"Abolish The ALT Program"

[Mulboyne]

James W. Porcaro is a professor of English as a foreign language at Toyama University of International Studies. His full paper, "Abolish the ALT Program," is in "Explorations in Teacher Education," 14 (2) and available online here (PDF).

Yomiuri: Time to end the use of ALTs

...Detailed data on the academic and professional background of ALTs seem to be entirely lacking. However, it seems fair to say that the vast majority of them are recent college graduates with little or no experience as teachers of anything, let alone English as a foreign language (EFL). Most are in Japan for the first time...As most of their counterpart Japanese teachers of English (JTEs) at middle and high schools receive almost no formal teacher training and inadequate in-service training and rely almost exclusively on yakudoku (grammar-translation) as the only known instructional methodology, the classroom work of paired teams of JTEs and ALTs is often much like the blind leading the blind...
...There seem to be no comprehensive studies with valid empirical evidence to show that the presence of ALTs in middle and high schools over the past 20 years has effected any notable advance in students' English language proficiency levels or the quality of communicative language teaching (CLT) on a widespread scale. Anecdotally, my observations of about 20 ALTs in high school classrooms and discussions with scores of JTEs over the past two decades lend support to these characterizations. I have taught at college level in Japan since before the arrival of ALTs and have seen no evidence of any impact by ALTs on the overall level of students' English language proficiency or their attitudes, strategies, and expectations toward English-language learning...

Given the staggering annual cost of all the ALTs in Japan, a cost/benefits analysis would certainly conclude that their employment involves a wasteful expenditure of massive funds for, at best, very limited and unproven gains. The use of ALTs in English classes should be terminated and the money used for long-term, intensive training of JTEs in workshops, seminars, and courses throughout the year, including the long-term presence of master teachers, both Japanese and native speakers, as mentors in the schools. At the same time, it is imperative that the Education, Science and Technology Ministry mandate the practice of CLT and terminate yakudoku instruction. Other measures, such as reduction of class sizes and an increase in the number of trained teachers, should be funded in place of the current expenditure on ALTs...
...The existence of ALTs in English classes has been a severe distraction from working toward the goal of "cultivating Japanese with English abilities" as set by the ministry. It is time to terminate the use of ALTs while recognizing and addressing the essential role and acute needs of JTEs...more...

[AssKissinger]

He says there's no evidence that it's working but he doesn't seem to have any proof it isn't working. It's hard to measure things like increased interest and enjoyment. I feel like I made a positive impact.

I have taught at college level in Japan since before the arrival of ALTs and have seen no evidence of any impact by ALTs on the overall level of students' English language proficiency or their attitudes, strategies, and expectations toward English-language learning...

That doesn't sound very scientific.

[kamome]

It's not scientific, but it sounds "truthy".

[dimwit]

I think the point is that there haven't been any scientific studies on usefulness of the ALT program. This needs to be done rather than protagonists and antagonist of the program talking about what they think.

A couple of observations I would make. 1) The mandate of the JET seems confused. Are they there for the purpose of internationalization (whatever that means) or for teaching? If both they are likely to do a crappy job at either. 2) The amount of experience a teacher has, coupled with the amount of training does have a noticable and scientifically documented effect on their performance. JETs generally have little or no teacher experience and very little training.

[Kanchou]

Perhaps they should just limit ALTs to people who are fluent or nearly-fluent in Japanese (as a second language... for native bilinguals it should require some sort of training in second language, or teaching ESL at the very least), because that way they can both fully explain grammar concepts in the student's native language (a teacher that doesn't speak the student's language fluently is about as useful as a set of tapes in my opinion), and they'll also have an idea as to WHAT WORKS and WHAT DOESN'T when it comes to learning a second language.

Things that work include high amount of exposure to properly-subtitled movies, TV, animation, etc, as well as music (more to help remember words that are learned later, through association, rather than actually learning anything... at least until the student starts to have workable knowledge of the language and can use the music to actually look up the words they don't know), as well as training based on conversation with natives...

And of course this is simply as a primer to spending AT LEAST a year in a country that speaks the language. If you don't turn up the exposure to about 30 or so (meaning 24/7/52), all the grammar and vocab in the world isn't going to do you a whole load of crap until you speak the language every day.

Once you've obtained conversational level (my standard for "conversational" means is pretty high though... I intend for it to mean "a MEANINGFUL conversation"), you can move on to advanced vocabulary that allow you to come closer and closer to true fluency (meaning, be able to express all of your thoughts and emotions fully, without breaking into the other language).

