The Latest News in ELT

April 2005

Golden Week Holidays
Today is Greenery Day (Midori no Hi), a national holiday and the beginning of Golden Week. ELT News will be updated again from Friday, May 6. (April 29, 2005 )

NHK Shaking Up "Gogaku" Schedule
This spring has seen a shift in how public broadcaster NHK handles its many TV and radio shows for language-learners. In languages other than English, there has been a move away from building shows around a young female "idol," who would start on the show as a beginner, towards using more unique personalities such as comedians and even sumo wrestlers. While demographics and an increase in commercially available products have seen a decline in the number of people studying using the shows, NHK's lineup for learners of English remains wide and varied. The network airs 10 different shows, five each on TV and radio. Recently introduced new shows include one that uses a "3-month topic" approach, with a theme that changes every quarter, and another based on a BBC drama series called "Miami 7." ()

English Special in Daily Yomiuri
Today's Daily Yomiuri carries a 4-page feature on "The Japanese and the English Language". The feature includes a variety of articles on different aspects of language learning, including English for business, children's and seniors' English, and English in showbusiness. (All links to Daily Yomiuri articles will expire in several days)
English in business / Don't just speak, understand
English for senior citizens / Elderly prove keen on English
English for senior citizens / Going abroad to study English
English in teaching / Kiddie English
English in teaching / English education overhaul not yet finished
English in showbiz / Agnes Chan touts English's value (April 28, 2005 )

Packun Sells Fukui
Comedian Patrick Harlan (34), better known as Packun of the manzai duo Packun Mackun, has been appointed as a "Fukui Brand Ambassador." Prefectural governor Nishikawa Issei met Harlan in Tokyo on Tuesday to formally register him as a "salesman" for the prefecture. Since the PR campaign was launched last May, some 1,200 Fukui residents have registered. The Colorado native and Harvard University graduate said, "Fukui is like my second home. I hope to be able to do a good PR job." Harlan was encouraged to come to Japan and become an English conversation teacher in Fukui city in 1993 by a friend who was working as an ALT at a local high school. He spent two and a half years in the city. Among his recent television appearances, he is a regular presenter of the late-night "Eigo de Shaberanaito" show on NHK. At Tuesday's PR event, Nishikawa used some unique English to describe his domain: "Not the small, not the big, just right size." (photo copyright Chunichi Shimbun)

On a somewhat related note, an NHK employee who works on the "Eigo de Shaberanaito" show was arrested on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a high school girl on a train in Kanagawa Prefecture. ()

Eikaiwa School to Open on Todai Campus
An English conversation school is to open on the campus of the School of Engineering at Tokyo University next month. Berlitz Japan and the International Education Center (IEC, also known as Nichibei Gakuin) will use vacant classrooms after regular school hours, and classes will be held about once a week over a 10-week course. Each class will have six to twelve students, and teachers will be native English speakers with some technical background. Courses will be mainly for third and fourth-year students, who don't have English as part of their curriculum, but will not be counted as credits. ()

Candian Firm Hopes to Calm TOEFL "Freak Out"
A Canadian software company is hoping its TOEFL preparation program will calm student fears in Asia, according to a recent article in the Vancouver Sun. With the test soon to incoporate new speaking and listening elements, many students in the region are "freaking out," says ACT360 Solutions Ltd. president Vincent Wong. Test administrator Educational Testing Service (ETS) has spent a decade and between $40 and $50 million on the latest 'upgrade,' described by ETS marketing manager Gene Netten as "one of the biggest changes to the TOEFLs since it began in 1964." Interactive and online test preparation are increasingly popular alternatives to books and CDs, and with the new changes they will soon become the most effective way to ensure success on the test. The test itself will digitally capture answers spoken into a microphone in a secure testing room and send them via the Internet to evaluators at ETS in the U.S. Vancouver-based ACT360 plan to roll out their new program, which includes a simulation of the oral component of the test, this summer. The company already sells its testDEN program in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and is currently expanding into the booming market in China. Finding better ways to teach English (April 27, 2005 )

Expo Draws JETs Back to Japan
Tuesday's Daily Yomiuri feature on the Aichi World Expo looked at the many former participants on the JET Program who have come back to work at the event. In particular, the pavilions of program original member countries Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, as well as Canada, which joined the program in its second year. In recent years the program has come in for criticism in terms of its educational benefits, but the return of so many former JETs is proof of its effectiveness in building long-standing, grass roots ties between Japan and young people from around the world.
Aichi World Expo draws former JETs back to Japan (link will expire) ()

