>>95 確かにうちの先輩教師も授業見せてもらったけど発音がひどい。 教科書の模範音読とか、意識して読んでるときはまだましだけど、 グラマーの授業で例文を板書しながら読むときとかもろ日本語英語。 自分はああはなりたくないって思って、すべての授業でなるべく上手に 発音するようにしている。3年のセンター直前過去問演習とかでも Good Morinig. How are you ? / Open your books. / Awesome ! / Mr. - What is the answer of question 52 ? とか とか無理やり教室英語使ってる。受験生たちはひいちゃってるけど。
>>96 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52 the answer of question 52
じゃあ、 the answer of question 52 の正解は何なの? 純日本製の俺はofとquestionの間にtheが要るのかなとかしか思いつかない。 ちなみにTOEICはAランク。留学及びネイティブとの接点皆無。 ネイティブの頭コピーしようとやっきにでもならない限り日本で勉強してたらこんなもん。
>>305 Then, how about you? I mock both side in a neutral position, yet rather simpathic with teachers in comparison with such a rude one nearly to drop out.
>>308 But is completely improper conjection to use there. Moreover, the last sentence does not have subject. At least, only thing I am sure is that you are on uphill struggle with English in shool or office or anywhere else.
Sale of beer in Japan is directly affected by the average temperature in summer; when it is not so hot in summer, beer does not sell well, whereas beer companies can enjoy good sales of beer when we have hotter summers.
When our rainy season was over, most of the major department stores opened "beer gardens," open-air restaurants mainly serving beer to workers after five. Whenever we learn they are open, we knew that summer is coming. It used to have a seasonal element in it. but these days people seem to start drinking beer in the middle of winter, in their warmly heated rooms.
Consumer price has obvious linkage with exchange rate. Fall of nominal value of a currency eventually raise cost to import items. Its effect also serves as catalyst to raise price of other goods, partially because of higher price of imported midium goods. This is very true to Japanese situation: If oil gets expensive, it results in greater transportation cost to effect price of various goods. Thus, in general, fall of exchange rate undermines purching power of consumeres regardless of origine of items.
ここは英語力について語るスレかな? 日本教員は必要ないだろうけど、現地の英語はかなり変わってるからねー ↓曲の歌詞だけど、文法めちゃくちゃでしょ。でも現地の人は理解できる(のかな?)。 Housing heads one of 2000 in reefer's dead The underground's uncertain Scrub skills keep resurfacing Grip the cryogenic body soaked in mystery Known for making emcees change belief from Tai Chi to ESP When I drop skills sick like buy my gee These heads hate me vibing to shit that bump like Teddys
I was prepared to change everything and,if necessary, I would- there and then- stop counting on those players that as far as I was concerned could leave at any moment. I emphasised that the game had been a disgrace,and then went even further by telling them that if I were to go down in the club's history as the coach who art the end of so many years had failed to qualify for European competition,then so be it.
Well, as far as returnees are concerned, it seems peculiar those who describe themselves as returnees only fuss about pronunciation. To many Japanese people, those kids may sound fluent in English, but a number of them tend to mumble, rather than articulate, when they need to answer questions in class. Their speech is constantly interrupted by "I mean" or "like...", and scarcely concluded when their mind races busily over intricate ideas. Their writing obviously has more problems, and not many native speakers seriously help them deal with their grammatical errors, not because the problem is trivial but it is too exhausting a job. Japanese teachers seem to be more serious to help the students in this regard.
I do believe returnees have great potential to understand both the Eastern and Western wisdom and bridge the gap between different value systems, if they stop being so proud and open up to learn more from both Japanese and native teachers.
Not many Japanese teachers can help returnees tackle with their problems because Japanese teachers are clueless about them and they make as many grammatical errors as returnees.
>>391 I understand returnees' fluency sometimes intimidates Japanese teachers, but I don't think they are clueless. They can logically explain why Japanese people make such and such errors, because most problems occur due to the difference between Japanese and English. There are things only Japanese teachers can do. Also, we should remember teaching English is not only about how to handle the language, but to scoop the nuances, dig the implications, learn the flow of the mind reflected in the context. Teachers as adults with more life experiences can do it.
One of the problems Japanese teachers have is they make errors without knowing it. How can they logically explain their errors if they don't recognise them? How many Japanese teachers know the language to an extent that they pinpoint the difference in nuances in English? I like your optimistic way of thinking but you don't seem to know the reality of English teachers, to my regret.