[canman]

I often hear people talking about the only way to solve the JET problem would be to hire licensed teachers to come over and teach. The biggest problem with that solution is A getting something like 7000 licensed teachers to come to Japan to teach. Second, would be to allow them the freedom to teach. I think that even if Mombusho allowed them into the country, they wouldn't be allowed to do whatever they wanted. They would have to follow the same outdated curriculum that Japanese English teachers are using.
Also I think it is a mistake to lump all teachers in the same category. Just have licensed teachers in the classroom, might not have all the benefits some people think. While I'm sure they would have more experience and knowledge about curriculum, classroom dynamics etc., it is a whole different kettle of fish teaching a foreign language than teaching in your own language.

[Captain Japan]

The article is commenting directly on this article from last month...
JET impresses a generation: Yale professor lauds program for broad impact
Daily Gomiuri

"There are conspiracy theories...[about] the Japanese trying to mold world opinion and create a cadre of Manchurian candidates out there," said Yale University Prof. Michael Auslin, describing one rather paranoid view of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

The Manchurian Candidate is a U.S. movie in which a group of Americans are secretly brainwashed for nefarious purposes while being held captive overseas.

"They may well have succeeded," Auslin added, "but I would be one of them."

He was just kidding about that last part. Auslin was indeed part of the JET Program, teaching English at two schools in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, in 1991-92, but the pleasant and affable professor appeared anything but sinister when he spoke with The Daily Yomiuri over a glass of iced tea earlier this month in Tokyo.

In a more serious moment, reflecting on the fact that the program has so far had more than 46,000 participants from 44 countries, Auslin said, "I think you're really talking, in terms of numbers, about one of the most significant cultural exchange programs ever.

"On top of that, what stuns me is...if you go around to [Western] people who are involved professionally with Japan, and you do a very unscientific poll, I think I consistently get somewhere between a quarter and a third of the people have been on JET."...more...

I guess the beef came about from these kinds of comments...

As for the English-teaching aspects of the job, "we were all sort of human tape recorders, [but] I didn't mind it that much because [the Japanese teachers of English] were kind people and I just got up there and did my thing, and we'd try to make some games...I don't think ultimately it made a lot of difference, but it probably made it a little bit more fun to do English, which is maybe all you can hope for. I have no illusions that it added to the linguistic abilities of that particular set of students, but I think they had a good time at least."

[canman]

Unfortunately, that is how a lot of Japanese English teachers look upon the JET, more of an entertainer, that the students love, or at least like, since they add some fun and enjoyment to the dullest of dull.
Last month there was the monthly question in the Yomiuri asking how to help Japanese learn English, and one person wrote in about how JETs were a hardship to the Japanese English teacher since the JET and their native English ability diminished the effect of the hard working, dedicated Japanese teacher. Whatever, sounds like that person some English pronunciation envy going on.

[Greji]

one person wrote in about how JETs were a hardship to the Japanese English teacher since the JET and their native English ability diminished the effect of the hard working, dedicated Japanese teacher.

The effect? What effect? If the students aren't learning English to begin with, what effect of the hard working, dedicated, katakana spouting, Japanese English teacher could possibly be diminished?

That sounds like something that Professor "Let's abolish English and make the world learn Japanese" would say! (I hold the asshole in such high esteem, I forgot his name)

[AssKissinger]

The styles of teaching that certified teachers outside of Japan find effective in their native countries often wouldn't work as well in Japan, imo. One of the key problems isn't that JTE's consider ALT's entertainers but rather the ALT's reluctance to let the JTE's to remain at the reigns. I think one of the reasons I got on so well as an ALT was because I always did it their way without resistance. It's the easiest, least stressful job in the universe, if you just go with the flow.

[Big Booger]

I have taught for a while now both on the JET and working as a direct hire. In my short time I've noticed that Japanese English teachers are a mixed bag.. you'll get some that you wished you could work with for the rest of your teaching career... but then you'll run into a sock puppet that can barely speak Japanese much less English.

ALTs can play a pivotal roll in language acquisition for children in Japan... however, underutilized, poorly trained, and poor supervised ALTs can have the exact opposite effect.

Personally I think ALTs need more training before they teach. They need an ALT trainer (perhaps a former ALT who works solely at teaching other ALTs how to do their job). They also need supervision... Japanese teachers work because of "harmony" and a sense of duty (those that are worth a shit anyway)...