Americans Only Need Apply
The Korea Times carried an opinion piece yesterday that gave an interesting perspective on being a native English speaker in Korea. Australian Joel Hopkinson writes about his experiences as an English teacher in the country, the attitudes of local people to foreigners and what he perceives as prejudice against non-Americans. It all sounds pretty similar to the situation in Japan, but the article barely touches on the deeper reasons why Korea is quickly losing its appeal as a destination for English teachers.
Native English Speakers and Koreans ()

Kumon Leading Early Education Boom
The Japanese company Kumon is one of the leaders in a current worldwide early education trend. A recent article in The Times reported on the increasing number of British parents enrolling their toddlers in classes as diverse as Chinese and art appreciation. This "hothousing" is spurred by many -- often dubious -- factors, from the influence of celebrity parents to the psychological need for some parents to compensate for their own failed dreams. Kumon, established by Japanese schoolteacher Toru Kumon in the 1950s, has centers in 43 countries worldwide. The "kumon method" uses multiple skill levels and short drills to teach mainly math and English reading.
Do tots flower in hothouses? (April 26, 2005 )

Amagaseki Train Crash
The BBC web site includes a section of comments from readers on yesterday's train tragedy in Amagaseki, near Osaka. Among them are some from English teachers and other foreigners in the area. This and our Emergency board may be of use for anyone looking to contact friends or relatives in the region.
Japan's train crash: Your reaction
Emergency Board ()

Many Languages, One America
There are currently more than 300 languages being spoken in the U.S., according to recent research. "Many Languages, One America," a report published last month by the Washington-based US English Foundation, was based on the 2000 census. The citizens' action group, founded in 1983 by the late Senator S.I. Hayakawa, an immigrant of Japanese descent, supports making English the official national language of the U.S. "We must continue to overcome our differences to become one people behind one flag and work to uphold a multi-accented common language, English," said chairman Mauro E Mujica. the report gives detailed information on a state-by-state basis as well by individual cities and languages. On a related note, Internet provider AOL is collaborating with Berlitz to offer Hispanic subscribers in the US free English lessons. Subscribers to AOL Latino will be able to download a 100-hour learning package offered by eBerlitz English.
Many Languages, One America (April 25, 2005 )

ELT an Alternative to Taiwanese Boot Camp
The Taiwan government plans to extend a scheme that offers some young men an alternative to compulsory military service - teaching English. The scheme is meant to encourage those with a degree from a foreign university to return to Taiwan to teach English in remote country areas. The plan is similar to the Taiwan Youth Overseas Service, which allows men to do their compulsory military duty in volunteer work overseas. Incidentally, men between the ages of 18 and 40 who were born in Taiwan or who have ever held a Taiwan passport should be aware that they may be subject to compulsory military service in Taiwan, even if they are also foreign citizens, and even if they have entered Taiwan on, for example, a U.S. passport. ()

Online Practice for TOPEC Test
Tokyo-based Intellitest Japan and the Institute for Professional English Communication (IPEC) recently launched a new online service aimed at those practising for a leading English test for professionals. Last November, Intellitest announced plans to tie up with the Institute for Professional English Communication (IPEC) for the online service for those planning to take the semi-governmental Test of Professional English Communication (TOPEC). The TOPEC test has been designed to focus on evaluating comprehensive English communication skills in nine professional areas: Engineering, IT, Medical, Financial, Legal, Sports, Tourism, Mass Media and the Fine Arts. Intellitest provides a leading e-learning platform of services through an ASP style system, and currently offers the new service for the Engineering and IT, the fields for which there is most demand. The TOPEC test is given twice a year, with the next one being in Tokyo on May 22. The test costs ¥7,800, while the online practice test is ¥1,500.
TOPEC web site (April 22, 2005 )

A Japanese Eton
Toyota Motor Corp.'s Shoichiro Toyoda and other business leaders are building a combined middle and high school modeled on Britain's Eton and Harrow public schools, with a stated goal of "fostering human resources capable of leading Japan in an era of a declining birthrate." The construction of "Kaiyo Academy" is under way in the city of Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, and the school is scheduled to open next April. A soccer field is also being built. (Kyodo)
TokyoNow: Scope: Business leaders building school modeled on Eaton, Harrow ()

Shane to Turn Welsh Mansion into School
Shane Lipscombe, president of Shane English School and CEO of The Saxoncourt Group, has bought a mansion in Wales and plans to turn it into an English study center for Japanese students. Several British celebrities were linked to the sale of the house last year, including Virgin chief Richard Branson, but it was bought by Lipscombe for £1.25 million. Nanteos, located in Rhydyfelin, is a grade-1 Georgian period mansion. Asked about why he chose a location in Wales, he said, "Students coming here will do so to learn English but we also hope that we can add some Welsh experience to that. We are still looking at how we can incorporate this but we are keen to teach Welsh culture, history, dance, cuisine, and I don't really know what, we'll see what appeals to the students."

