The Latest News in ELT

February 2005

Lord Stevenson to Quit Pearson
It was announced on Sunday that Lord Dennis Stevenson is to quit after eight years as chairman of publisher Pearson. "The board and I have naturally been discussing plans for my succession for some time and this is a good moment to formalise the process," he said, adding that the world's largest education publisher was in "excellent shape" and was "looking forward to some very good years". Reports prior to the announcement claimed Lord Stevenson, who turns 60 this year, was giving up the post before becoming the target of criticism that he had stayed too long - he joined the board in 1986 and became chairman in 1997. The company, which also publishes the Financial Times, was to announce full-year financial results today. These were expected to include a drop in profits of 6% to £3.82 billion, largely due to the weak US dollar. There is speculation that the company, made up of Pearson Education, the FT, and the Penguin Group, might consider disposing of Penguin. (February 28, 2005 )

Experts, Readers Have Their Say on English Education
Last Friday, the 16th installment in the Daily Yomiuri's "In Pursuit of English" series looked at the opinions of local experts on the question of English in primary schools. Though English is already part of the curriculum at over 90% of public elementary schools, opinion on the subject is divided. Those in favor cite such things as: a need to keep up with other Asian countries; teaching students at an age when their intellectual development is still at a level where it can be expressed using basic language ability; and learning to listen and convey their thoughts in a clear way. Those who question the need for early English education have doubts as to whether starting in primary school even gives an advantage in terms of listening ability or vocabulary size. They also fear that giving more classroom time to English will result in less time for other important subjects. They also cited the common concern that English study has a negative effect on the development of Japanese language ability.

The final installment in the series included responses from several readers to the various topics raised in the series. One lamented the lack of communication skills among Japanese students, regardless of whether they were using English or their own language. Another claimed that proficiency in their mother tongue is a prerequisite to acquiring English ability, citing Japanese students in New Zealand who fail to develop fully in either language. Another reader questioned the value of foreign ALTs, suggesting that the budget allocated to them would be better spent on sending Japanese English teachers for training abroad.
Proficiency in mother tongue is essential (link will expire) ()

Problem School Saved by English Program
The 14th installment in the Daily Yomiuri's "In Pursuit of English" looked at how a private high school in Osaka used an English program as part of the efforts that saved it from closure. In the early 1990s, Osaka Kunei High School was faced with many problems, including very low academic standards, falling enrollment, and students running away from home. But a dramatic transformation has ocurred over the last decade, thanks largely to an international course that requires students to spend a year studying abroad, for which they receive full credits. The school also negotiated discount rates for its students at a major English-language school for twice-a-week classes. Since a 1988 revision of the education law, more private schools have been creating foreign study courses.
English leads to school reform (link will expire) (February 25, 2005 )

STEP Test Questions Leaked on Net
Questions being asked in last Sunday's second grade STEP tests were leaked on the Internet while the tests were still underway. The second-stage exam is in an interview format, and students are asked to come at one of two times on the test date. The two possible subjects that students had to answer questions about (an online conference or pirated CDs) were given on the 2 Channel site, Japan's most popular message board. The STEP organization, which is controlled by the education ministry, is considering unifying test times and restricting the use of mobile phones in test centers. English test questions leaked on Net (Daily Yomiuri - link will expire) ()

Longman Announces "TESOL in Texas" Winners
ELT publisher Longman Japan has chosen the two lucky winners of its "TESOL in Texas" competition. Maki Inoue lives in the Nagoya area and teaches at Chukyo University, Aichi University of Education & Nagoya Women's University. Gregory Lamb, a Tokyo resident, teaches at Chuo University, Meiji University, Kyorin University & Tokyo International University. They will attend TESOL 2005 San Antonio from March 30th to April 2nd, where Paul Nation, Henry Widdowson and Douglas Biber are among the plenary speakers. Longman will post a report and some photos on their recently refurbished web site in April.
TESOL web site
Longman Japan web site (February 24, 2005 )