>>395 Oh, I kind of like your pessimistic way... let me explain my thoughts a little farther.
I don't think all the Japanese teachers I have met can help returnees much either, if they don't prepare themselves for it. Nevertheless, they are yet the best for the job because 1. They wouldn't have chosen their job if they had not loved using English. 2. They are equipped with basic knowledge of grammar, or if not, can understand it when they double-check any point they are not sure about. All they need is more exposure to the language, and their English will improve dramatically. I know teachers these days have less time for lesson preparation owing to increasing administrative routine, which is the most absurd policy of the education board. Give them time to read novels, newspapers, magazines and websites at work. Let them listen to the news, radio shows, watch movies and documentary films. That should be a part of their job, not a pastime. Assign a devoted native advisor to each school instead of an ALT to come only for class hours under unstable working conditions. You may say that would cost too much, but good education costs us a lot, and I would be more than happy if our tax money were to help the youth of our community grow.
I wish what you are saying was true. Most of the Japanese teachers might like to explain English grammar but I am not so sure if they like to use English. Most of them do not want to include ALTs in their classes because they fear ALTs might say something Japanese teachers don't understand in the presence of their students. Most of the Japanese teachers are in their 40s or in their 50s and they learned English like a dead language, Latin in European countries. You can't teach an old dog a new trick. They would be at a loss if they were told to read novels, newspapers or listen to the news, watch movies without subtitles...
I've got to go now because it's getting late and I'm tired. I will come around tomorrow and I hope I will learn more of your idea about Japanese English teachers. Cheers.
Do you think they chose to be English teachers even if they didn't like to use the language? To torture themselves or something? No kidding. Provided they only like to explain grammar, kids will still benefit from them. Hoping to have cool all-rounders as their teachers is immature arrogance. You seem to underestimate not only teachers but the illimitable human capacity. I always loved the way teachers in their late 50s read English stories with deep insight. They were not fluent in speech, but I do know they taught me so much. Where there is no respect, there is no learning. I am lucky I had great teachers and mentors, but I also know it is up to us whether we learn or not.
oops, i was too late. >>401 Thank you for praising my English, and thank you so much for agreeing with me. Sorry I always need rather long time to think it through and choose my words. I wish I could write more quickly and precisely, but this is so far the best i can do, and actually, I enjoy the process my thoughts form in English, quite differently from the way they do in Japanese. I have never lived abroad, and I once believed my English would become any better after coming of age. I was wrong. I started reading and speaking English in my middle 30s and that worked. I was a dumb one at school and never imagined i would enjoy reading English books later in my life. Maybe enjoyment is the key. Teaching also needs to be exciting.
Do I underestimate the illimitable human capacity? Probably...but the hard reality I face everyday will not think the other way. I'm pessimistic for a good reason. I teach at a very difficult school. Most of the students(15-18,19) don't want to learn. Why not? Because they are poor and from single or broken families. They are always too busy making some money by doing a part- time job, trying to fix their love problems, or getting away from their mothers nagging complaints. They are there at school to talk with their friends. You've got to see it to believe it. They put on their make-up, play with their cell phones, start eating snacks, talk very loudly with their friends, and what you name it in the middle of their classes.
>I also know it is up to us whether we learn or not. You seem to give me a good excuse why I cannot teach my students properly...
I do believe entrance examinations these days are easier to read but have gotten longer and more practical. They used to be more like a puzzle rather than a proficiency test.
Since you see many English materials out there, both students and teachers are better at the language than they were 15 years ago still the difference is not very big since you have almost no chance in Japan to exercise your speaking skills intensively.
I believe teachers who are not very good at speaking would get better once they have an opportunity to stay abroad because returnees who look fluent in a foreign language nonetheless have studied hard before and during overseas, you need to have an opportunity to stay abroad just after hard working.