The house is currently operating as a hotel, and this business will continue, with Lipscombe's wife Carolyn working with the estate manager. "We realise Nanteos is very much part of the culture here and we feel a huge responsibility for it. We want people to know that we are here for the long term and we want to restore it to its former glory. It's a big project to fix the place up but we want to do it," she said. Her husband added, "We hope we can bring a lot to the community, not just by bringing students here but also by creating career opportunities for local people. We always need people to teach English TEFL courses and we can train people to do that. And because we have schools all over the world, we can also send people abroad to teach, giving people them both the opportunity to travel and a career opportunity." (April 21, 2005 )

New GenkiEnglish CD
It's taken 2 years, teaching over 14,000 kids and finding out what they want to say in English, plus feedback from 100s of teachers, but it's finally here – GenkiEnglish CD vol. 5! CD vol. 5 goes on sale on April 25, and features a whole range of new themes from "Creepy Crawlies" to "How do you say ... in English". Plus genki ways to teach "under, on, in etc." and a cool "food" theme, all with the trademark Genki English melodies that stick in your head all day! Teaching guides are now up on the website. There is also free postage and packing for people who order before Friday 22nd and existing CD owners can download nearly 100 new A4 flashcards and "mini cards" from the Genki English web site.
Genki English web site (April 20, 2005 )

Parents Rely on Word of Mouth in Choosing Schools
A survey has shown that parents choosing a school for their children rely on the opinions of other parents and a school's reputation in the neighborhood more than information provided by the school. Shinagawa in Tokyo became the first district to allow parents the freedom to choose a public school in 2000, and now about 10% of all schools have adopted the system. The survey, by educational company Benesse, showed that word of mouth among parents is considered the most useful information in making a decision, chosen by more than 25% of respondees (multiple choices were allowed). It was followed by the local reputation or image of current students (24.6%) and expanatory meetings held by schools (18.1%). A lack of bullying at the school was chosen as the most important consideration by 45.5 % of parents, followed by a firm discipline policy (44.8%). Other factors were the quality of the neighborhood (31.9%), the proximity (23.8) and the cleanliness (21.4) of the school. The school's academic standard was surprisingly the least important consideration, chosen by only 15.3%. (April 19, 2005 )

Center Exam Still Gaining Popularity
The education ministry announced yesterday that the number of universities and junior colleges that will utilize the national entrance examination next year is at an all-time high. A total of 549 universities, an increase of 31, and 137 junior colleges, up by 25, will use the exam. The so-called "center shiken" is administered by the National Center for University Entrance Examinations. It is used by all public institutions and a growing number of private schools. ()

Children's Book Society Opens Tokyo Branch
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), formed in 1971, now has an active branch established in Tokyo. SCBWI is the only international organization for those who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children's literature. The SCBWI acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people. There are currently more than 19,000 members worldwide, in over 70 regions, making it the largest children's writing organization in the world. On a local level, SCBWI Tokyo runs monthly meetings open to everyone, with guests ranging from editors to name writers and artists. Please contact SCBWI Tokyo for more details.
SCBWI web site (April 18, 2005 )

Osaka University Starts Class with DY
The Osaka University of Foreign Studies last Friday launched a new course that uses the Daily Yomiuri as class material. The newspaper reported on Saturday that the first lecturer for the course was Masashi Iiyama, head of the paper's Osaka bureau, and his class was attended by about 500 students. iiyama spoke about his time as a correspondent in Brazil and the US and looked at the importance of being able to gather information in English. Other former foreign correspondents will give lectures during the year. The class is called "The Daily Yomiuri - International Journalism" and aims to improve students' English abilities and deepen their understanding of global issues by focusing on English articles on world events. The course was set up and funded by the newspaper. ()

ELT on Trial in South Korea
Two Candian English teachers appeared in court this week in South Korea in a case that many see as putting the country's ELT industry on trial. The two, Jason Beaton and Scott Thompson, both from Nova Scotia and working as English conversation teachers at a "hagwon" (private college) outside Seoul, were arrested and jailed on March 11 "in connection with an incident outside a bar in Seoul in which a local man was hospitalised with facial injuries," according to Monday's Guardian. One of the two is believed to have been on a tourist visa and so working illegally. According to other news sources, the pair pleaded guilty to the charges on Monday. They claimed that they acted in self-defence, but under Korean law, both sides in a fight are considered aggressors. They will be held in jail for at least two more weeks before being sentenced. They could be put on probation or sentenced to up to two years in prison, according to their lawyer.

