My Darling is a Full-Time High School Teacher

[Mulboyne]

The Ministry of Education is proposing to employ 600 foreigners as full-time teachers within 5 years, as a means to improve language teaching in schools nationwide. Currently, foreign teachers generally serve as assistants and the Nikkei says only about a dozen foreigners have regular teaching staff status across the country. The Ministry has included this idea along with proposals to encourage more high school children to spend time abroad and more rigorous testing of local teachers. The teachers will be distributed evenly across the country, with a pair for each administrative district. At this early stage, there are no indications of whether contract terms will be the same as for other staff at middle and high schools or what kind of qualifications candidates will need to be accepted.

Source (Japanese)

[james]

another case of a day late and a dollar short. rather akin to how they sand the roads after the scene of a winter accident.

if they want real results such as those being seen in taiwan and other asian countries, they should focus their efforts at the elementary school level beyond "come play dodgedick with the happy-go-lucky gaijin".

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I'm no expert, but I suggest the Japanese consult their longest Western friends -- the Dutch -- and learn their secrets for teaching foreign languages. Admittedly the languages the Dutch excel in are fellow Germanic languages, English and Deutsch, but we're talking super high levels of proficiency.

Of course, Japan has no interest in really being able to speak Engrish well...just to be seen to be trying to speak Engrish well and thus keeping thousands of MEXT bureaucrats and education-related pen pushers (or this-is-a-pen-pusher in the case of this proposal) in employment.

[Ganma]

I'm no expert, but I suggest the Japanese consult their longest Western friends -- the Dutch -- and learn their secrets for teaching foreign languages. Admittedly the languages the Dutch excel in are fellow Germanic languages, English and Deutsch, but we're talking super high levels of proficiency.

This is true. But there is no comparison to be made as Dutch is similar to English and German and unlike Japan, not only education but most of the entertainment enjoyed by the Dutch is experienced directly in English. No overdubbing, no subtitles. That is why they excel at English better than their German neighbors who try to preserve their language by having movies and TV shows dubbed into German.
Japan is still self contained when it comes to education and entertainment. In fact, even more so now than 40 years ago.
Let's face it 600 teachers is going to do nothing to improve J English.

[Coligny]

another case of a day late and a dollar short. rather akin to how they sand the roads after the scene of a winter accident.

Yea... but imagine if every school kid in japan was fluent in english...

who is their right mind would still stay here ?

(singapor seems to be quite the place for everybody escaping Japan these days...)

[nikoneko]

In my last couple of jobs I have dealt with people from all over the world daily and the Dutch are by far the best non-native English speakers. (Speak better English than probably 80% of the Brits I deal with. *ducks*)

[Kanchou]

The Dutch might have the best ESL, but living in Europe goes a loooong way to learning another European language.

Japan is surrounded by water, but I'm sure you've noticed.

And America, while Spanish and French-speaking countries/areas are around, is simply too damn big for that to matter for people to be able to learn it by exposure.

[Russell]

All compliments to the Dutch aside, I find their English often tongue in cheek. But then, compared to other countries, it may be OK. After all, the Dutch have the saying "In the land of the blind Mr. One-Eye is king". Compared to English native speakers, however, even Dutch lack an eye.

And the Dutch being fluent in German language? Of course they are, because German is just a dialect of Dutch...

What is not mentioned in this thread is the attitude towards language. Holland being a small country, it tries to survive by trade, and language skills are an important means in that. An important difference with many other countries is that virtually all foreign programs / movies on TV are subtitled, so kids get subconsciously trained to listen to foreign languages (and especially English) from an early age. But the most important point is one of attitude: you go to another country, you learn the language. Some people even study a country's language to a reasonable level when they go there for their holidays.

Japan does have of course the disadvantage that its language is no close relative to the world's major languages, but it would do good to change its attitude, from considering the ability to speak a foreign language as an option or curiosity to considering it as being a normal thing. Good teachers help, but the main problem lies between the students' ears.

Finally, it is always assumed that Japanese should do more efforts to learn English, but how about Chinese language? There is a huge opportunity out there, though it may be a bit sensitive......

[Ganma]

Finally, it is always assumed that Japanese should do more efforts to learn English, but how about Chinese language? There is a huge opportunity out there, though it may be a bit sensitive......

There has been an increase in the study of Chinese in school and in businesses. But in the end English is king. Chinese can only be used when doing business with China, English can be used doing business with the world. ...The Chinese also study English.