ALTs come to Japan get slammed into a fixed system and have no direct supervision (you might have a go-between, but often times that person is a co-worker who is busy)... and then they get shunned or pushed into closing up and using the computer, reading books or escaping from reality whilst in the teacher's room... then get resented for not "working" (been there, done that)...

THe program could use improvement, but I think for the most part it has a good impact. Kids get to see ALTs from other countries and experience a different culture firsthand... ALTs should be teaching themselves using methods and techniques that they should be trained to use before becoming an ALT and not just "blending in" and following along like a textbook Japanese classroom would run.

I have found that yes it is easier just to go with the flow... but then the impact is thus diminished. Of course there is a transition period for kids to get used to the new way of doing things, especially if an ALT puts forth the effort.

I have done both styles, where I just followed the standard way and was a complement to the Japanese Teacher of English.. and what I found was that my life was easier, I had very little stress and kids English remained flat.

However, when I took a more active role in lesson planning, preparation and instruction, I have found that children respond differently and thus the impact that I have is improved.

I have taken classes from day one and taught them solely in English. Oh yes, for about 3 months it was utter confusion, hell and chaos... kids are not used to thinking in English, speaking in English, rhythm practice, intonation and phonics training and so on.. They are not used to TPR, they are not used to thinking on their own, being asked to give speeches, perform plays or skits, speaking tests, reading relays, recitation contests, or anything like that.

And what I discovered was that doing all those different things, using different methodologies was at first difficult, but it paid off in the end.. as kids scores improved in reading, writing, and listening (speaking isn't a part of any standardized test yet)... not only that, but many more children became interested in studying or going abroad. They became more interested in my culture as well as the cultures of the content that I taught.

The vision of an ALT should be that of cultural as well as linguistic ambassador... but to do that requires support and assistance from their co-workers, namely the JTEs that they'll be working with. When that assistance is present, you can seriously change both the students' and JTE's way of thinking and doing things... (I don't know how many times I have been told by a JTE that they would start to use some of the activities in their daily regime that I taught)


But to say that the ALT program should be abolished is petty and seriously flawed thinking. Improved maybe, even changed perhaps, but abolished, certainly not...

[Samurai_Jerk]

I've always thought that at the very least the JET program should have used the long breaks to train ALTs. For selfish reasons I'm glad they didn't. I got 3 or 4 months paid vacation a year, traveled all over Asia, and even went to Brazil. However, practically speaking, it would have made more sense to have me and all the other ALTs doing some teacher training courses during summer, winter, and spring vacation. I remember when I first arrived in Saitama on JET it was the end of August. They took me to the school to show me around and then took me back to my apartment and basically said, "See you in September." I had more than a month with nothing to do and I didn't have much money. Now, I'm not the type that got freaked out by that and I loved my summer vacation. It didn't take me long to discover the local beer garden nomihodai spot or make my way to Roppongi.

The bastards I really felt sorry for were the municipal ALTs that had to spend their breaks sitting in the city board of education staring at the walls.

Anyway, my point is, rather than paying me to run amok in Tokyo or spend a month on the beach in Rio de Janeiro and paying other teachers to rot at the BOE, it would have made a lot more sense to turn us into real teachers. I think if they did that and also made it possible for someone to be a "career" ALT they'd get much better results in the long run.


As for the internationalization vs. teach English thing, I think I remember reading in official JET literature somewhere that our job was really the former more than the latter.

[AssKissinger]

Boogie,

About the going with the flow thing:

I think doing your own thing works for you because you have a lot of experience teaching English and you have the wa of a veteran gaijin to pull it off. It takes a lot to get to the point where you can actually improve on what the JTE's want you to do with your own ideas. Many ALT's mistakenly over-estimate their abilities.

Jerky,

Yeah, I had to stare at the walls. I didn't mind at all though. I just read books and snuck out for long walks.

[kamome]

As for the internationalization vs. teach English thing, I think I remember reading in official JET literature somewhere that our job was really the former more than the latter.

Yes, the "internationalization" role was/is really the focus. The English language system in Japan is broken - ALT's aren't going to fix that by standing in a classroom one hour a week. Once I came to that realization, I stopped fighting to teach English and just hung out with the kids after school - which ironically was the catalyst to get them to communicate in English more than my classroom efforts.

[Big Booger]

Boogie,

About the going with the flow thing:

I think doing your own thing works for you because you have a lot of experience teaching English and you have the wa of a veteran gaijin to pull it off. It takes a lot to get to the point where you can actually improve on what the JTE's want you to do with your own ideas. Many ALT's mistakenly over-estimate their abilities.