The trial is seen to be exacerbating an already increasingly negative public view of the English-teaching industry in Korea, in particular those working illegally or without qualifications. A recent TV documentary slammed the industry and a web site where teachers discussed where and how to pick up local women caused such an uproar that posters were advised to "leave the country for their own safety." A number of teachers have been deported and employers fined following a recent investigation, and another crackdown is planned for June. The number of foreign teachers in Korea has fallen sharply over the last few years, mainly due to stricter immigration policies, from 13,000 in 1997 to just over 5,000 in 2005.
Fracas turns critical Korean eye on Tefl community (April 15, 2005 )

H. S. English Entrance Test Contained Errors
14 students were mistakenly failed in their entrance examinations for a Tokyo high school due to an error in the English test. The examination was held in January for a "scince and technology high school" in Minato Ward affiliated with the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The error was discovered by a publishing company preparing the school's "modaishuu" (collection of exam questions). The reading comprehension section included a question which asked students to choose three sentences that matched the reading passage. There were only two correct answers. The school has said they will meet with the 14 students failed due to the error and offer them places at the school, though the new school year is already underway. They have also offered to cover the costs the students may have incurred in entering another school. ()

Nova Under Investigation by Social Insurance Agency
According to an article in the Japan Times on Tuesday, Nova is the first of possibly many eikaiwa chain schools to be investigated by the Social Insurance Agency for not enrolling their foreign teachers into pension and health insurance schemes. The investigation into the country's biggest eikaiwa chain started at the end of March as a result of a complaint by the Osaka -based General Union and results are expected in May or June. The article says Nova could be hit with a "multibillion-yen bill." Under the Health Insurance Law and Employees' Pension Law, all full-time employees who have been in Japan for over two months must be enrolled in the schemes, regardless of nationality. Payments are split, with employee and employer both paying half.

In the case of Nova, says the article, "policy demands that all new teachers have insurance before they arrive in Japan. But foreign teachers who are employed by Nova have not been told in the past that enrollment in the Employees' Insurance System is compulsory and are instead offered private health insurance schemes, one of which -- Japan Medical Assistance -- is a Nova-group company."
English schools face huge insurance probe (April 14, 2005 )

Speak English Only as the English Speak It
There was an interesting letter to the editor in yesterday's Daily Yomiuri entitled "English should be spoken only as the English speak it." As it is not available online, I'll reproduce it here:

"Is there a language called American English? In my opinion, no! Why? English is the native language of England and not America. So English not spoken the way the natives of England speak is English spoken with a different accent or dialect.
If you say that everyone in the United States speaks American English, then everyone in India speaks Indian English, and the number of Indians speaking English is more than the total population of the United States.
One may argue that there are spelling and pronunciation differences between American and British English, but that is no reason to change the identity of the language. The inability of speakers is not the fault of the language.
Each language comes with a long history and the culture of its native land. The English language was not developed over 200 years like the history of the United States. The English language has a history that goes back more than 1,000 years. So adding a new identity to a language with history and culture is disrespectful to the native land of that language.
The bottom line is this: English is the native language of England, and it should be spoken like the natives of England. Any other form of English is not a new language, but a variation of English, and it should be referred to as "English spoken with a different accent or dialect." English spoken in the United States should be referred to as English with an American accent like the English spoken in India that is referred to as English with an Indian accent.
Let's not adulterate a language and own it by giving it a new identity. Learn it the way it is supposed to be used, and if you cannot learn it, deal with it but don't destroy it." - Fusun Yu, Shanghai

Discuss this on our Message Board ()

First Virtual ELT Conference
The first virtual ELT conference - the Future of Modern Languages Teaching - is to be hosted entirely on-line by the Department of Modern Languages, Cultures and Literatures, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, from 4-10 July 2005. Participants will log on from all over the world at their own location and in their own time and are invited to comment on other papers submitted. This virtual conference is FREE.