The Trouble With ALTs
The 14th installment in the Daily Yomiuri's "In Pursuit of English" looked at ALT's in the nation's public school system. It seems there are problems inherent in using private companies that dispatch native English-speaking teachers to schools. One issue is whether to continue using the same company, at the same rates, when "fierce competition among companies" can mean lower rates. The article looked at some of the problems that schools have had with teachers, from tardiness to suddenly leaving the country or changing to a different company. While many municialities are having to cut costs, they are equally concerned with maintaining standards. Some ask that teachers give model lessons before choosing a company, and insist that the same teachers be provided.
ALT firms questioned over quality ()

Nova Rocks!
“Oh!” There’s a look of disgust, an awkward silence and the conversation dies. This is the usual response when I tell fellow foreigners I work for Nova. “What’s it like?” is the question that eventually follows—asked with suspicious, scrutinizing eyes.

So begins a recent Metropolis article by Nova teacher Gil Cruz, who paints a very different picture than we usually hear of life working at Japan's biggest eikaiwa school operator. He cites the company's good salary and flexible holiday system as reasons why he's glad he changed his mind about quitting the school.
Good company: Don’t believe everything you hear. Nova rocks! (February 23, 2005 )

Debate in the English Classroom
Yesterday's Language Connection feature in the Daily Yomiuri looked at the use of debate in the English classroom. Debate is part of the global communication course at the Itami Municipal High School in Hyogo Prefecture, and teams from the school will take part in a contest between three schools in the prefecture today. The teacher at the Itami school who runs the class, Hiromi Kubo, won the 53rd Yomiuri Education Award last year for his "efforts and achievements in cultivating practical English-language skills through ordinary classes at a public high school."
Prepare, listen, analyze, respond: Debate reinforces English skills (link will expire) ()

French Continues to Lose Out Against English
Yesterday's Daily Yomiuri also reported on the continuing struggle of the French language to compete with English on the world stage. The number of students studying French continues to decline every year, according to language teachers at the recent Expolangues trade show in Paris. One British teacher of French cites the recent government decision to make second-language study optional for students 14 and older, with subsequent dramatic drops in students taking French, German and Spanish. A teacher from Portugal said that in her country some 70% of students take English courses compared to only 10% studying French. Even in Switzerland, where French is one of the official languages, it is being edged out of classrooms buy the current world lingua franca. ()

Englishwoman Promoting Cultural Understanding in Kawasaki
The Japan Times recently carried an article on Cosmopolitan Consultancy in Kawasaki, described as a study center that "concentrates on using English to introduce and explain other cultures to Japan." The center was established by Englishwoman Suzan Matkin, who first came to Japan many years ago to introduce the Royal Society for the Arts' new examination in 'communicative competence.' After a spell teaching business English at a school in Tokyo, she decided she wanted to work more in the field of intercultural understanding. While the CC does still occasionally teach English, the main focus is on organizing and running courses for businesses and clubs outside their own center.
Cosmopolitan stands for cultural understanding As Suzan explains: "We call this a study center rather than a school. We've covered some 80 countries, using native teachers and speakers, but all through English." Back in the late 1960s, Suzan left her native Diss in England's East Anglia to study English language and literature at the University of London. By the '70s she was teaching in the Cotswolds, at the Western Language Center, where she mingled with students from all over the world. Deciding she wanted to work abroad, she considered Germany, Kuwait and Japan. (February 22, 2005 )

From Phoenix to Himeji
If you're in Arizona and looking for a chance to teach English in Japan, this East Valley Living article is for you. It seems the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission is seeking college graduates for an opportunity to live and work abroad in its sister city of Himeji during the 2005-06 school year. Two positions are available, one as an assistant language teacher (ALT) in a junior high school, the other as an assistant supervising teacher of English, which requires some ESL teaching experience.
Teach English in Japan for a School Year ()

Permanent Dual Nationality Petition
This may be of interest to anyone who is married to a Japanese citizen and has a child from that marriage. As you probably know, such children have dual nationality, but under Japanese law they must choose one nationality by the age of 22. One group that has been working hard to push the government to change the law is The Association for Multi-cultural Families (AMF). It seems the matter will only be discussed in the Diet if there is a large enough number of signatures on a petition. In the past, AMF successfully helped claim the right for children of Japanese mothers to get Japanese nationality, which was not allowed before 1985.