Good point. Definitely the first year or three isn't enough to give you experience in straight going for broke on your own... in fact that would be the equation of failure (apart from very special people who can wing it so to speak with utmost success).

I do think however that after some time you'd want to assert your own style or influence to create a diverse experience for students. If not, you are no better than a CD or video instruction.

And I feel it's because ALTs lack proper training and support that that can aid in their failure as a meaningful English educator.

Those JET seminars are worthless, as is CLAIR and all that. If you want to abolish something, abolish CLAIR, enroll all ALTs in a teacher's union, improve training and support, as well as salary increases (15 years at a base salary of 3,000.000 yen a year that doesn't keep up with inflation is appalling)... And hold ALTs accountable... that was something else that I didn't feel while on the JET program.

I also think that team teaching is a brilliant scheme when it works and an awful idea when it fails. Sometimes it works great, the JTE and the ALT can mix like sugar and water.. but at other times, it's like mixing Jerry Falwell with a crowd of atheistic homosexuals...

I further feel that by limiting contracts to 3 or I hear even 4 or 5 years now that they are not giving foreigners enough time to improve as teachers. It can take a long while to get to a position where you feel confident in teaching, and it's at that juncture where you can really start to make a difference.. but by limiting ALTs to contracts of 3,4, or even 5 years, they are making it difficult for the program to have any meaning.

I've personally helped teach a couple of rounds of teaching seminars. That's right, I was asked to teach Japanese English Teachers how to team teach and teach English effectively. And my plan worked brilliantly.. I taught them in Spanish.

My point was, I wanted the Japanese teachers to see what it is like to learn a new language from the get go. I asked the questions in Spanish, had them sing a simple song, taught them how to pronounce words, simple greetings, and so on....

And that was just the language aspect of the seminar. I also incorporated how to effectively team teach, how to use games and activities, TPR, and so on to get students to not only learn English but also to improve the all mighty test scores...

And the teacher's that I taught, for the most part, came away with a sense of what it is like to be on the receiving end of language acquisition. They sometimes forget that.

Some of course thought the seminar was a complete waste of time (it wasn't my idea, I was asked to do it by the BOE)... you can't please or reach everyone.

The point is, that training is as important as teaching. The two go hand in hand... and ALTs have paltry experiences in training.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Big Booger,

You're right about one thing: The JET seminars were pretty much worthless. Having other JETs who didn't know any more about teaching than I did and whose only qualification was that they volunteered to do a workshop tell me how to run my classroom was pretty much a waste of time.

Yeah, ending time limits is what I meant by creating a "career" ALT position. I understand that without getting a teaching licence and ALT can never be officially classified as a teacher. However, the could create some kind of system that had training, pay raises, etc. to actually create expertise among ALTs and make it a career choice for those who'd love to teach English in Japan longterm.

Of course, It probably would just make more sense to spend that money training the JTEs like the article says.

[Big Booger]

Big Booger,

You're right about one thing: The JET seminars were pretty much worthless. Having other JETs who didn't know any more about teaching thatn I did and whose only qualification was that they volunteered to do a workshop tell me how to run my classroom was pretty much a waste of time.

Yeah, ending time limits is what I meant by creating a "career" ALT position. I understand that without getting a teaching licence and ALT can never be officially classified as a teacher. However, the could create some kind of system that had training, pay raises, etc. to actually create expertise among ALTs and make it a career choice for those who'd love to teach English in Japan longterm.

Of course, It probably would just make more sense to spend that money training the JTEs like the article says.

A lot of the training can be done on the cheap. Some kind of examination to check that ALTs are capable of teaching is in order.. (grammar test or something of that nature), perhaps allowing ALTs to have kenshu like their JTE counterparts... Using exceptional ALTs to train new recruits... and having an ALT around who actively communicates with the English speaking staff is a great way to improve their English ability. I make it a point to converse with several teachers daily. I often get asked questions about grammar and I whip out the old Brief Holt Handbook and answer away. Today I was asked the difference between see and watch (and in some cases if they could be interchanged)... of course the Japanese teacher could look this stuff up but it's easier for them to ask me and they get a chance to actively use English.

Career ALTs are the way to go. And a teacher certification program for foreign teacher is a very good way to attract those that are truly interested in teaching, and want to make a career out of it. In fact several teachers I have spoken with forsee the program heading in that direction. I will wait, but alas my time is almost up in Nippsiville. Without a career in something, I don't see Japan as anything more than a stopping point in my life adventure.

