Hokkaido Teachers Refuse To Learn How To Teach English

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Union advises teachers to skip English-education seminars
The Hokkaido Teachers' Union called on its members not to attend seminars for teachers on English education in primary schools sponsored by the Hokkaido Board of Education, it has been learned. The union is opposed to the current structure of compulsory English education courses for fifth and sixth grade primary school students, beginning in fiscal 2011. The Education, Science and Technology Ministry decided in April that primary schools should provide 35 45-minute foreign language lessons per year focusing on English speaking and listening. The Hokkaido Board of Education is holding foreign-language seminars for primary school teachers for this and next fiscal year in 14 regions in Hokkaido. One teacher from every primary school in Hokkaido is required to attend a seminar to learn how to teach English to primary school students. The Hokkaido Teachers' Union opposes this plan. "The activities specialize only in English-language learning and they lack cultural content and other aspects relevant to the language," a union spokesman said. The union reportedly gave a written notice to its members around August, saying, "It's not necessary to attend the seminars because the national debate on primary school English education is insufficient."

[leitmotiv]

[wuchan]

Another thing they expect juku to teach so that they can spend more time preparing for the culture festivals.

[canman]

Leitmotiv, I'm afraid you are giving the Hokkaido Board of Education to much credit. I think that they are being a bit xenophobic and a bit lazy. they don't want to have to teach English, because they themselves cannot speak it. So to teach it they will have to study. And as you mentioned they may feel that students really only need to study Japanese until they are older, out of elementary school where they don't have to teach it. If I'm not mistaken this is not the first time the Hokkaido BOE has done something half cocked like this, but some of the other events escape me right now.

[Mike Oxlong]

To play devil's advocate for a moment - the teachers are awfully busy. They show up before school to do cleaning, lesson prep, greeting students as they arrive at school (big production where they take turns standing out by the gate chanting "ohayo gozaimasu" to everyone who walks in until they are hoarse), they generally teach a class every period, and have no open slots in which to do any prep work. They help the kids get lunch ready, eat with the kids, help clean up after lunch and do more school and grounds cleaning, have clubs and meetings after school, lesson prep, other seminars, event practice, weekend events, weekend trips, and so on. Many of them also have their own families, which they try to attend to after returning home at 7 or 8 on a lucky night. Quite a few take stress leave during the year as it is. Adding more responsibilities to already overworked teachers may do more harm than good. I've seen some excellent results in districts that have done pilot programs with ALTs and sometimes also Japanese assistants. The problem there is budgeting. Manpower and curiculum shouldn't be problems. Places like Altia in Central Japan have had good success dispatching teachers...

[amdg]

The "debate" is "insufficient"? What does that mean?

It means the next time I don't want to follow the rules, that's the excuse I'm using.

[AssKissinger]

I believe that teaching elementary kids English in Japan is a waste of time because what it takes years to learn when they are younger is learned in weeks when they're older.

[MrUltimateGaijin]

Japanese elem teachers are possibly the worlds dumbest people. I can understand their reluctance.

[Charles]

I believe that teaching elementary kids English in Japan is a waste of time because what it takes years to learn when they are younger is learned in weeks when they're older.

That's why you teach it to them when they're younger, so they can learn it in weeks when they're older. The young kids get their neural pathways primed for language learning. They are less efficient when they are young, but without that neural priming, they will also be less efficient when they are older.

[AssKissinger]

That neural pathway shit only develops in a natural setting.

[Samurai_Jerk]

That neural pathway shit only develops in a natural setting.

I'm not sure if that's true or not but 35 45 minute lessons a year ain't going to do shit for them, so you're basically correct that it's mostly a waste of time and resources.