University entrance exams are getting more like Eiken Step tests, which focus on practical and communicative English skills. I think it is good. Some decades ago, students were asked to translate very complicated-structured academic essays and to know the grammatical terms in the course of the screening. Those students didn't have to go through listening comprehension tests to get into university so most of them did not care if they were not good at it. Things are different now. Materials for the tests are more appropriately chosen and the skills expected of university students are more practical and in a way, easier. 大学入試の現在の傾向はいいことだと思う。
>> 409 I didn't mean to criticize you. I just wanted to cheer you up by reminding you of the mutual trust and support we need among us. You might be a bit tired, but you are yet continuing your quest for better education. I can tell that you are a good thinker and doer. I hope you share your perspective with your colleagues and work with them as a team. I know what it is like to teach at your school. It is a challenging, and often draining job. I was once thrown a chair to by an angry boy. I was overwhelmed by various worries the students were confronting. Studying at what you call an ordinary school might be a luxury for a greater number of kids than we expect. You would surely enjoy teaching enthusiastic students, but I believe you will find yourself absorbed no matter what kind of kids you teach. All that I have seen at any school is precious for me. English is no more than a tool, after all, and schools are places for kids to study, not for teachers to bluff. Needless to say, with a better tool, we can do a better job.
>>I also know it is up to us whether we learn or not. >You seem to give me a good excuse why I cannot teach my students properly... Here I criticized the kids and grownups who insist their teachers be superstars. Didn't you say your students don't care whether you are fluent or not? They don't study not because they believe you are not a good teacher, right? Please don't stop expecting them to achieve. We can only have what we demand.
English teachers always criticize english skill of students. they never criticize english skill of english teachers. and entrance examination and english skill of english teachers is another thing.
Why english teachers don't want to discuss their english skill?
The act of the ministry of education would be as follows. First, they evaluate the english skill of english teachers. And the next will be purging out...
>>433 Actually I have never looked at entrance exams for Kyoto University but I heard they still seem to have a very traditional style; long passages, very academic or rather pedantic, unnecessarily intricatedly structured sentences and all that. They also demand students translate English into Japanese...That's what I've heard,k but I do not know it for sure. Anyway, the students who would like to study at Kyoto University probably don't mind that because they know they are smart... まあ、いずれにせよ、知らないことにコメントをつけることに無理が あるわけで・・・。所詮は一人も一般入試で大学に行くような生徒が いないような学校で、英語を玩具にして遊ばせている者にとっては。
Universities must be just testing the applicants to see if they possess the necessary aptitude to cope with their courses. Let them do their jobs.
>>442 Hey. We don't have to overwhelm the student with remarkable skills! lol Students look up to their teachers for something more essential than superficial knowledge or efficiency.
>>427 Sending a small percentage of English teachers abroad for training is such an elitist and ineffective policy. Well, it's not that I deny the advantages of studying abroad. If such training is helpful, send them all for it! Again, you may say it will cost too much. I agree, and I won't pay my taxes for that. To reduce the financial pressure, I suggest native advisors be assigned as full-timers (see >>398). Somebody wrote English teachers also need to have native teachers, and I half agree. I hope all English teachers to appreciate the magnitude of the support from native COWORKERS, and to help them back to better understand their circumstances, their students and Japanese systems where they are forced to be as far as they work in this country. Unfortunately, native speakers are not stationed fulltime, and even if they hang around for extra hours voluntarily, Japanese teachers are so busy they rarely have time to sit with them over coffee and communicate. And if they did, I suspect they would feel guilty relaxing themselves at work. The entire atmosphere makes education really stiff, and the relation between Japanese and native teachers tense.
It seems the idea of T.T. was very much influenced 'the Army Specialized Training Program' during the World War Two, according to Prof. Wada. In their methods, native speakers were told to give their students "drills," which are made of "mimicry," "memorization," and "pattern practice." Native speakers were called "drillmasters" and there was a clear line between those practioners and "experts" as linguists.
>>448 please see, say, >>418 As you see, English teachers have native coworkers, not native teachers for themselves to learn from, and >>444 was my counterargument to such need. I don't think team teaching works well especially when the budget for ALTs has been annually slashed. ALTs come to school only for lesson periods and teachers can't plan the lessons together with them as they won't get paid for the meetings. In consequence, the oral communication courses don't function accumulatively. We are seeing eye to eye on the need for fulltime ALTs, and I want to go a bit farther. ALT's advisory role should count as a part of the paid job.
I forgot to say that ALTs are not assigned throughout a year for every lesson, and their presence appears to kids more like a surprise than the norm. Here is one example. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080408a1.html
Whether we need meetings for team teaching largely depends on who we work with. There are native teachers I would love to work with as their assistant, and those who are helpless to lead the class.