The AMF webpage is in Japanese. Petitions must be submitted in Japanese including your name and full address with your hanko. These are Japanese government restrictions. Petitions written in any other way are not considered valid.
Association for Multi-cultural Families (February 21, 2005 )

Latest From the English Reform Zones
The latest installments in the Daily Yomiuri series "In Pursuit of English" looked at some of the special zones chosen by the government for structural reform and deregulation. For example, Yokokura Primary School in the small city of Kakuda, Miyagi Prefecture, where English is taught once a week. The city has many employees of a Honda affiliate who have worked overseas, and has established a sister-city relationship with Greenfield, Indiana. A group of students travel to the US each year. The article also briefly mentioned some of the other regions where similar English programs are underway.
Special zones prove more than just a fad
The 13th installment continued the theme, focusing on two schools: Narita Primary School in Narita, Chiba Prefecture has had English in its curriculum longer than most, having been designated by the education ministry as a pilot school in 1996. Students in most grades study English for 20 minutes every day and the school administers an interview test given by a native English-speaking ALT; The town of Tomiaimachi in Kumamoto Prefecture starts students on middle school English textbooks while they are still in the fifth or sixth grade. From fifth grade, they have teachers who specialize in teaching English, a maximum of 20 students per class, and have a total of 52 hours of English a year.
Narita primary school models fun English program ()

Share Your Story at JALT2005
The theme for this year's JALT national conference is "Sharing Our Stories." Conference co-chair and regular ELT News contributor Marc Helgesen writes, "As teachers (and as humans) we all have stories - about what we do, how we teach and how we learn. Please consider submitting an abstract to give a presentation at JALT." The deadline is approaching very soon - February 28. For more information, visit the JALT Conference site. Click on "Call for presentations." You can submit your abstract on-line.
Theme: "Sharing Our Stories"
Dates: October 7-10, 2005
Location: Granship Convention Center, Shizuoka, Japan
JALT 2005 Conference web site (February 18, 2005 )

Shane Opens First Business Academy
Shane Corporation has opened its first school to specialize in business English. Shane Academy opened in Roppongi in central Tokyo last month. The school aims to help students develop the flexible language skills needed in the modern business world. All teachers are provided by Shane Language Services, which sends teachers out to businesses. In addition to regular classrooms, the academy has lecture rooms to accomodate any business's needs. Courses include presentation skills, correspondence writing, MBA preparation, and cross-cultural understanding. Shane, which is headquartered in the Edogawa ward of Tokyo, operates over 200 schools centered around the capital and 50 schools overseas. ()

Testing English by Phone
The Daily Yomiuri's series, "In Pursuit of English" continued yesterday. The latest article looked at the testing of English at Japanese companies, focusing on Osaka-based textile manufacturer Teijin Ltd. From next month, the company will make its executive trainees undergo an English test named Telephone Standard Speaking Test (T-SST). The test, which is administered by phone, was introduced by publisher ALC Press last September. Other telephone-based English tests include PhonePass from Thomson; Global Test of English Communication (GTEC) from Berlitz International; and STEP BULATS (Business Language Testing Service), which will be introduced by the Society Testing English Proficiency in April.
Companies set their own standards (link will expire) ()

Companies In Pursuit of English
Yesterday's Daily Yomiuri carried the ninth in its series, "In Pursuit of English." The latest topic is Japanese companies that have made English the lingua franca for in-house communications. An example is Sumida Corporation, a manufacturer of coils, that gives its employees English nicknames and requires them to use English in any meetings where a non-Japanese is present. The firm also employs non-Japanese in its company cafeteria to give employees a chance to speak English. The article also looks at the company's policy regarding targets that it sets for workers' TOEIC scores.
Firms making English office lingua franca (link will expire) (February 17, 2005 )

Valentine's Day Reunion
A nice Valentine's Day story for you from a local US newspaper: it tells of a man on the verge of marriage and a move with his bride-to-be to teach English here in Japan, and how a 26-year old Valentine's Day card led to a reunion with his kindergarten teacher.
Valentine spans years, spurs reunion (February 16, 2005 )

