tag:www.eltnews.com,2012:/news//3 2012-01-30T08:53:20Z Keep up to date with all the news and developments in English teaching, in Japan and around the world.This page contains stories from the last seven days. Click on the calendar to the right to see any news stories from this month. They will open in a new window. Movable Type 3.35 tag:www.eltnews.com,2012:/news//3.2906 2012-01-29T22:06:52Z 2012-01-30T08:53:20Z

For more frequent updates and breaking news, please "Like" our Facebook page. Grammar Books Not Implements of Torture But...

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Grammar Books Not Implements of Torture But Humanitarian Aids
Raymond Murphy, the author of the ubiquitous English Grammar in Use has received and honarary MA from Cambridge University. In a press release the University recognized Murphy's contribution to ELT but also honoured him for -- through his grammar books -- being "a quite exceptional humanitarian". The fourth edition of English Grammar in Use is out in February and you can read the ELTNEWS.com interview with Murphy from last year here

Week 4 of the Kameoka Diaries by Lars Martinson
Lars Martinson is still teaching in Japan on the JET scheme and is very cold. Follow the Japan teaching adventures of this award-winning graphic novelist on his site.

40% of Universities Mull Shifting Aademic Year
More than 40 percent of the national universities are warming to the University of Tokyo plan to shift the start of the undergraduate academic year from spring to fall, a survey found.

"Only" 11% of Japanese Middle School Students Want to Get a Job Using English
The Daily Yomiuri reports: "Seventy percent of middle school students think English ability would be useful for obtaining a job in the future, but only 11 percent want to get a job that requires English, according to an education ministry institute survey, with 43 percent asserting, "I don't want to get a job that requires English skills," up from 36 percent in the previous survey.Kenji Miyauchi, head of the research and development section at the institute's Curriculum Research Center, said, "[Students] are keenly aware of the importance of English in this age of globalization, but at the same time, they don't seem to want to study English or they think it's troublesome to do so."

Clearly the students haven't been made aware of the dire consequences of not speaking English as outlined in the following story...

Megan Fox and Mike Tyson selling English in Brazil
Transformers star Megan Fox, and boxing bad boy Mike Tyson team up to explain to the youth of Brazil the consequences of having the atttitudes of their Japanese counterparts in this interesting video sponsored by an English school chain.

Yes, English is Crazy
If you think English school ads are weird, then blame it on the language. A poem makes the rounds:

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren’t invented in England.
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

and much more...

TOEFL has YouTube Channel
If the Megan Fox/Mike Tyson video has your students desperate to learn, then they might be interested in the TOEFL YouTube site with hints and tips on how to pass the test.

English is an Optimistic Language
We'll leave on a positive note and see how English predisposes its speakers to be positive and pro-social. Or is that the other way around?

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]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2012:/news//3.2903 2012-01-22T23:06:40Z 2012-01-23T01:36:18Z

For more frequent updates and breaking news, please "Like" our Facebook page. Fun Phonics for Free ELTBOOKS.com announced that...

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Fun Phonics for Free
ELTBOOKS.com announced that while stocks last, their customers can get 1 free copy of Fun Phonics Readers for each 5 copies ordered. Greg Crawford's Fun Phonics Readers support the syllabus of Finding Out and other phonics-based courses.

Oxford Teaching Workshops
OUP Japan announced that its series of Teaching Workshops would begin on Sunday, February 5th in Sendai and invited teachers of children to pre-register. The Workshops will be held in 11 cities around the country.

Free English Tests for Some Students
The Japanese education ministry announced that it will pick up the tab for students at selected publich high schoools to take Eiken and other English proficiency tests. Japanese students have not done well on international tests with Japan ranking 27th out of 30 Asian countries on the TOEFL. The Daily Yomiuri has the full story. Any bets on how successful this new plan by those brilliant minds at the ministry will be?