>>452 I didn't say Japanese teachers need advice about what they teach or how to teach from native speakers. There are things Japanese teachers are not sure because of the lack of being in the Western culture, which native speakers can give answers to without effort. There are nuances we kind of sense but not sure and want to know the way native speakers see. You may be not aware of foreigners working under threateningly unstable working conditions. They might not mean to stay in Japan for good, but imagine how it would be to know whether they can get a life-sustaining job for the next year. It won't be as hard as you imagine to find appropriate native workers for fulltime in cities. In rural areas, JET programme secures their living. Anyway, >>452 responds well to >>437.
Whether English should be taught to all students is another story, as it is an obligatory subject so far, and I think that is appropriate because they never know if they are good at it or before starting to study it, let alone if they will need it in future. The chance should be given equally to everyone. It would be wonderful if all English teachers were at the level of Eiken Grade 1 and still willingly did all the other tasks they are meant to take on, but it seems too greedy of us to wish that much. Supposing all the applicants needed to meet the level of Grade 1, would we have enough of them to be teachers? Certainly not. I really hope people with great aptitude find teaching a worthwhile, but they rather choose different jobs for different reasons.
Well, I am actually a little tired of the argument. Why does English have to cause such resentment on both sides? How come people who comfortably communicate in English are so angry about English teachers? Are you sure you didn't learn anything helpful at school to lay the foundation of your English? What about those who never acquired English and complain about their teachers? Was that really their teachers' fault that they can't understand anything? How do they know if their teachers' English is not good enough to meet the level of Grade pre-1? If they just love to continue whinging and cursing their teachers, they might just as well forget about English and live happier lives.
You are all wrong if you think we want a fruitful discussion here. No one wants to do that, probably except for you. If you are tired of everyone's bitchy blabbering here, you should just stay out of here.
sorry >496 has so many typos: line 3 ; "or" shouldn't be there at the end of the 1st paragraph; I really hope people with great aptitude find teaching a worthwhile JOB
and maybe more... you may be irritated at my clumsy English, but I won't wait till my English becomes perfect. I mean, I won't stay quiet till I die. Why do you have to be so perfectionist? Why do you treat English as some kind of status symbol or an accessory for one-upper man? Yoshio Nakano 中野好夫 warned of the danger in studying foreign languages, saying we tend to feel ourselves superior to others. Needless to say, he was an excellent translator and man of letters.
>> thanks 497, well, the whole scene somehow shows the same attitudes towards English that are familiar to me, and that made me rave like that. It was not all wasted after all, as I have you talking to me.
>>499 Thank you for reading my 496. Even though your disgust at your teacher makes me sad, (and actually it sounds unlikely that you didn't learn much from your teachers), you are one of the few people who actually read my lines! Now that you are grownup (aren't you?), it may be time you opened your eyes and stopped generalizing your individual experiences. You are too good to remain bitter.
>>518 It is not too late to learn from native speakers. Nothing is too late! I underwent the same system and I wished I were born and brought up in an English-speaking country. We all need to make the best out of the circumstances, and unless the majority are determined to pay the cost, the system only offeres mediocre stuff. Please be positive and think of more possible changes.
oops. I meant to say it is natural we pay for lessons given by native speakers ourside schools. Schools (public ones, especially) give just basic knowledge and skills. And I am happy I didn't have native speakers as my teachers at junor high school and high school. Starting communicating with native speakers after I built the basis was really good for me. I don't think I needed native speakers earlier in my life.
It is reasonable all English teachers should be at least at the level of Grade pre-1, but that doesn't mean that they should TAKE and PASS the test. One of the problems of making the qualification mandatory is that the ambiguity of financing. If all the teachers, regardless of their obvious proficiency, were forced to take the test, there would surely be something corrupt. That won't benefit kids, or teachers (to achieve better goals as educators) but surely be advantageous to Eiken company and thus, the ministry or individual officers who get kickbacks.
>> 539 Schools have different priorities, and wise teachers know what they need to do and just do their jobs. And it is not necessarily passing fkn Grade 1 or what fkn ever that they regard as their first priority.
>>538 Most principals and vice-principals are miserable failures who gave up working as doers. I am pretty sure they would also easily achieve the level they are required in English exams, but who cares? Does that do any good to their personality?