So Booger goes off to study some more for the GRE and A+ exams! It's gonna be hard to leave Japan and teaching. But I'd stay here if I had a permanent job, rather than the contract BS... with a salary that increased and benefits to match that of other teachers. Hell I might even work harder (I know, shocking isn't it)..

[Oradea]

I have never been an ALT in Japan, but this is compelling reading.

Would it be beneficial to have the ALT at the same school everyday, teaching the same schedule as the Japanese teacher?

Obviously there would be problems, and some classes would be mega quite for the ALT, but wouldnt it lead to English being an everyday thing at school?
Instead of 60 mins a week? Less pressure to speak and infinitely more opportunities, not just on some 60 minute topic pulled out a hat, but on everyday school life....



Or am I just a twat?

[Mulboyne]

...the "internationalization" role was/is really the focus...

Japanese women are marrying later, marrying more foreigners and having fewer children so I suppose the program has worked in that respect.

[kamome]

marrying more foreigners

You can credit that trend entirely to me.

[Mike Oxlong]

... but wouldnt it lead to English being an everyday thing at school?
Instead of 60 mins a week? Less pressure to speak and infinitely more opportunities, not just on some 60 minute topic pulled out a hat, but on everyday school life....

JHS kids in my city get 4 hours of English instruction a week, one of those hours with an ALT. Maybe 3 out of 40 kids (in a good class) give a shit about learning/using English. It's taught the same as any other subject i.e. the information is to be memorized and regurgitated on tests. There is no connection to real life i.e. communication. The kids see no purpose to what they are learning, hence they don't give a shit. Until the attitude that English is a test subject is changed, and the system follows, all the changes to the ALT system will amount to squat.

[Charles]

JHS kids in my city get 4 hours of English instruction a week, one of those hours with an ALT. Maybe 3 out of 40 kids (in a good class) give a shit about learning/using English. It's taught the same as any other subject i.e. the information is to be memorized and regurgitated on tests. There is no connection to real life i.e. communication.

Oh how right you are. I remember when one of our Japanese instructors found a sample copy of the English section of the college placement exams. We all tried it and not one single native English speaker was able to pass. Not even close. Not even the PhD in Linguistics (and she taught college-level English classes to exchange students from Japan). However, our Japanese teacher and all the native Japanese TAs passed it easily.

[amdg]

[kamome]

[quote="amdg"]
Circle the syllables in the following words which are inflected by stress]

Do you mean, circle the syllables that are stressed more than the others? That would be "tel", "muse", and "com", right?

[amdg]

Yep, that's what they want you to do. I believe your answers are right too, but hey, - I could be wrong!

[GomiGirl]

You can credit that trend entirely to me.

How many have you married???

[kamome]

[quote="GomiGirl"]How many have you married??? ]



None - left them all wanting, hence the rush to find other gaijin to fill the void! (Sorry, it's Friday here and I'm zonked from overwork. The effect is similar to "PWD" - posting while drunk.)

[dimwit]

[quote="amdg"]I do the college-entry tests every year for a J-friend who wants to get the answers for his students before they are actually published. The first one I ever did was a disaster because the tests are often directed at things that a native English speaker would never consider important. For example]

I get diluged by the same crap. It is funny that stress is so important to the test writers and yet is not a major barrier to communication whereas clear differentiation between sounds R vs. L, B vs.V is probably the area where most Japanese speaker have difficulties.

[Charles]

I get diluged by the same crap. It is funny that stress is so important to the test writers and yet is not a major barrier to communication whereas clear differentiation between sounds R vs. L, B vs.V is probably the area where most Japanese speaker have difficulties.

Stresses and intonations are just the sort of thing you are supposed to pick up by listening to and participating in conversations. You naturally mirror the speech you listen to. The only solution is lots of listening practice, the exact thing missing from English teaching in Japan.
But what killed me and all the other English native speakers on the practice exams was all the rules. There were tons of questions about grammar rules, nothing any native speaker would be able to recite but would intuitively know how to use. The questions required you to pick the correct rule, not to use it in practice. They were almost impossible to decipher, we could not reverse engineer examples to test the rules.

[Greji]

They were almost impossible to decipher, we could not reverse engineer examples to test the rules.

Long, long years, ago in a galaxy faraway, after I taken the Government's Japanese test on Japanese and surprisingly scored fairly well, one of my teachers, a J-guy who was a Waseda grad told me on the sly that he had also taken the same Japanese language test (as all teachers there were required to do) and failed it i.e. did not receive a rating of satisfactory for the US Governments scale.

Every since I have had serious issue about these so-called tests that supposedly rate ability in languages.