English Camp Becomes God Camp in Mexico
The New York Times reported on American university students being duped into volunteering for what they thought was an English teaching camp in Mexico only to find themselves part of "a much different and larger agenda centered on the religious theories of Ock Soo Park, a Korean preacher and founder of Good News Corps, with 300 churches in Korea and 120 churches in 43 other countries. The gullibility of these teachers leads us to suspect they may well be signing up for some "TEFL Certificate" training courses soon...

Cambridge Boss to Step Down
Another big change at the top for CUP. Last week, Dr. Richard Ziemacki stepped down as managing director of its US operation after 37 years at the press. This week the Chief Executive, Stephen Bourne (pictured above), announced he's leaving at the end of April. Bourne, a Chartered Accountant, joined the Press in 1997, and became Chief Executive in 2002. The Press Syndicate, made up of 18 senior academics from the University of Cambridge has begun the process of selecting Bourne’s successor.

Bits and Bobs
Abax moved to bigger offices -- across the hall. iEnglish (sister company of ELT Services Japan, which owns ELTNEWS.com) annouced it would offer services to support those wishing to publish textbooks using Apple's iBook Author. We announced that our jobs page is now completely free to advertise on for schools and publishers in Japan. Lars Martinson released the third installment of his "Kameoka Diaries", his take on the life of JET in Japan.

For more frequent updates and breaking news, please "Like" our Facebook page.

]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2012:/news//3.2902 2012-01-15T23:44:08Z 2012-01-16T07:11:55Z

From this week onwards, ELTNEWS.com will be rounding up notable news from the world of language learning and ELT...

ELTNEWS.com ELTNEWS.com From this week onwards, ELTNEWS.com will be rounding up notable news from the world of language learning and ELT and publishing them here. For more frequent updates, please check out our Facebook page.

FT on Language Books
The Financial Times rounded up and reviewed a selection of notable books on language, including David Crystal's The Story of English in 100 Words and David Bellos' Is That a Fish in Your Ear?

Big in China
Pearson-owned Wall Street English confirmed it will open 15 new English schools in China, taking its total to 70 whilst EF which has nearly 150 centres in more than 50 cities, plans to open 200 new premises. Disney now runs 30 schools in Japan, aimed at children.

Grammar Comics
We discovered a delightful series of comic strips that amusingly and effectively covered issues such "Ten Worlds You Need to Stop Misspelling" and "How to Use a Semi-Colon".

Signs and Apostrophes
Language Log covered some rather shocking "Sale!" signs in Japan and looked at how Japanese is also being misused in a similar way. LL also had some interesting comments on the Waterstone's / Waterstones rebranding and the debate that ensued on the apostrophe on Radio 4. Peter Viney updated an article of his on "Intelligent Apostrophes and Dumb Apostrophes" for his blog.

New CUP Head
Cambridge University Press said goodbye to Dr. Richard Ziemacki, the president of its US operations who worked for 37 years for the press. To replace him, Michael Peluse has joined the New York office as Managing Director and will also serve as global Managing Director for English Language Teaching, a division which accounts for over a third of Cambridge's publishing sales revenue.

Hilary Takes on British Council
The US state department announced it would be seeking to promote its ELT expertise more aggressively to help meet the growing demand for language learning. The department's partner for what is being seen as a shift in strategy will be the main US ELT professional association Tesol, which has 9,000 members in the US and a further 3,000 abroad. The new partnership is likely to be similar to the model created by the British Council, the UK government-sponsored cultural and education promotion organisation, which actively markets UK ELT goods and services internationally and sells its own language courses and tests. Tesol spokesman John Segota acknowledges that US ELT providers have lagged behind the UK's export efforts, in part because they have been occupied with the massive domestic ELT market.

Lexile for TOEIC
In Japan, MetaMetrics partnered with with the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC). The Lexile English Reading Guide is now offered through IIBC and provides TOEIC test-takers in Japan with access to a personal library of targeted books and a limited number of daily recommended articles. To date, more than 3,600 Japanese TOEIC test takers have registered for this free service.

More Great JET Comics
Cartoonist Lars Martinson released the second of his "Kameoka Diaries". The author of the Tonoharu graphic novel is back teaching on the JET scheme.