I never expect this to be the case, but supposing the test revealed 10% of the teachers not to satisfy the standard, what would happen next? You wouldn't like them to be teaching kids any more till they improve. They might undergo some special training (another project at the expense of citizens) and that is ok. The question is, who would substitute for them? Teachers would know how difficult it is to find so-so part-time substitutes, and even if they worked hard, all the full-timers need to cover various tasks including routines that were meant to be done by the absent teachers. That would burden the whole school staff.
I wonder whether the testing is meant to filter the teachers or to encourage them to improve. If the aim is the latter, there are better and cheaper ways to do that. The idea of tests' measuring the quality of teachers is so childish...
So many people want to discredit Japanese English teachers and their English skills. Why don't they stand up and prove themselves? Pre 1st Grade test is not so outrageously difficult. If you prepare yourself for the test for a few months, you can easily pass. Even I passed...Why can't you?
Why do teachers have to descend to the playground of pathetic know-alls to use and abuse their English so shallowly? That's an insult, and as far as you look down on your nose at the teachers, you will only have sheepish teachers to be despised.
>>546 I can't agree more; Grade pre-1 is a cinch for most of the teachers. I know a person who recently passed Grade pre-1, whose English is not as good as most of the English teachers I have met. Do I have to prove my English ability by taking such a test? I don't think so. It is good if you passed and you are happy about yourself, but not everyone is so test-oriented.
>>547 >Do I have to prove my English ability by taking such a test?
I don't think so either, but please don't forget we have been talking about teachers who are lazy and do not want to polish their English after graduating from university. You say most of the teachers you have met are very good and try to learn more...As for me, I haven't met so many of them. I am saying this because most of them say, "Sugoidesune," when they see me reading English books or newspapers. They say they never read any books in English. I might be wrong because Japanese people don't want to brag (show off) their abilities and they tell lies to try to look humble or something... However I think there is no point telling any lies about something like that.
>>549 Okay, now I'll tell you what I think is a better way to stimulate the "lazy" teachers, but the primary purpose is not stir dull ones but to help us all grow. The best and only way is to observe and discuss each other's lessons. Nobody knows better about teaching than teachers, who make the best critics of their fellow workers. We will learn a lot by both observing others' lessons and listening to other's comments. Giving advice to our peers is not easy. We need mutual respect and trust to openly analyze our work, exchange opinions, suggest possible improvement and so on. Establishing good relations among colleagues including teachers of other subjects is crucial to boost the quality of entire education at school, and thus, more urgent than passing whatever tests. It is true we don't make much use of the knowledge and skills for the language when our students don't cope with further study. If you observe your colleagues' classes and find them terrible, you can help them change. If they are still doing ok, it is not necessary for you to discipline them to read English books etc. When the time comes, they will adapt to their new circumstances, or their colleagues then will put right pressure on them.
There is no such a thing like a perfect lesson, and we constantly feel frustrated or depressed. Your colleagues may better know how to support their students not within the frame of English teachers but with all they can offer as teachers... who knows? (well, I don't know. If they are thoroughly hopeless, then, just be thankful that they let you do your work in your own way...) I saw not only English teachers but hardworking other teachers at night schools who supported kids with care, and it was beautiful to see.
>>552 >I saw not only English teachers but hardworking other teachers at night schools who >supported kids with care, and it was beautiful to see. Help them if you're not a victim of DV, rape, or bullying.
Teachers(?) writing here in English, how did you aquire the language? I mean, I'm studying too, but I feel I'm hitting the glass ceiling.
Q. What did you do when you made a break-through last time?
In my case, I was studying alone, and my responce was slow, then I decided to take a conversation class. I found I knew big words but was not enough when it comes to conbinations of easy words. So I began cramming words like "get into" instead of "enter". My English is better now, but it's not enough yet. When I try to speak about rather complicated issues, (ie. 1st grade of Eiken) I haven't enough good English skills. How should I train myself from now on?
>>554 Are you a teacher and want to know the goal the other teachers set for themselves? Or are you asking us for general tips for studying English?
what is "enough" for your English to be? Is "i.e. Eiken Grade 1" the situation where you speak about most complicated issues? If you don't have anything you feel desperate to convey in English (and surely in your own language too), what on earth is the use of your acquiring the language?