Papers are welcomed within one or more of the following thematic categories:

1. Education Teaching of Modern Languages, Cultures and Literatures
2. Multiculturalism in Languages Courses Classes
3. Internet for Modern Languages
4. Composition, Creative Writing and Grammar
5. Teaching Foreign Languages
6. Teaching Cultural Studies
7. Teaching Foreign Literatures
8. The Bologna Process and Modern Languages Courses

Englishing?
C.J. Moore, author of "In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World" wrote an interesting article in yesterday's International Herald Tribune. He looked at a phenomenon he jokingly refers to as "gerunding" - turning nouns rather than verbs into gerunds. "Unsavoury" examples used in English include "beasting" and "monstering," but most of the words, such as footing, skating, standing and pressing, have come into use in non-English speaking countries in ways that native speakers would not grasp. And sometimes the words are introduced because an English-language concept has never previously existed in some countries. Seemingly the word "bullying" is used in Spain for that reason.
Meanwhile: The world is Englishing (April 13, 2005 )

Students Atone for Peer's Arson
A group of university students has completed an English translation of an anthology by atomic bomb survivors. The students at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture have been atoning for a crime by one of their peers since 2003, when 22-year old Junya Yamamoto burned thousands of paper cranes at a monument in Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park. They have donated over a million origami cranes, symbolic peace offerings, to the monument since the arson attack. Yamamoto was quoted by police as saying he started the fire with a lighter because he was upset that he hadn't been able to find a job. ()

New SELHis Chosen
The education ministry recently announced the new batch of Super English Language High Schools (SELHis). 31 of the 52 schools that applied for the government-approved status, which brings research funding of about ¥35 million per school, were chosen. 17 of the schools are public, the other 14 private. Schools had to provide detailed proposals of educational ideas they wanted to focus on. For example, a school attached to Seirei Women's Junior College in Akita Prefecture will do research on a writing program to improve students' powers of expression in English using a digital portfolio. Others, such as Ina Gakuen High School in Saitama Prefecture and Miyakonojo Nishi High School in Miyazaki Prefecture, will build programs based around debating and negotiating skills.
This story in Japanese
More details on education ministry web site (April 12, 2005 )

From ELT News Editor to Radio DJ
Former ELT News editor Kevin Ryan, now an assistant professor at Showa Women's University in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, has launched a radio show with a group of students. The 15-minute-program is called "What's Up, Setagaya!" and is presented by Ryan and 16 students from his English language and communication department. It is broadcast on the FM Setagaya station and airs from 8:55am on Sundays. Featuring local news, information and interviews, the pre-recorded show is broadcast mostly in English and is aimed at foreign residents living in the area and Japanese people interested in learning English. The first broadcast was on April 3 and featured an interview with an American student living with a local family and a short mystery drama set in the ward office.
What's Up, Setagaya! Webcast (April 11, 2005 )

"Kevin" Incident Just a Coincidence, Say Police
Police have released the results of their investigation into whether details of January's national university entrance examinations were leaked on the Internet, saying that the matter was probably simply coincidental. Hours before the tests, posts on the country's most popular message board site 2 Channel contained references that later turned up on the tests. The phrases "Hi, My name is Kevin. Nice to meet you." were very similar to a passage that appeared In the English test. There was also a reference to Japanese writer Endo Shusaku, whose works would appear on the Japanese test. Police determined that the posts were by three men in their 20s to 40s who had no connection to the entrance exams.
Earlier Story on ELT News ()

Studying English Still Most Popular Hobby
A survey recently carried out by Internet research company Dimsdrive has shown that one in four Japanese is actively studying something. The most popular subject is English conversation, followed by calligraphy, singing, and computer skills. About 30% of people study something at least twice a week. Just under two thirds attend a school, 19% use a correspondence course, 10% use courses broadcast over TV or radio, while e-learning accounts for 8%. E-learning is more popular among those in employment (12%), and among full-time housewives the number is only 2%. Of those not currently learning anything, both lack of time and lack of money were cited by just over half of the respondents. Asked what subject they would like to study, again English came out on top, followed by computer skills and yoga. The full details of the survey are available (in Japanese) online.
Dimsdrive - Timely Research (April 08, 2005 )

