The Latest News in ELT

January 2005

Re-examining Entrance Exams
In his latest monthly column in the Daily Yomiuri, Mike Guest of Miyazaki University questions the widely held view that university entrance English exams are all about grammar. Many teachers in Japan are used to hearing the mantra that secondary English education is based on the yakudoku (reading and translation) approach because that is what students face when they take the all-important "jukken" exams. But Guest points out that "time and time again it has been shown that university entrance exams do not focus extensively on English-to-Japanese sentence translation or grammar skills." He goes through the latest "Center Exam," compulsory for all national university applicants and used by a growing number of private schools, section by section. The test includes sections on syllable and word stress, choosing words or phrases to complete exchanges, rhetorical signals, essays and narration - a combination which requires a wide variety of language skills and correspond to "what most highly regarded reading textbooks and teachers demand, especially in terms of meaning-based and holistic comprehension."
Entrance exams--not what you think (link will expire) (January 31, 2005 )

Teachers Confirmed Safe
According to an article in yesterday's Japan Times, several dozen teachers whose whereabouts were unknown after last month's tsunami have been confirmed to be safe. 44 English teachers at major language schools and one on the JET Program have returned to work and resumed classes. 40 work for Nova, two each at ECC and Geos. "I am very relieved that they have returned safely," a Nova spokesman said.
English teachers safe after tsunami: schools (January 28, 2005 )

Parents Pin Hopes on Immersion Programs
The Daily Yomiuri yesterday started a new series called Educational Renaissance that will examine cases of parents seeking alternatives to the conventional education system. The first installment looked at a couple of families who have decided to go to great lengths to enroll their children in newly established foreign language immersion programs. One is the Gunma Kokusai Academy in the city of Ota, which received quite a bit of publicity as the flagship project in one of the first government-approved deregulatory zones. From April, the school will offer a combined primary, middle and senior school in a seamless 12-year curriculum and will teach all classes except Japanese, social studies and first- and second-grade ethics classes in English. Another story was of a family set to move from Tokyo to Fukuoka so that their child can attend the Linden Hall Elementary School, which opened in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture last year. The article also mentions research from last year that showed 14.7% of children surveyed, aged from 3 to 6, go to an English-language learning center, a three-fold increase over five years ago.
Parents more keen on kids' language learning (January 27, 2005 )

Artist Opens English Library for Kids
Asahi.com yesterday carried an article on Keiko Yoshikawa, 60, a pressed-flower artist who has converted part of her house into an English picture-book library for young readers. Yoshikawa lived in Vancouver in the 1990s and collected several hundred English-language books. On her return to Japan in 2003, she built a home in Mie prefecture that includes a loft space that she made into a library. her home also includes a coffee shop she called Cafe Canada. "It is not surprising people cannot speak English, even if they know grammar," Yoshikawa said. "I would like everyone to read as many books as possible to help them understand clearly what their partner is talking about in a conversation. I hope the kids will take this opportunity to enjoy learning English." She is currently looking for student volunteers to read to the children. Library of English books opens for kids (January 26, 2005 )

ETJ Hokkaido Has New Coordinator
After two years as the coordinator for the Hokkaido group of ETJ, Peter Schinckel is stepping down and will be replaced by Laura Yoshida. Laura and her wonderful Aussie personality is well known in Sapporo and an active member of the ETJ groups. Schinkel said, "With Laura will come a breath of fresh air and a more dynamic group. I ask that all members give their full support to the group as well as supporting the regular workshops." He will continue as a member and supporter of ETJ & ETJ Hokkaido. ()

Careful Who You Teach
Teaching English to terrorists unintentionally could be grounds for detention as an enemy combatant at Guantanamo Bay, according to US government lawyers. The assertion was made by Deputy Associate Attorney General Brian Boyle during federal court hearings last month into the supreme court's ruling on the right of Guantanamo prisoners to challenge their detention in US courts. According to Associated Press, when asked by Judge Joyce Hens Green if a hypothetical resident of England who teaches English to the son of an al-Qaida leader could be detained, Boyle said he could because "al-Qaida could be trying to learn English to stage attacks there". Boyle compared that aid to "those shipping bullets to the front". (Guardian Weekly) (January 25, 2005 )

