The Latest News in ELT
March 2006
Blooming Kids Software - Children with Special Needs
(Scarsdale, NY) New software helps children with Autism, PDD and others who require early intervention.
Blooming Kids Software (BloomingKids), a company that creates computer programs designed to teach children who have special needs, has created 29 new educational programs. Educational experts and parents of children with special needs have combined their knowledge to develop Blooming Kids Software. The company hopes to release its multi-user program in September 2006.
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(March 31, 2006
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IPI Welcomes Kinney Brothers!
Wholesale distributor of ELT materials, Independent Publishers International (IPI), announced the addition of a brand new member to their family of publishers! Kinney Brothers Publishing, an American-based publisher (also with offices in Japan) currently offers a selection of photocopiable resources suitable for young learners from children to teenagers. These include a complete phonics series that simplifies learning to read. In this series, students are guided step-by-step through over 600 pages of phonics material.
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Tough Times for Teachers
"English teaching in Japan is not what it used to be. Conditions are changing; the work is harder to come by, wages are falling, and staff are increasingly taking their employers to court." according to Trevor Clarke. Phoenix Associates vice president Peter Owans says that "It wasn't always like this; for many that arrived in the bubble era, Japan was heaven." Some industry experts believe that the face of English teaching in Japan is changing rapidly.
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(March 29, 2006
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English Compulsory in Elementary Schools
(Japan) Studying English is expected to be made compulsory for students attending primary schools in Japan. The move comes after a recommendation given by a panel representing the Education Ministry recently. The curriculum guidelines are expected to be revised in the next academic year.
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Manuscript and Illustration Exchange
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) of Tokyo announced their April 23rd, 2006 event, A Manuscript and Illustration Exchange. Writers and illustrators may take a picture book dummy, copies of a childrenšs or young-adult manuscript, or illustrations to share for constructive feedback. The event which is presented in English is open to published and unpublished writers and illustrators. Attendees may also ask any questions about writing, illustrating and the marketing process. A Casual dinner will follow the workshop for those interested in lingering for more discussion.
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(March 22, 2006
)
Odd Use of Foreign Words
(Japan) "Caution! Don't lean on the gate. The gate would fall down when lean on it. It occurs you trouble." Warning signs like this have caused many foreigners to look twice. Opinions vary and range from annoying, funny, simply incomprehensible and sometimes a combination of all. Whilst misspellings and incorrect meanings are common in English signs, menus etc, it has been suggested that there is a certain logic attached to the process. It is believed that since many Japanese to English translations stem from katakana, this may account for the misspellings. It has also been suggested that many of these signs are written by Japanese for Japanese people.
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Elementary Schools Teaching English
More than 90% of elementary schools in Japan are now teaching English it was reported recently. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Technology, A total of 20,803 elementary schools (93.6 percent) teach English classes. The Japanese Government's education guidelines are that schools may offer English in an effort to promote international understanding.
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ELT News/eigoTown St Patrick's Day International Party
ELT News and eigoTown.com are hosting a St Patrick's Day International party. The party will be held on Saturday, March 18th at the prestigious Foreign Correspondents Club in central Tokyo. The party runs from 6:30 to 9:00 and includes food, drink and an opportunity to win prizes. Expectations are that over 250 people will attend with a good mix of Japanese and foreign, males and females.
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(March 17, 2006
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Japanese PM's English Warning
Japan's Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi warned an opposition member to "Use words that ordinary people can understand," He also asked "Who understands (English) words like 'compliance' and 'governance'?" Mr. Koizumi issued the warning in a recent parliamentary sitting in response to a question that contained many English financial terms which he felt that many members wouldn't be able to understand.
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Hard Lesson for Ex-NOVA Teacher
(Japan) Ex-NOVA teacher, David Dormon filed a lawsuit against his former employer over intimidation, demotion and a pay cut. Dormon, a former salesman from Sydney, Australia stated that "I felt very stressed, alone and unappreciated and I was very happy to get out because I was hating every moment." he also added that "Australians are being exploited as English teachers in Japan, especially by Nova," The head of Nova's overseas recruitment, an Australian, denied that Nova was unfair to employees and that Dorman had faults on his side. It is believed that Dormon was compensated after NOVA ended the action to avoid further costs.
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(March 15, 2006
)
Extensive Reading Foundation Awards
Every year, The Extensive Reading Foundation (ERF) a non-profit organization for promoting extensive reading in foreign language education, recognizes the best new works of language learner literature in English. From books published in 2005, the ERF has selected in the Adolescents & Adults category six books of merit. Three finalists are to be announced together with three finalist books in the Young Learners category at the IATEFL Conference in Harrogate, U.K. April 8 to 12. The winning book in each category will be announced in August, 2006. The six books on the 2006 Adolescent & Adults long list are; 'The Amazon Rain Forest', 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Ned Kelly: a True Story', 'The Pearl', 'Seven Stories of Mystery and Horror' and 'Within High Fences'.
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(March 09, 2006
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Bill to Fingerprint Foreigners Advances
The Japanese government has approved a bill that requires all foreign visitors to be photographed and fingerprinted. The bill, which is part of an antiterrorism campaign, will now be submitted to the current Diet session for acceptance. Opposition to the bill has come from the Japan Federation of Bar Associations who believe that the bill is in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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(March 08, 2006
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SELHi Update
(Matsuyama) The Japanese Government program, Super English Language High School (SELHi) pilot project continues to provide challenges for the only technical high school involved in the program, Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Technical High School. Difficulties have included creating a curriculum that can address the issues of relating English to specialized technical subjects and cultivating a communicative ability in English. Multimedia education department chief, Kiwame Kono stated that "As there is no previous school to provide an example or offer us advice, it has been very difficult for us to create a curriculum that can address these issues." Information Technology course students are now in their second year of the program.
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Teaching English to Children Seminar
eigoTown.com is hosting a One-Day Certificate Course in teaching English to children. The seminars, to be held in March, will be presented in Japanese by popular educator and trainer, Ms. Mayuka Habbick. Topics to be covered include; How do children learn? Getting children fully involved in learning by playing, The basic four skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) plus an additional skill; Thinking, Integrating and having fun with songs and stories, Planning lessons that keep children focused/motivated, and What can English education do?
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(March 03, 2006
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Primary School English Debate
The Japan Teachers' Union have been discussing a plan to introduce English education in primary schools.
Talks were held recently at the JTU's annual meeting in Mie Prefecture regarding the value of the plan to incorporate English teaching into primary school curriculums.
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Cambridge Young Learners Examinations
The Cambridge Young Learners Examinations have become quite popular in their own right in Kagoshima according to J. B. Academic Eiken's local secretary, Ms. Cynthia Keith. The course, which examines all four skills, has seen many very keen youngsters take the test since it became available in Kagoshima a year ago. Ms. Keith also stated that "With no hint of Japanese anywhere to be seen it is amazing to watch the children swiftly and smilingly work themselves through the papers with no obvious signs of test related stress." The Kyushu Centre will be holding its second Award Ceremony on March 19th, 2006 at the Minami Shimbun Hall in Kamoike and teachers, parents or enthusiasts are welcome to attend and applaud the children for their efforts.
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(March 02, 2006
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Publisher's Talk
John Moore, President, R.I.C. will be holding a publisher's talk on Saturday, March 4, 2006. Mr. Moore, a longtime resident of Japan with over 17 years in trade and educational publishing, will discuss publishing in Asia for both the domestic and international market. R.I.C. Publications Japan, Korea and Taiwan publishes a range of books for the ELT market.
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