Controversial Tokyo Metropolitan University Opens
An entrance ceremony for the new Tokyo Metropolitan University was held yesterday at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Shibuya. About 2,300 students were in attendance, as was Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a strong supporter of the university. Ishihara told the new students, "What society needs is people with strong individuality. There is not a university like this anywhere in the world." The new school was created through the merger of four existing municipal universities. The resulting cutbacks in faculty, coupled with a perceived lack of transparency in the decision making process, caused many people to criticize the project. The new campus is located in Hachioji, a western suburb of Tokyo. (April 07, 2005 )

Ota City English-immersion School Opens
Gunma Kokusai Academy, a privately run elementary school in Ota City with an English immersion program, opened yesterday. The school is one of the first of its kind to open under the structural reform zones authorized by the central government. On the first day, the school welcomed 166 students in the first and fourth grades. The school plans to have students in all grades within two years, and to open junior and senior high schools as those students progress. All subjects, except Japanese and some social studies courses, will be taught in English and students will have been exposed to about 100,000 hours of English by the time they graduate high school. ()

TCT + UCSD = Future Engineers
Tokuyama College of Technology (TCT) has formed a partnership with the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) to exchange students and teachers, according to asahi.com. TCT is a highly regarded 5-year technological college, while UCSD has a history of producing Nobel Prize-winning alumni. The tie up will take the form of joint research projects, student-exchange programs and UCSD professors will teach at TCT as visiting faculty and via online lectures from their home campus. TCT hopes the deal will lead to higher level research and improved English-language abilities among students. "We aim to raise engineers who can develop new technologies and compete in the world,'' TCT President Toru Amano said. "The partnership with UCSD will add to our momentum."
Tech school partners with U.S. university (April 06, 2005 )

First SELHis Report on Progress
Today's Daily Yomiuri carries the 15th installment in the series on Super English Language High School (SELHi) pilot program. The article reports on a recent Tokyo forum organized by the education ministry in which the first 18 schools, 15 public and 3 private, to join the program took part. The number of schools currently particpating as SELHis is now about 100. The schools have chosen various approaches to their English programs, some using only selected students, others introducing school-wide immersion programs. Common features were an increased motivation by teachers to produce results and most classes being taught in English only, without reverting to lengthy Japanese explanations. Many of the schools reported that they have seen an improvement in language ability across the board, not only in communicative skills, and refuted the often-cited concern that a communication-oriented approach is not suited to Japan's university entrance exams. A teacher from Chuo High School in Gunma Prefecture said that his school had recorded their best ever results in the exams this year.
SELHi in action / 1st schools finish up, look back (link will expire)
A related article looked at a policy in the public school system that has hampered some of the SELHi programs. Teachers are moved from school to school every several years, which has resulted in difficulties fitting new teachers into the often unique and advanced SELHi programs. One school in Osaka prefecture has seen six teachers, half of its English faculty, transferred during the 3-year program.
Teachers suffer the standard shuffling (link will expire) (April 05, 2005 )

English as Dream Fulfillment?
A recent ad for English language school Gaba featured a list of responses from Japanese people to complete the sentence, "If I could speak English, I would..." The Neomarxisme blog posted about the ad last month, with translations. Example responses include:
"I would lecture the loud foreigners on the train."
"I would become a wife of a foreigner and raise kids in California."
"In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station."
"I would open a shiatsu massage parlor in Hollywood for celebrities."
The post spawned a lengthy discussion on cultural and linguistic imperialism, postmodernism in Japan and the question of whether Japanese people really hate English.
English, Pt. III
Neomarxisme (April 04, 2005 )

GenkiEnglish Launches the New "Genki/Pera Pera Pill"!
Ever wondering how the guys at Genki English stay so genki all the time? The answer is here, the "genki pill". It has taken several months to clear patents and to obtain permission from the Health Ministry for them to sell it in Japan, but it's finally here. "This is so exciting. Now any teacher, anywhere can become super genki just by taking this pill," said founder Richard Graham. It also works wonders for students who find studying or learning English too hard. Simply take one per day and in a month you'll be fluent. Works for English, Japanese or Swahili.

More details are on the website at: GenkiEnglish.com (April 01, 2005 )

ETS Resets Timeline for Online TOEFL
The Educational Testing Service (ETS), has announced a new timeline for the launch of its online version of the TOEFL test. The Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) test will first be administered in the United States on September 24, 2005. On October 22, the TOEFL iBT test will begin in Canada, France, Germany and Italy. The test will be introduced in the rest of the world in 2006. As yet, no exact date has been set for Japan, but it is believed to be early in 2006. A complete schedule will be available by November 1, 2005. See the ETS web site for more details.
TOEFL Next Generation web site ()

Top