English the Common Language for Asylum Seekers
Eight North Koreans entered a Japanese school in Beijing yesterday and handed staff a note written in English saying they wanted to go to South Korea. According to officials, the note said, "We are North Korean. We want to go to South Korea. Please call the Japanese Embassy. Help me." The embassy sent a bus to pick up the five women, man and two girls. ()

A Common Tale
Joanne Eifler, a native of the Wisconsin city of Racine, has been teaching in Japan for the last year and has had some of her experiences published in her hometown newspaper. After getting set up - including her visa and apartment as well as a job - with an Aeon school, she soon left and now works at a public junior high school in Nagoya. She plans to return to the US in April. A Racinian in Japan: 'I've learned some big things here' (January 24, 2005 )

Let Us Guide You
The government has announced plans to make it easy to qualify as a professional foreign-language guide as part of its plan to increase the number of foreign tourists. There are plans to waive part of the exam for applicants who have passed Level 1 in a test run by the Society for Testing English Proficiency or hold similar qualifications. The existing licensing system will also be replaced with a registration system. In 2004, the total number of foreign vistors to Japan exceeded 6 million for the first time, but the government's target is 10 million by 2010. Last year, only 5.3% of 6,300 applicants passed the rigorous examination administered by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, bringing the total number of licensed guides to a little over 9,000. ()

New: Classroom English / Classroom Japanese CD
"I want to learn English myself" was one of the biggest cries that GenkiEnglish.com 's Richard Graham heard on his many teaching workshops in elementary schools last year. Many of the teachers want to learn English but find the children's materials too easy and normal conversation material not really useful. So Richard collated together all the most useful phrases that teachers use in class and in lesson planning, and has just launched them on a brand new Genki English CD. "Hopefully this will help solve some of the communication problems between ALTs and HRTs" said Richard. The CD, available for ¥2,940, also contains recordings of the phrases in Japanese.
GenkiEnglish.com web site (January 21, 2005 )

English Entrance Exam Scores Down
Average scores from the recently held national university entrance exams were published on Wednesday. The tests were held nationwide last Saturday and Sunday. The average score for the English language test was 116.54 out of a maximum of 200 points (58.27%). It was also down noticably from last year's 64.87%, and was by far the lowest of the five foreign language tests: Chinese (87.76%), Korean (78.69%), German (67.48%) and French (67.16%). 44 students will be retaking the foreign language tests at the Tohoku Institute of Technology this weekend, due to their test time being mistakenly cut short. ()

Be as Canadian as You Can Be
Darek Gondor is an English teacher in Sano, a small city north of Tokyo. He wrote this week for a news site in his native Canada about his experience as a new arrival in Japan (presumably on the JET Program). Facing his first class, he asked his Japanese colleague, "What should I do?" The response: "Anything you want." "Specifically?" "Be as Canadian as you can be." Yet, after joining a school trip to Tokyo Disneyland, Gondor seems to have managed to break down a lot of the barriers between foreign teacher and students.
Permission to Speak Freely (January 20, 2005 )

Japanese Student in Brighton Knife Attack
A Japanese student is recovering in a Brighton hospital after suffering a knife attack in the southern English city. The 24-year old man, who is staying with a local host family, was stabbed in the chest and abdomen while walking on a quiet street on Saturday night. He was listed in critical condition on admission to the Royal Sussex County Hospital but is expected to make a full recovery. Police are investigating the motive for the attack and are also interested to know why the man walking in a part of the city described as "very isolated." Two men were arrested on Sunday and are currently free on bail, pending inquiries. ()

"Hi, My Name is Kevin..."
"Hi, My name is Kevin. Nice to meet you." This was part of a post on the popular 2-Channel online bulletin board just hours before it appeared on the English test section of the national standardized university entrance examination on Sunday. There were also mentions of questions that later appeared in the Japanese test. The nationwide test is taken by all students hoping to enter national universities, and recently used by an increasing number of private schools. Tests are very closely guarded and it is likely that the latest leak, if confirmed to be one, will lead to an intensive investigation. With over half a million students taking the so-called "Sentaa shiken", many would have visited the 2-Channel as it is one of the country's most visited online communities. Posters who correctly "predict" what will appear on tests are referred to as "kami" (Gods). The content of the posts was too insignificant to have affected test scores, but the leak will damage the reputation of the national examination. (January 19, 2005 )