Temple U. First to Officially Fit In
The education ministry announced yesterday that Temple University Japan is to be the first school officially designated under a new regulation as a "Gaikoku Daigaku no Nihonko" (Japanese School of a Foreign University). The designation will allow students to enter Japanese graduate schools or to transfer credits to another university in Japan. Among the basic requirements for qualification, the institution in Japan must award the same degrees as the parent school in the home country. Until the new regulation was introduced at the end of last year, Japan-based schools of foreign universities had no official place in the Japanese education system. Temple University Japan is one of the international campuses of the Pennsylvania university, and was established in Tokyo in 1982. It currently has around 2,100 students, of whom about two thirds are Japanese. (February 15, 2005 )

Nova Opening Bilingual Daycare Centers
Major eikaiwa school operator Nova recently announced the opening of two bilingual daycare centers. The first "Super Bilingual Hoiku, Nova Kids²" center opened in Gifu prefecture at the end of January. A second will open in Nagoya on March 10. The centers, for kids aged 2-6, offer two hours of English conversation a day with foreign language instructors. The registration fee is ¥50,000 and the monthly rate for daycare is ¥99,300 for five hours a day, Monday to Friday, about three times the monthly rate for a standard full-time daycare facility. Until the end of March, Nova is offering 50% off the registration fee at both centers, a free "Nova Usagi," its popular pink rabbit character, and a free sample lesson. ()

Tongji University to Open Japan School
Tongji University, one of China's most prestigious centers of higher learning, is to be the first Chinese university to open a school in Japan. Most classes at the branch in Osaka will be taught in Japanese and English, and will focus on science subjects, Tongji's strong point. The school aims to have about 100 students initially, most of whom are expected to be seeking to work in the future economic powerhouse. ()

Do Keitais Have a Place in the Classroom?
Many teachers consider mobile phones nothing but a distraction and a nuisance in the classroom. In fact, most schools ban them altogether. But there are some university teachers who've learned not only to live with them, but to even use them to enhance their lessons. Yesterday's International Herald Tribune carried an article on the current situation in Japan. The article doesn't mention any language-clasroom applications for the phones, but it's probably just a matter of time before someone comes up with something.
In Japan, classroom bane becomes teachers' pet (February 14, 2005 )

5 "Languages" for Academic Success
In Friday's Daily Yomiuri, Mitsuo Miura cited English as just one of five 'languages' needed to increase academic abilities in Japan. He stresses the importance of English as an international communication tool, rather than trying to become bilingual. He considers it "sufficient for them to learn to collect and send information at an international level." The other languages were Japanese, the artificial language of computers, the theoretical language of mathematics, and the language of accounting.
5 'languages' needed to stop academic decline (Link will expire) ()

The Age Honors Nunan
Linguist David Nunan was recently listed in The Age newspaper of Melbourne as one of the 50 Australians who have "made the world a different place." A native of Australia, Nunan serves as Chair Professor of Applied Linguistics and Director of the English Centre at the University of Hong Kong. Nunan has published more than 100 books and articles in the areas of curriculum and materials development, classroom-based research, and discourse analysis. Nunan is widely respected, and has "developed theories that have been hugely influential in the spread of English through Asia." Nunan served as the president of TESOL in 1999-2000. (From a story on TESOL.org)
David Nunan interview with ELT News (February 10, 2005 )

Cooking Up a Storm in English
Harumi Kurihara is sometimes referred to as Japan's equivalent of Martha Stewart or the "Naked Chef", Jamie Oliver. She has write a slew of cookery and lifestyle books, selling more than 10 million copies in Japan, and is regarded as the country's most famous housewife. Her latest challenge was to write a cookery book in English. Published by Conran Octopus Cookery in London last September, it has been chosen as the best cookbook in Asia in 2004 in the Gourmand Awards. Kurihara has decided to take the next logical step: she has enrolled in a full-immersion English-language program in Canada so that she can teach cooking classes in English. The 57-year old kitchen celebrity says, "I have a feeling that there are going to be some dramatic developments for me in my 60s." ()

Pursuing a Better TOEIC Score
Yesterday's Daily Yomiuri included the sixth in its "In Pursuit of English" series, which focused on the use of the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) in third-level education. Of the 378 universities that gave the test to all students, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and Yamaguchi University were the two examples featured in the article. The test is increasingly being used by universities as more and more companies set minimum score requirements for new employees. The TOEIC is used in 60 countries worldwide, but for some reason the majority of examinees are in South Korea and Japan: out of a total of 3.4 million tests taken in fiscal 2003, 3 million were taken in those two countries alone, of which 1.42 million people sat for the test in Japan.
TOEIC classes now essential at universities ()

