with the new rules.
Yokosuka rules ban overnight stays on base for Japanese students learning U.S. culture (May 18, 2004 )

I'm Fine, Thank You. And You? Moshi Moshi?
About 30% of mobile phone users in Japan are interested in using their keitai to learn English, according to a recent survey by search engine Infoseek and the Mitsubishi Research Institute. The eighth survey of contents and services used by keitai owners found that 46.5% are interested in e-learning, of whom almost two-thirds hope to study English (a slightly higher percentage said they want to learn a foreign language other than English). By specific activity, 43.2% of those users expressed an interest in learning vocabulary, while 40.3% said they want to study by listening to lessons or English-language conversations, 38.6% want to test their ability, 35.2% want to read texts online and 23.6% are interested in taking lessons by video phone. More than two-thirds of users spend ten minutes or less in a single study session. The average amount that users would be prepared to spend was ¥635.
Mitsubishi Research Institute | Press Release (Japanese) (May 17, 2004 )

Big Money in Online Eikaiwa
On Friday, The Daily Yomiuri ran an article about companies providing online English lessons, including one low-cost operation whose teachers are based in the Philippines, which has the third-largest English speaking population in the world. Students with the Osaka-based Fourhalf can study up to about 35 hours a month, for a monthly payment of just ¥4,000. Most online schools have an enrollment fee and charge ¥2,500-6,000 per private lesson or ¥1,500-2,600 per group lesson. Companies such as ECC and Global Communications are part of a rapidly growing market: "According to a 2003-04 e-learning white paper prepared by the Advanced Learning Infrastructure Consortium, the e-learning market involving language schools will be worth 10.6 billion yen in fiscal 2004, and its value will increase to 30.9 billion yen in fiscal 2010."
Online lessons feature Philippine teachers (link will expire) ()

Online Registration Launched For TOEFL & GRE
In an effort to increase access and improve service to international students, Educational Testing Service (ETS) has launched an international online registration service for the computer-based TOEFL and GRE general tests. Designed and run by Thomson Prometric, the service provides a quick and easy way for international students to register for the tests in several major languages including Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Test takers can schedule, reschedule or cancel a test as well as view and print a confirmation with all their appointment details. A major credit card is needed to register. "With computer use and availability so widespread around the world, moving to online registration was the next logical step in our efforts to increase access and improve service to students," says Steve Koffler, ETS Vice President of Higher Education programs. "As the world's leading provider of tests used for admission to higher education, we are constantly striving to better serve the international education community."
ETS Registration Site (May 14, 2004 )

Global View of Local Activists
The New York Times ran an article on Wednesday about some of our local foreign activists: David Aldwinckle, a US-born naturalized Japanese citizen who adopted the name Arudou Debito (who has written for ELT News); Olaf Karthaus, a German chemistry professor; and James Eriksson, a Canadian English teacher. The three have been busy dealing with businesses in Hokkaido that actively try to exclude foreigners.
Foreigners Try to Melt an Inhospitable Japanese City ()

University Students to Teach English at Primary Schools
Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, will send a team of students to lecture on their experiences of studying English overseas at local primary schools this academic year. Beginning in May, the first team of students will visit three public primary schools in the city to teach classes in English conversation and international communication. About half the nation's public primary schools have introduced English as part of their general studies classes. However, their teachers are still acquiring teaching methods and material for the newly introduced subject. Annually, about 1,400 of the university's students attend universities overseas. The university has set up a "human resource bank" of students interested in using their language ability and experiences to teach at primary schools. About 430 second, third and fourth-year students who are taking teacher-training courses are registered with the bank. (May 13, 2004 )

The Eigo Samurai
Japan Today yesterday carried an article on Danish karate and kickboxing instructor Nicholas Pettas, who also appears as a samurai on the regular kids' show "Go! Go! Eigo" on Fuji TV. Pettas is perhaps best known in Japan for his stint as a K-1 fighter, cut short by reconstructive surgery to an injured leg.
Speak softly and carry a big kick ()

Bush Honors ESL Teacher
An ESL teacher was awarded first prize by US President George Bush as the 2004 Teacher of the Year at a ceremony held in the White House at the end of April. Bush described 20-year veteran Kathy Mellor as someone who "embodied the qualities that all students and parents hope for in a teacher". Mellor redesigned the ESL programme in North Kingstown, Rhode Island to help foreign students integrate with their English-speaking classmates. She also taught the mothers of those children, using government funding she had sought out herself. Bush used the ceremony to publicize an increase in federal funding to the No Child Left Behind Act, which makes states accountable for meeting educational standards, and rewards those that excel. (May 12, 2004 )

Listen Up!
Gakushu Kenkyusha (Gakken) plan to release a PC software version of their popular English listening material "Eigomimi & Eigoshita" (English Ear & English Tongue). Using "Eigosanmai Mimihen", which will go on sale on May 29, students practice their English listening by typing sentences from the 1,000 or so contained in the program. Users can choose between different levels of gap fill and "native" or "study" speaking speeds. The Windows-only software retails for ¥3,990. A free trial version can be downloaded from the company's Web site.
Gakken Web site (May 11, 2004 )