Nakayama Speaks on Curriculum Change
Education minister Nakayama Nariaki gave a clear indication after a regional "school meeting" yesterday that the ministry is looking to reverse recent changes in the national curriculum. The ministry is considered likely to soon announce measures to address the problem of dropping academic standards, such as a return to Saturday lessons, more focus on the basic subjects, and less on "yutori kyoiku" (pressure-free education). While English is not one of the four basic subjects (Japanese, math, science and social studies), the current change in approach is likely to affect how much time is available for English classes in the revised curriculum. ()

We Don't Need No (English) Education
With recent moves to introduce English to the elementary school curriculum, many have assumed that such a change is inevitable. But there are educators who disagree with such a move, or at least with the way in which they see it being implemented. The Daily Yomiuri reported yesterday on a recent symposium dominated by criticism of the education ministry's current perceived direction. Organized by Keio University, the event had the clearcut title of "Primary Schools Don't Need to Teach English" and drew an audience of about 650 people.
Taking a stand over compulsory English (link will expire) ()

Cultural Exchange in Okinawa
The Stars and Stripes web site carried an article yesterday on Japanese elementary school students experiencing a bit of American life on a US base in Okinawa. About 80 third-grade students from Kitatama Elementary School in Chatan visited the Bob Hope Primary School on the Kadena Air Base. They spent the day with American students, trying their hand at various activities and games. Kitatama is one of the schools in the region that has already introduced English into its curriculum. Students are taught by volunteers from the base.
Third-graders welcome Okinawans into Kadena classroom for study, play time (January 18, 2005 )

Center Examinee Numbers Down Again
The number of students taking the standardized entrance exams for national universities was down again this year. The exams, which took place nationwide last Saturday and Sunday, are compulsory for all national universities as well as a growing number of private institutes. But the total of examinees was down for the second year running, by 17,000 to 569,950 at 712 test centers. Among the applicants,74% were senior high school students. One glitch this year was a foreign-language test which was mistakenly ended too early at Tohoku Institute of Technology in Sendai on Saturday. Those affected will be able to take another test at a later date. ()

Next-level Machine Translation System on the Way
The Daily Yomiuri reported last Friday on "a government-sponsored project to develop a multilingual audio-text translation system." The system, set to be completed by spring of next year, is said to automatically translate spoken or written language, allowing people to communicate in four languages using cell phones or personal digital assistants. The system would access a database of half a million phrases, or 5 million words, in Japanese, Chinese, English, and Korean. The size of the database and the level of speech recognition technology mean that the system represents a considerable step forward in the practical application of machine translation. Under development since 2003, the project is entrusted to the private sector, guided by the goverment's IT Strategy Council and the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry.
Cyber-Babel system nearing completion (link will expire) (January 17, 2005 )

What is English Anyway?
An editorial in yesterday's Japan Times looked at the question of what we mean by "English" and whether even something like "American English" can really be pinned down. It also considered the dilemna of English language students who may be confused by all the regional varieties and accents they encounter among teachers in Japan. Taking just one country as an example, "Do You Speak American?" is the title of a book and TV documentary that challenged the idea of a single, unified language across the US and found many examples to either support or contradict such an idea.
English as you like it ()

Talking to Shane
Japan Today's latest "executive impact" feature is on Shane Lipscombe, Chief Executive of Shane English Schools and Saxoncourt. With over 200 schools in Japan, largely centered around Tokyo but recently expanding nationwide, Shane is one of the country's biggest chains of English schools. There are also over 50 schools teaching 60,000 students in Asia and around the world. And like many success stories, it had humble beginnings, in this case the kitchen of Lipscombe's apartment in Chiba prefecture more than 20 years ago. Saxoncourt is a holding company that also publishes books, carries out teacher training, teacher recruitment, children's examinations and sells these products to other schools, including Shane's competitors.
Teaching Japan a lesson (January 14, 2005 )

Rats! It's All Dutch to Me
According to a China Daily report, researchers in Spain have shown that rats can use the rhythm of human language to tell the difference between Dutch and Japanese. Their study suggests that "animals, especially mammals, evolved some of the skills underlying the use and development of language long before language itself ever evolved." This is the first study to show that an animal other than a monkey shares this skill with humans. The Dutch and Japanese languages were chosen because they are very different from one another in use of words, rhythm and structure, and had been used in earlier, similar tests.
Study: Rats can tell Japanese from Dutch (January 13, 2005 )