ELTNEWS Partners with Newsweek
ELTNEWS.com teamed up with Newsweek to offer the cheapest subscription rates in Japan for the venerable weekly. Teachers and schools can now become "resellers" of Newsweek by providing their students with a special code that provides a special student discount for subscriptions ordered from ELTNEWS.com]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2012:/news//3.2899 2012-01-05T23:15:32Z 2012-01-06T01:49:03Z

Lars Martinson, the award-winning author of Tonoharu is back teaching in Japan for the second time on the JET...

ELTNEWS.com ELTNEWS.com Lars Martinson, the award-winning author of Tonoharu is back teaching in Japan for the second time on the JET scheme. What has he been up to? Well, he's published a delightful little strip based on his experiences so far: The Kameoka Diaries which can be viewed on his website or downloaded for free.

Martinson,who hails from Minnesota in the US midwest, won a Xeric Foundation award to publish Tonoharu, the intricately-drawn graphic novel based on his first teaching stint in Japan. The book generated a large wave of publicity, being featured in Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly, amongst others.]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2012:/news//3.2897 2012-01-04T23:01:49Z 2012-01-04T23:18:35Z

Lake Superior University has released its list of banished words for 2012, including "blowback", "occupy" and amazingly, "amazing". The...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> Lake Superior University has released its list of banished words for 2012, including "blowback", "occupy" and amazingly, "amazing". The small public university on the border with Canada releases an annual list based on nominations from word-watchers around the United States. The "List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness" for 2012 is as follows:

• amazing
• baby bump
• shared sacrifice
• occupy
• blowback
• man cave
• the new normal
• pet parent
• win the future
• trickeration
• ginormous
• thank you in advance

CNN's Anderson Cooper received blowback as a ginormous user of the word "amazing". The Lake Superior website has more details on why we should make the shared sacrifice to win the future and make the avoidance of these words the new normal. The university thanks you in advance for visiting their site. ]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2895 2011-12-21T21:14:31Z 2011-12-21T21:22:47Z

ELTNEWS.com is closing down for the holidays and we will be back posting news etc. from January 5th onwards....

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> ELTNEWS.com is closing down for the holidays and we will be back posting news etc. from January 5th onwards.

Any major breaking news or events will be covered on our Facebook page, so if you haven't done so, please visit us there and "Like" the page.

Best wishes to all in ELT for a fabulous Xmas and a productive and educational new year.

(The cute reindeer is Elly, the star of our sister company's new "Elly the Reindeer" iPhone app. See the previous news item for more information.) ]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2894 2011-12-20T22:29:01Z 2011-12-20T23:23:03Z

eigoTown has published the first iOS app in a series of adventures based on the popular international children's character...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> eigoTown has published the first iOS app in a series of adventures based on the popular international children's character Elly. Russell Willis, president of eigoTown commented: "The Elly series is ideal as a parent and child reader. For parents looking to bring up bilingual children, the story can be read and listened to in both Japanese and English, simply by swiping the screen up and down. Children will love meeting Elly and all her cute friends, and will want to read the simple, fun, easy-to-follow story again and again."

Elly has already become a hit in over 30 countries around the world, and the new app sees the story translated into Japanese for the first time.

The app features a specially-designed dual-language function - when the child swipes up and down, the story switches between Japanese and English. Both modes come with story narration, sound effects, and illustrations.

Features include:
• 'Read it myself' function for children to read alone or with their parents
• 'Read to me' autoplay function with English and Japanese narration
• Large, colourful illustrations
• Sound effects in every scene
• A word list at the end of the story to help improve your child's vocabulary

Elly creator, Jon Higham, is a published author and illustrator who has created work for a wide range of children's publishers including the BBC, Macmillan, Methuen, and Walker Books. The app is available from Apple's iTunes store for both iPhone and iPad and costs ¥85 yen in Japan and $0.99 in the US.]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2893 2011-12-18T10:40:54Z 2011-12-18T21:46:20Z

The Independent on Sunday has published a list list of the 50 Britons who it thinks did most to...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> The Independent on Sunday has published a list list of the 50 Britons who it thinks did most to lift the mood of the nation in difficult times. Amongst the list (which includes pop stars, politicians and authors) – is Robert Bailey from Lincolnshire who was hailed a hero after saving his class of 42 from the Japanese tsunami in March.