Teachers Saved By Party Spirit
Yesterday's Japan Times reported on some English teacher who had a lucky escape from the tsunami that hit South Asia in December. Several teachers ascribe their good fortune to a hedonistic spirit that took them away from one of the hardest-hit areas the very night before the disaster. One teacher talks about the two types of people in the aftermath, those that seemed to be "on a high" and "bright-eyed" and those that were simply in shock. Despite the large number of English language teachers in the region over the Christmas holidays -- Nova alone had 50 teachers there -- there was not one fatality. Two teachers on the JET program were reportedly injured. Both organizations are offering counselling to teachers if needed.
Foreign teachers have lucky escape (February 09, 2005 )

Immigrants to UK Must Speak English
The British government is to make English ability a prerequisite for skilled workers looking to settle in the UK. All foreigners applying for visas are to be fingerprinted to prevent overstayers. "This country needs migration. Tourists, students and migrant workers make a vital contribution to the U.K. economy. But we need to ensure that we let in migrants with the skills and talents to benefit Britain, while stopping those trying to abuse our hospitality and place a burden on our society," Home Secretary Charles Clarke said on Monday. There are also plans to introduce a points system, similar to that in place in Australia, that gives preference to professionals such as doctors and engineers. Workers who wish to stay permanently in the UK must have lived there for five years and must be able to write and speak in English. The moves are part of an EU-wide campaign to stamp out illegal immigration. ()

Why Japan?
In a local newspaper in Maine, Deborah Lea writes about how she came to be teaching English in Japan. While she says she's happy to be here, Japan wasn't her first choice. But teaching in Thailand didn't pay enough to enable her to repay her law school loan and South Korea just didn't work out. The process by which she ended up here may be informative for anyone else considering taking the leap.
Why Japan? ()

Charisma Navigation
Now visitors to Kyoto have an alternative to tourist maps and confusing signs. Charisma Navigation is the name of a new personal navigation system that helps people find their way around the ancient capital in Japanese, English or Korean. And the Kyoto Industry and Tourism Bureau believe the device has the potential to triple the number of foreign visitors. The system uses a global positioning system-equipped cell phone together with online mapping technology to help users find over 1,000 places of interest. Destinations can be searched by type, area or cost, or users can follow a preset recommended route designed to help them make the most of each day of their stay. There are even narrated previews of each route with photos of the various spots along the way. The system includes "EZ Navi Walk," a pedestrian tourist's equivalent of a car navigation system that gives detailed instructions based on one's exact location.

Charisma Navigation is currently undergoing trials, and for the next three months is available for free. Users just complete a short survey after returning the phone. Phones can be picked up at Kansai International Airport, Kyoto train station and a number of other locations in the region.
Charisma Navigation (February 08, 2005 )

Teacher Going Through Hoops
Nathan Stoops teaches English each morning to a group of elementary school kids privately and at the Kanazawa junior high school which New York Yankee outfielder Hideki Matsui attended in his younger days. He is also one of only five American professional basketball players in Japan, and plays for the Ishikawa Blue Sparks of the Nihon League. A local newspaper in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana, carried an article on him recently.
()

In Pursuit of English
The Daily Yomiuri has continued its "In Pursuit of English" series over the last few days. Friday's article was on a 7-year old first grader who, together with her younger sister, has attained a high level of English fluency despite the fact that their parents speak no English. The parents started their children's English education early, with videos, CDs and flashcards, and enrolled them in an international preschool. The elder sister has already passed the level 2 STEP test, considered suitable for high school graduates.
Jumping past mother's tongue
Saturday's article looked at the growing number of private schools that offer English immersion programs. These include Katoh School in Shizuoka prefecture, Linden Hall in Fukuoka prefecture, and the Gunma Kokusai Academy, which is set to open in April.
Private schools blaze trails
Yesterday's article continued the theme of schools with an English immersion program. The Chuo Secondary School in Takasaki, Gunma prefecture currently employs only one non-Japanese teacher, to teach music and English, but plans to hire one more this year. Finding such teachers is considered the biggest headache in running such a program. The article also looks at the difficulties imeersion programs pose for both schools and students.
Success equals right teacher in job (all links will expire) (February 07, 2005 )