If you were a stem cell researcher, you would have under control all the English technical terms which ordinary people might not know the Japanese words for, and still you might not be able to describe how you would like your hair to be trimmed. If you were a defense attorney for a foreigner in Japan, you would help your client to grasp the complicated situation he is in with your eloquent speech, and yet, you might not know big words your actual self do know. What kind of situations do you picture yourself to be in so you really want to express your ideas in English?
If you bought a Stradivarius and couldn't play it, most people would regard you as a weirdo. A Stradivarius could be an asset, not an instrument (well, that would disgust music fans, though), but English as a container wouldn't serve you for anything without good contents in it.
Needless to say, we won't look up to stem cell researchers for their English, their being internationally competent is not enough yet, and we do admire them when we know their supreme wish to contribute to people's wellbeing. Education is all about helping students be fully human, fully themselves.
>>557 Didn't I write before that I also found maybe 1-2 % of the teachers have no hope in passing Grade pre-1 unless they change their attitude toward their proffession (and that change seems most unlikely)? Unfortunately, no society is free from members who don't contribute or cooperate. I think it is the principals' job to deal with them. When such workshops as I described in 552 don't function for the lazy ones, that's the time the authority should intervene.
I am the last person to deny the advantage of the riches of the language teachers use. It is an important element of good English lessons. I don't like to treat it as if it is the only prominent necessary factor.
As for teachers who don't speak, read, write or listen to English, I don't think they would be activated by mandate tests. Those teachers might not know, or have forgotten how exciting it is to see the kids a little more involved in the lesson one day and a little more interested in the contents the next time. Everyone wants to do better lessons. Pride is always a barrier, but once it is removed and trust is established, many of them will enjoy learning and improving. If that is done through workshops based on mutual support among colleagues, they can grow in many different ways.
I don't want all the teachers to meet a single measure of evaluation, losing their various individualities.
We are teachers, and our deepest interest is in teaching. When we grow in teaching English, our English will certainly become more expressive. I am chatty and I have a lot to say about teaching or kids or schools, but I won't be able to say anything smart or impressive about how beer sales relate to the climate. I am not much interested in being asked about environmental issues in a Grade 1 interview. I would feel a bit embarrassed to talk about Kyoto Protocol as if I were a nerd.
>Q. What did you do when you made a break-through last time?
I asked the question as I was looking for general tips. Eiken Grade 1 is just an example since I didn't want to limit answers, but sure, I'd like to pass the test sometime if I could. I have a dream job, and it requires high speaking skills.
>>558 If I earned big money and wouldn't spent it, most people may regard me as a weirdo, probably. But as for me, my mind is set, so please don't worry about my intention. >>557 What do you チマチマ do? I know it takes time. You know how to study thrifty, don't you? My break-through is gradual as well, takes months or a year to feel the progress. Since my disposable income is not much, I think it's good to hear from you.
I borrow books with CDs from libraries, and listen at work. It's critical to be sensitive whether you can USE the phrase or not. Whether you can UNDERSTAND is not important in this case. Basic-intermediate books will do good, advanced ones are not necessary.
>>562 As you see, I am not a Grade1 holder so you may not be interested in how I've acquired English, but my students are, because I am a model who has never lived abroad or didn't have native teachers in my youth. I am happy when I tell them they can become much better communicators in future.
Thank you for answering me anyway. I don't know yet what "high speaking skills" mean. If your dream job requires certain expert knowledge and intelligence (like knowing how to generate iPS cells, writing thesises on the research, communicating with researchers at international conferences) maybe you will grow the most through the everyday research.
I read magazines, books and websites. I don't read to improve my English, though. I always choose books that interest me, so they range from kids' books to serious novels. When I read novels I don't rush. I don't mind taking time on savoring the nuances and pondering on the implications. When I read magazines like TIME or websites of newspapers, I try to read quickly. By the way, it's encouraging that even TIME has such a typo as; >They would have bought a motorbike too, Sunil says, perhaps even a patch of land >somewhere, were it were not for the hospital bills that never seem to end. After reading, I try to write outlines of the articles and comment on them, and if I can't afford the time, I just think about them in English. The main reason I read news articles is that different stories or stories from different perspectives are available in English. I used to think communication was only possible in person, but now I know there are different ways, and reading is communicating with writers.
It may sound irrelevant to speaking, but this ritual prepares me for exchanging ideas with my colleagues at school, including native speakers. Very helpful, indeed.