With only 8 minutes until the giant wave hit, Bailey led his class to safety as the coastal town of Ofunato was swept away around them. While other expats came home after the disaster, Bailey stayed behind to help find survivors.

The full list is on the Independent on Sunday's website.

The Daily Mail also featured Robert back in March this year, just after the earthquake and tsunami.]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2892 2011-12-15T22:22:38Z 2011-12-16T12:24:31Z

Takako Yamaguchi (center) receives her prizes from the director of the British Council (left) at the live BritQuiz event...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> Takako Yamaguchi (center) receives her prizes from the director of the British Council (left) at the live BritQuiz event held at the Britsh Embassy in Tokyo.

The British Council has announced that Takako Yamaguchi from Fuchu in Tokyo has become the Igirisu Expert 2011 (UK Expert). Ms Yamaguchi won the title at the British Embassy last week, facing off against 4 competitors, each of whom had won the monthly online competitions using the iOS BritQuiz app released by the British Council. The quiz tested the contestants' knowledge of British culture, art, literature, sport, politics and busines -- with all the questions and answers in English.

Competition at the live event was fierce with Ms Yamaguchi just beating out Junko Arakawa from Hokkaido for the title. Each of the contestants won 10 iOS apps from the Oxford University Press Bookworms series published by eigoTown.com and the runner-up also won a deluxe collection of Jane Austen DVDs made by the BBC. The winner received a free return flight to the UK, courtesy of Virgin Atlantic, presented by the director of the British Council Japan, Jeff Streeter.

See Also:
• BritQuiz app on iTunes
• British Council launches free iPhone app, chance to win trip to UK
]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2891 2011-12-12T22:09:56Z 2011-12-12T22:20:09Z

The British Embassy's Chevening scholarship scheme is now open for applications in Japan. The prestigious scheme offers talented graduates...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> The British Embassy's Chevening scholarship scheme is now open for applications in Japan.

The prestigious scheme offers talented graduates and young professionals from Japan the chance to study for postgraduate qualifications at the UK's world leading universities.

Chevening scholarships cover the full cost of one year of postgraduate study in the UK from 2012-13, including tuition fees and a monthly stipend. Not surprisingly, competition for the scholarships is intense.

The Chevening programme has a reputation for attracting outstanding young people who have the ambition to become leaders in their chosen fields. A typical successful candidate demonstrates the potential to benefit from the scheme and use it to further develop their career.

Some 200 Japanese citizens have been supported by the Chevening scheme so far, which attracts some of the best and brightest young people from around the world. On their return to Japan, the alumni benefit from membership of the Japan Chevening Alumni Association. The association, which is only open to Chevening alumni, provides the returnees with a valuable network of contacts.

For information about how to apply, visit the British Council website..]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2889 2011-12-07T12:46:36Z 2011-12-07T13:02:43Z

The Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching has announced the winnners of its scholarship program. In cooperation with controversial TEFL...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> controversial TEFL course provider, ITTT, AJET is giving away scholarships to two current JETs via an online TEFL program. The scholarships are offered through ITTT, and are for their 120-hour online TEFL course with tutor support. In addition to the regular TEFL course, participants will also receive a certification in teaching either ‘Business English’ or ‘English to Young Learners’.

This year’s recipients are Meredith Smith and Emily Johnson. According to AJET "Both winners demonstrated outstanding activities not only in teaching, but in spreading the values of the JET program and internationalization in their communities."