Many Regions Support Saturday Lessons
A recent survey by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper has confirmed the trend to hold Saturday classes at public schools. The education ministry switched all schools nationwide to a five-day week in 2002, and the education law states that both Saturday and Sunday are holidays. But mainly due to the need to prepare students for university entrance examinations, many schools never fully implemented the change. Teachers work Saturdays as "volunteers" or supplementary lessons (hoshuu) are "sponsored" by PTAs. Teachers may receive days off in lieu. Currently eight prefectures recognize such Saturday activities as official business, while 12 allow PTAs to support them financially. As an example, in a 2003 survey over half of the 160 municipal schools in Osaka prefecture had Saturday lessons run by teachers on a volunteer basis. From last September, the prefectural board of education now classifies this as official work time. In Tokyo, teachers are allowed one paid half day of "home research" to prepare for each Saturday they work. Some districts are more strict about keeping supplementary lessons on a purely voluntary basis, saying that teachers should not get preferential treatment when many other people in the community give freely of their time in local activities.
Asahi.com report (Japanese) ()

Japan Following UK's Example
It seems that many measures being enacted to counter dropping academic levels in Japan are based on changes implemented to tackle the problem in the UK since the late 1980s. Asahi.com carried an article at the weekend on the issue, which looked at the British national curriculum tests for primary students, and the move to focus more classroom time on teach rather than fun or free activities, even for 5-year olds. A league table of test results listed by school is made public every year. Current education minister Nariaki Nakayama said last year that it is likely that Japan will reintroduce the national exam that has been out of favor since the 1980s as well as other measures that will likely lead to increased competition between schools.
Asahi.com article (Japanese)
BBC: School league tables (January 12, 2005 )

Up-to-date News-based Lesson Plans
Breaking News English, the free lesson plan online resource based on current events, is now more user-friendly for Japanese students. "I now have a page with Japanese instructions that Japanese learners can access every day for their daily news and vocabulary section," said owner Sean Banville, who describes his site as bringing students the "Earth's most right-up-to-date lessons."
Breaking News English ()

1 in 3 Middle School Students Don't Study at Home
A recent survey has shown that 32.8% of Tokyo junior high school students say they don't study alone at home. The survey, carried out by Benesse, also revealed that about three quarters of the 1,500 students who took part believe that "there's more to life than studying." 21.9% said they study at home between 1 and 2 hours a day, and 18.9% study less than an hour. Those who study 2-3, 3-4, or 4 or more hours a day totalled 26.5%. (January 11, 2005 )

English Busses For Kyoto Tourists
Kyoto is to provide English guidance and sightseeing information on city bus routes popular with foreign tourists. From January 19, "Raku Basu" will run on three routes, with announcements in English and bus stops written in English, Chinese and Korean as well as Japanese. Bus maps in all four languages will be published at the end of the month and multilingual information signs are scheduled to appear at all famous sightseeing spots by March. Two bus routes leave from Kyoto Station: 100, which passes Shimizudera en route to Ginkakuji; and 101, which takes in Nijo Castle on the way to Kinkakuji. Route 102 departs from the Kinrin depot and passes the Kyoto Gyoen gardens on its way to Kinkakuji. A total of ¥80 million has been spent on the plan, half provided by the central government. ()

One to Watch Out For
A recent article on the future of higher education in California included the following: "Other technologies under development in California research labs could ease burdens on the state's infrastructure. These include software to teach English that is as effective as a one-on-one tutor and as engaging as the best video game..."

With colleges like UC Berkeley and Stanford being the breeding ground for companies of the stature of Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Sun, a development of this type could have real implications for EFL teachers worldwide in the not too distant future.
California must keep its edge. Higher education needs active support (January 07, 2005 )

Shizuoka English Teacher Arrested
A high school English teacher has been arrested in Shizuoka for sexually assaulting a female student. The 42-old Japanese teacher at a private school assaulted the student in a classroom and at his home between February and May 2003. The student was 17 at the time. She reported the incidents to the police after her graduation last September. The school principal expressed disbelief at the story, saying the teacher was hard-working and hadn't had any previous complaints. ()

Traveling British Teachers Safe
The Mainichi Shimbun reported today that two Saitama-based British English teachers believed to have been traveling in southeast Asia are safe. The report did not give names, but local boards of education said that both were British females. One is a teacher in Toda city who notified a fellow teacher of her whereabouts on January 2. The other, who contacted the BOE from her home in the UK, teaches in Iwatsuki. It can be inferred from the report that both teachers are ALT's on the JET Program. (January 06, 2005 )

TEFL.com Helping Disaster Assistance Effort
The team at TEFL.com have been doing great work providing assitance and support for the efforts to help survivors of the Tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia. in addition to funneling money donations to charity and aid organizations, they are also coordinating donations of EFL materials.