Nova Expands Mobile Service
Major eikaiwa school chain Nova has tied up with KDDI's au mobile phone service. "Nova Keitai Ryugaku" was launched yesterday for au's 17.5 million EZWeb users, adding to the millions who have had access through NTT's DoCoMo since last July. The service costs ¥315 per month plus access charges. Among the several subcategories of the service, Nova uses news from the AFP network to create contents in 10 categories such as business and sports; a user can have their English level checked by the famous Nova Usagi (rabbit); travel phrases; crossword puzzles; and a view of Japan through the eyes of Nova's foreign teachers. (February 04, 2005 )

Parents Accompanying Kids on Study Trips
The second installment in the Daily Yomiuri's "In Pursuit of English" series yesterday looked at the growing number of parents taking their children overseas for study trips. The article told the story of one family whose mother and 7-year old daughter recently left to spend a month in Australia. The mother is a licensed English teachers who teaches at a primary school in Tokyo. According to a spokesperson for ALC press, the most popular destinations are Australia, which allows parents to accompany their children long-term on a guardian visa, and New Zealand. The publishing company has been running tours since 1998. Another company in the field is major eikaiwa school operator ECC, which has seen the number of participants increase by 30-40% every year.
Families go abroad to study ()

Get 'em While They're Young!
The Daily Yomiuri continues to turn out education-related articles, the latest series being on English-language learning. The new series started yesterday and is called "In Pursuit of English." The first installment looks at new services that go one step further than starting English in elementary school by offering English to preschoolers. Nova, the country's largest eikaiwa chain school operator, recently opened its first day-care center, in a large commercial complex in Gifu, and already plans to open a second in Aichi next month. Fees start at almost ¥100,000 yen a month, almost four times the national average for day-care facilities. Day-care is available for up to eight hours a day, of which two hours are spent with foreign English-language teachers.

Poppins Corp, the country's largest provider of day-care services, has seen high demand for places at its preschools. It opened the International Preschool in Tokyo's Shibuya ward last September and had 100 applicants for 30 places despite fees of ¥150,000 per month. Other large corporations competing in the field are Benesse and ECC Junior, both of which operate schools run by mothers from their own homes. Early start to English study (February 03, 2005 )

Looking at the Problems Facing Primary School English
Yesterday's Daily Yomiuri ran an article on the topic of English education in Japan's elementary schools, roughly 90% of which now have the subject in their curriculum. It looked at a school in Osaka prefecture that was one of the earliest pilot schools designated by the education ministry in 1996. Despite the school having been through almost a decade of early English education, the benefits are not entirely clear and the transition to neighboring middle schools is still not smooth. There is also the issue of requiring homeroom teachers to handle English classes, in spite of the fact that many have had little or no training. Comparisons are made with Taiwan and South Korea, which initiated training programs for teachers before making English compulsory at the primary school level.
Primary school English on shaky ground (link will expire) (February 02, 2005 )

More Schools Switching to Semesters
Asahi.com reported yesterday on the growing number of public schools switching from the trimester to the semester system. With two terms per year instead of three, the number of examinations and opening and closing ceremonies decreses. As a result, schools report that they are able to have more classroom time and find it easier to organize school events. The education ministry says that 9%#37; of public elementary schools, 10% of middle schools and 26% of senior high schools were using the semester system in the 2004 school year. (February 01, 2005 )

Calls For Papers
Some deadlines are approaching if you want to submit papers for any of the following conferences:

Japanese Society for Language Sciences 2005
Due: Tuesday, February 15th, 2005

JALT Pan-SIG Conference 2005
Due: Sunday, February 20th, 2005

JALT 2005 National Conference
Due: Monday, February 28th, 2005

SIETAR Japan Year 2005 20th Conference
Due: Thursday, March 24th, 2005
(The Society for Intercultural Education, Training, And Research)

For more details, see the ELT Calendar web site ()

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