See Also:
• AJET's website
• CLAIR offers grants for teacher certification]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2888 2011-12-04T22:01:48Z 2011-12-04T22:08:38Z

Paul Seedhouse, professor of education and applied linguistics at Newcastle University, is the brains behind the French Digital Kitchen,...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> Paul Seedhouse, professor of education and applied linguistics at Newcastle University, is the brains behind the French Digital Kitchen, a learning site that teaches its users aspects of the French language while they prepare dishes from the country. It is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's Digital Economy Programme and obtained an EU grant of €400,000 earlier in the year.

See the full article in the Guardian.]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2887 2011-12-01T21:46:30Z 2011-12-01T21:55:10Z

An English language teacher from Japan, who recently won the Cambridge English Competition 2011, has returned to his classroom...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]>

An English language teacher from Japan, who recently won the Cambridge English Competition 2011, has returned to his classroom in Aichi with some fresh approaches to teaching English.

Shunichi Sugiura was one of six English language teachers to win the competition, launched by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (ESOL) and Bell at the end of last year, which invited teachers from all over the world to submit inspiring English teaching stories.

Shunichi was awarded a trip to Cambridge this summer to attend a professional development course at Bell Teacher Campus, based at Homerton College, part of the University of Cambridge, for his winning project encouraging students to take part in classroom discussions in English about their own experiences of working part-time.

Since returning to his class at the Aichi Prefectual Toyohashi Nishi Senior School, Shunichi said: “I couldn’t believe I’d won the competition. Coming to Cambridge gave me a great insight and was very meaningful to me. I’ve learnt many new skills which I intend to share with my ambitious English students and colleagues working at my school in Aichi.”

Shunichi believes the classroom should be a place where students can empower themselves and acknowledged that exposure to English is a challenge for Japanese learners. Speaking about his winning idea, Shunichi said: “Classroom discussion materials can be really useful but they must be relevant and motivating. Many of my students are working part time so it was an ideal topic to generate some lively classroom discussion. This helped to encourage interaction between students which is really important when learning English.”

Cambridge ESOL’s Marketing Manager, Simon Wright said: “It was great to welcome Shunichi to Cambridge. By bringing together all of the winners in Cambridge, they were able to share their unique experiences with each other which is really beneficial to everyone involved. Teachers of this calibre all play an important part in helping to raise the standard of English around the world.”

See Also
• Cambridge ESOL website]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2886 2011-12-01T00:41:06Z 2011-12-01T00:54:30Z

English Attack! a website designed to provide learners of English aged 13 - 35 with a fun, current, and...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]> English Attack! a website designed to provide learners of English aged 13 - 35 with a fun, current, and dynamic source of enhanced and increased exposure to English has released localized version of its website for Japan. The has is focused on entertainment, and includes short videos from blockbuster movies, hit TV shows, chart-topping music videos, and news reports. The site is also attempting to build a global social network of learners of English.

English Attack! has adopted the “free-to-play” model where users can enjoy free use of the site’s functionalities, as well as free access to a selection of content refreshed daily. Access to the entire catalog of pedagogical content is available via the site’s virtual currency (Booster Coins), with which a time-limited access pass (the Booster Pass) can be purchased. The user has a choice of accumulating Booster Coins via regular use of the site; via direct purchase; or through participation in special offers put forward by the site’s commercial partners.

The site has been available since May 2010 and has signed up over 100,000 registered users worldwide. ]]> tag:www.eltnews.com,2011:/news//3.2883 2011-11-28T01:50:35Z 2011-11-28T01:56:23Z

The UK's Telegraph newspaper has reported that an English language training company in China has decided that scorpios and virgos...

Russell Willis Founder, ELTNEWS.com]]>
The unusual stipulations are part of a job ad posted at a university in the central city of Wuhuan by an English language training company, and have generated a storm of online controversy since they were uncovered this week.

"We don't want Scorpios or Virgos, and Capricorns, Pisces and Libras will be prioritised," the job spec reads, according to the Chutian Metropolis Daily, a local newspaper in Wuhan.

The report quoted a woman in charge at the unnamed firm as saying she had done research and found Scorpios had strong personalities and were moody, while Virgos were hugely critical and did not stay in one job for long.

Read the full article at The Telegraph's website.]]>