"We have had requests from educational organisations in the stricken region for EFL materials which were lost in the disaster. We are already in touch with the major ELT publishers and specialist booksellers requesting assistance in replacing these materials and the response has been truly encouraging. Over the coming weeks we expect to receive more requests for material assistance, therefore additional support from all our colleagues will be very welcomed by the recipients."

If you'd like to make a donation, financial or otherwise, or just get involved, please visit the TEFL.com site.
TEFL.com ()

New Tokyo Uni. to Use Berlitz Teachers
The new Tokyo Metropolitan University will hire English conversation teachers from Berlitz Japan to teach half of its compulsory English classes. The move was described as being aimed at having native speakers in the classroom, but it is seen as a result of an inability to coordinate the curriculum in line with employment regulations for part-time teachers. With only three months before the new school opens, textbooks and other curricular decisions have been left to Berlitz, which was chosen from five bidding companies. The decision has been criticized as buck-passing and irresponsible.

The outsourcing applies to one of two weekly "Jisen Eigo" (practical English) periods to be taken by the 75 freshman classes. The class will teach basic communication for self-introduction, and e-mail and other writing skills.

The university is not allowed to issue instructions directly with the dispatched teachers, as doing so would be in violation of labor laws. Teachers will be kept separated from regular university staff. Similar regulations apply to other work seconded by the metropolitan government, but such work is in areas like maintenance and security. Critics say that regulations, such as the one that will limit teacher-student contact time to one hour after lessons, are not conducive to a learning environment.
Story in Japanese (Asahi.com)
Tokyo Metropolitan University web site (Japanese) ()

Gomi Night for the English-Teaching Roaches
Paul Gerald wrote recently in the Memphis Flyer about his time as a "gaijin in Japan." He spent his time in an Osaka tatami "crash pad" with a motley assortment of people from around the world who were "only there to teach English, save money, then spend their earnings romping around the rest of Asia." In his article he describes Japan as "America on steroids" and recounts an adventure familiar to many people in their early days here: Gomi night.
Life as a gaijin in Japan: Gomi Night ()

Govt. to Allow Vacationing Students to Teach
Japan plans to promote international grass-roots exchanges by allowing foreign university students on vacation to serve as language teachers for courses sponsored by local governments, Justice Ministry officials said Monday. New immigration rules that will allow such foreign students to receive payments will be implemented as early as February, paving the way for them to teach classes for elementary, junior high and high school students as paid instructors, they said.

Students visiting Japan are currently classified as short-term visitors, and are not allowed to receive compensation for labor. The new system will enable students to stay for up to three months to take part in local communities' international exchange programs, including foreign-language courses. The town of Ono in Fukushima Prefecture intends to invite students from the United States to teach English to primary school students. (Kyodo News) (January 05, 2005 )

We Love Mother
"Mother" has been chosen as the most beautiful word in English in a survey by the British Council. The survey was carried out to find the 70 most beautiful words in the English language, as 2004 marked the Council's 70th anniversary. Some 850 students at the Council's teaching centres in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya were among the thousands of learners of English in 102 countries who took part. Other popular words included "passion," "smile" and "love." But there were also some unexpected choices, such as "banana" (#41), "hippopotamus" (#52), and "oi" (#61).
The British Council web site (January 04, 2005 )

Kyoto JALT Meeting
The Kyoto chapter of JALT will sponsor a presentation by David Barker of Nagoya Women's University later this month. Entitled "Dealing with the 'x-factor': group dynamics in the language classroom," it will be held at Kyoto Kyoiku Bunka Center from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Saturday January 22. Most teachers are aware that there is a certain 'magic ingredient' that can override all other considerations in determining how successful a language class will be. This presentation will discuss ways in which we can both assess and develop the group dynamic in our classrooms. See the Kyoto JALT site for directions to the site, or contact Neil Heffernan for more info. ()

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