A Pioneer of Interpretation
Sunday's Japan Times carried a couple of interesting language-related articles. One was on Tatsuya Komatsu, a pioneer in simultaneous interpretation in Japan. Now a teacher at Simul Academy, he has helped ease communication for such luminaries as Kakuei Tanaka, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher and Bill Clinton. Asked whether increased exposure to English in Japan and the advances of computer translation software could spell the end for interpreters, Komatsu replied, "No. Japan is a monolingual society and it is very difficult to improve your English skills. If the demand for interpreters ever decreases, it will be when Japanese people learn to speak English fluently. But I don't see that happening for the next 30, 50 or 100 years."
Simultaneously interpreting both language and culture

The other article was on the subject of Japanese subtitles for English language movies. It looks at the minefield of possible errors that can be made when trying to translate cultural references and jokes. An example given is the Japanese translation of a lawyer's line from the sitcom "thirtysomething": "It's been such a long time since we last met. Don't you have anything else to ask me?" Not quite as funny as the original: "Is that a subpoena in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"
When wrong can be right ()

Harold Bell Scholarships
The British Council is accepting applications for the annual Harold Bell scholarships. One or two scholarships are awarded every year to full-time teachers of English from Japan. "The purpose of the scholarships is to enable teachers of English at Japanese universities, colleges and high schools to improve their ability to use the English language, and to gain a deeper knowledge at first hand of the British way of life, so that their competence as teachers may be improved. The scholarships enable scholars to undertake language and methodology courses at a Bell School in the UK, or at another British school approved by the Trustees."
Applications must be submitted by Monday, May 30. (May 10, 2004 )

New Education Expo 2004
The New Education Expo 2004 will be held May 27-29 in Tokyo and June 2-3 in Osaka. The events introduce to teachers and others in the field the latest developments in education and their practical classroom application. Among the themes this year are language education, deregulatory reform zones and reform of the university system. Former education minister Atsuko Toyama will be one of the Tokyo presenters. There will also be seminars, case studies from schools, and the latest education-related products from manufacturers. The event is free but preregistration is required.
New Education Expo 2004 (Japanese) ()

TOEIC Growth Continues
The number of people taking the TOEIC continues to rise. The Institute for International Business Communication, which administers the test in Japan, announced that the total number of people who sat the test in 2003 was 1.42 million, up 7.5% from 2002. Behind the jump were the increasing use of the test by businesses and educational institutions, the opening of two new test centers, and an increase in the number of annual tests from 7 to 8. IIBC hopes to break the 1.5 million barrier this year.
IIBC Web Site (May 07, 2004 )

Introduction to TEFL
The UK's Telegraph newspaper recently ran an article on TEFL as a "first-rate postgraduate gap-year option". It briefly covers the background and history of TEFL and the various qualifications that can help a would-be teacher get started. It gives options of how to find teaching work from eastern Europe to the Far East. It mentions the JET program, which attracts some 600 British graduates annually.
Can teach, will travel ()

Teach English Holisticly
Heizo Nakajima, a Gakushuin University professor and former president of the English Linguistics Society of Japan, wrote recently to The Asahi Shimbun on the topic of teaching English to young children. He discusses the different factors he feels must be taken into consideration before formally introducing English into the primary school curriculum. He emphasizes the need to avoid placing too heavy a burden on young students, and suggests focusing only on oral and aural aspects of the language. He also hopes English will be taught in a holistic way and not simply become another compulsory entrance exam subject.
Teach elementary kids English in a holistic way (May 06, 2004 )

Young Population Still Shrinking
The number of people under the age of 15 fell by a further 200,000 last year, according to a survey released yesterday by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications. The drop to 13.9% of the total population marks the 30th consecutive year of decline and is the lowest of all G7 countries. The total of 17.81 million children, made up of 9.13 million boys and 8.68 million girls, continues a 23-year falling trend. Considered in 3-year age groups, the numbers grow smaller with reducing age, with 0 to 2-year olds making up only 3.44 million. From a regional perspective, the lowest numbers were seen in Tokyo (12% of the total population) and the highest in Okinawa (19%). The national figure was around 30% up to the 1950s, but went into decline when the postwar baby bom ended in the 1970s. The percentage of kids was overtaken by the number for people over 65 in the 1990s. Comparing the overall percentage with that of other G7 countries, in the US it is 21%, the UK, France and Canada are around 18%, Germany has about 15% and Italy 14%. (from an Asahi.com article)
Story in Japanese ()

We're Off to Oz!
The winners of the 17th Asahi/Nikkei English Essay Contest for high school students were recently announced. The ten top prize winners of the competition go on a two-week study tour to the city of Perth in Western Australia. The annual contest, started in 1988 to commemorate Australia's bicentennial, is organized by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and sponsored by the foreign and education ministries, several Australia/Japan friendship organizations, and the Woolmark Company. This year, 5,165 students from across Japan submitted their essays.
Announcement of winners (Japanese) ()

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