[wuchan]

Until the memorize and test method of the japanese education system is abandoned they can't offer a useful English education.

[plaid_knight]

In order to attract and keep quality teachers, they need to give them a living wage and not employ them through haken subcontracting companies.

[Russell]

There has been an increase in the study of Chinese in school and in businesses. But in the end English is king. Chinese can only be used when doing business with China, English can be used doing business with the world. ...The Chinese also study English.

It is that attitude that distinguish you as a non-Dutch. Being able to speak the language of a country gives one so much more leverage in doing business there. And not only there, but also here in Japan: the number of Chinese tourists will increase again in the future (after the current temporary dip). Why do you think many of those tourists come in groups with a translator or flog to hotels run by Chinese?

Besides, the number of Chinese speakers in the world is not exactly small. They count 1.2 billion native speakers, which is only slightly less than the estimated 1.8 billion who speak English as their native or second language...

[damn name]

I thought the Dutch excelled at foreign languages to offer themselves some relief from the sound of their own language, which even in shorts bursts can trigger the fight or flee response in most mammals? Edvard Munch painted "The Scream" immediately after a fleeting, tiny exposure to Dutch as two Dutch men walked past him in Norway late one afternoon.

[Kanchou]

Until the memorize and test method of the japanese education system is abandoned they can't offer a useful English education.

And they can't abandon that until they abandon the system of high school entrance examinations for middle school students.

And they can't do that until they turn middle school into something you have to do more than show up 40% of the time to do. I mean, AFAIK it's impossible to get held back unless your parents ask for it. And for the record, 30 is a passing grade in Japan... although I assume a 100 is harder to get.

And if they do that, they will need to completely revamp the system of university entrance examinations too... I don't see why they can just base the system on grades, activities, and the quality of the student, with a small portion placed on a standardized examination instead of a pass/fail exam system that wastes most of a high school kid's senior year and tests pure grammar instead of English ability.

But I suppose you can't judge a kid by extracurriculars when everyone is required to do them...

[matsuki]

It is that attitude that distinguish you as a non-Dutch. Being able to speak the language of a country gives one so much more leverage in doing business there. And not only there, but also here in Japan: the number of Chinese tourists will increase again in the future (after the current temporary dip). Why do you think many of those tourists come in groups with a translator or flog to hotels run by Chinese?

Besides, the number of Chinese speakers in the world is not exactly small. They count 1.2 billion native speakers, which is only slightly less than the estimated 1.8 billion who speak English as their native or second language...

THIS

I hear "but in Japan blah blah blah blah" everyday when dealing with foreign suppliers. I can't seem to escape the same Japanese companies complaining about the same issues they always have with foreign companies...I can't tell you how many times I've explained that the whole little to no inventory, just in time, zangyo powered immediate lead times don't fly with many foreign manufactures but time and time again, I find myself in the same place where the Japanese have waited too long to place orders and are bitching at me daily when they don't receive daily "updates" and exact ETA's on their rushed, last minute, retard status orders. Then I get more "In Japan...." lectures and complaints about the manufacturers being too slow, stupid, etc. etc. etc. YET, the few companies that take my advice and place larger orders well in advance make money hand over fist and maintain enough inventory to deal with any problems that arise.

So yeah, if you didn't read all that bitching, my point is what Russell is saying is right, success comes from the attitude of adapting to your foreign associates, not a rigid effort to force them to adapt to you. (or learn their language, not force them to try to learn yours)

[Jessy]

Finally!! I'm shocked, an intelligent move, now to see it happen and allow the foreigners to actually introduce modern teaching techniques... What battles are ahead? Hummm numerous.

[Jessy]

And they can't abandon that until they abandon the system of high school entrance examinations for middle school students.

And they can't do that until they turn middle school into something you have to do more than show up 40% of the time to do. I mean, AFAIK it's impossible to get held back unless your parents ask for it. And for the record, 30 is a passing grade in Japan... although I assume a 100 is harder to get.

And if they do that, they will need to completely revamp the system of university entrance examinations too... I don't see why they can just base the system on grades, activities, and the quality of the student, with a small portion placed on a standardized examination instead of a pass/fail exam system that wastes most of a high school kid's senior year and tests pure grammar instead of English ability.

But I suppose you can't judge a kid by extracurriculars when everyone is required to do them...

EXACTLY