>>559 Wow! You really are chatty. I don't think I can express myself as freely as yourself.
One thing I didn't quite agree with you was you seem to think it is somewhat strange to talk about beer sales, Kyoto protocol, or environmental issues. Why not? Maybe you are not a scientist and may not have anything to say in a scientific way, but as a learner of English, you may want to talk what you don't know about those issues. In that sense, we can talk about anything, everything. Probably it's not worthwhile to read or listen to your ideas, but careful advisers will be able to expand your ideas and help you talk more about them.
met definitely more than 100 English teachers, not necessarily as coworkers but also at workshops, as friends, and I find two of them hopeless in using English. They should be laid off. Seriously. See, I am not just protecting teachers blindly. As you have been focusing on the language ability, I said 1-2%. There are about 10% of us at least I don't approve as serious educators. I am more annoyed by those than the 1-2% to be honest... somebody who talks all the time about money and bitches about other teachers behind them, stern to sheepish kids while timid with rough ones. This person has a good collection of licenses, so what? That never qualifies her as an educator, and rather does harm to her mentality; she can be a real bully.
I know not many teachers are used to communicate in English, but 98-99% of them have enough potential to grow, but again, growing as educators is essential; in other words, we can't improve English better than through our own profession.
I am glad you accepted the need of mutual aid, and you are the one who can start changing the atmosphere.
This is about the moral issue to answer 573, so please skip it if you are not interested.
In general social relations we can just walk away from people we don't want to communicate with. As professionals, we need to be more responsible. If we let irrational kids insist themselves without limit and tolerate their habitual rudeness, that will ruin the opportunity for others to grow. We shouldn't change our attitude depending on how tough the students are, because such double standards disappoint them. Of course teachers can't solve all the problems, but setting standards is one of our important duties, or at least good people in society expect kids to have common sense. (we have standards such as not to call 110 or 911 to summon policemen to have them kill cockroaches at our places etc, don't we?) Through the social life at school, kids acquire the sense of norms. It is not about being honorable or anything that high. It's just about being fair to them. I'm sorry I can't go in details about this, and it's not related to the thread theme, so let's put it aside and go back to our original issues.
Here is an allegory of two cooks that I made up now.
One is a genius chef, the other is a young mum. The chef knows everything about the dishes he cooks, having everything under control, from vegetable to fish to plates to knives to all peculiar gadgets. Eating his dishes is just a heavenly experience. He doesn't explain... just cooks. He need not explain as if to justify his prowess. Wannabe chefs idealize him... worship him and try to mimic him. "Sir, where did you get the knife? We want the same one" they ask him. But the chef uses his knife because it fits his hand the best. Everyone needs a different tool. The great chef says, "Go to the shop and ask the guy if you want a good one. I am a cook, and he knows better about knives." One day, little kids came to observe "professional people at work" on a stupid school project planned by the education board (this is sarcasm : p). Cooks were so annoyed. "This is a place for us to work! Keep out, kids!"
Now, I will talk about the young mum. She just started cooking seriously. She never liked cooking before she had her little girl. Now she is conscious about the quality of food the little one eats, and practices cooking for her. Honestly, her cooking is ... well, I am happy I am not the little one... Vegetables are cut into various sizes so some are overcooked and some uncooked. Sometimes it is too salty, sometimes tasteless. She is still experimenting. But for the little girl, sitting at the kitchen table watching her mum prepare their food is a great joy. The mum looks so happy. She just wants to offer the little one healthy hearty food. It is natural the girl is curious about what the mum is doing. She wants to help her. She asks many whys. Why does she cut carrots so thin? What is the name of the fish? Where does it come from? The child starts to use the knife too, and the mum feels safe because she attends to her, and the knife is not so sharp anyway...
How wonderful it would be if we have both the chef and mum working together at school in cooking classes? Not necessarily at the same school for the same kids. Teachers need to vary. Different people offer different things. That is the way communities are.
>>578 The mum will cook better, no doubt, because she wants to make her kid happy. You might think I am a dreamer, but I believe in the magic of love. We improve not by trying to improve. We do because we continue, and we continue because we like doing it. The mums need to love the kids, find their job worthwhile, find it joy to serve. It is never between them and cooking, but them and their kids.
Don't be bitter with young mums who are not great at cooking yet but love their jobs. Be patient and let them find their way. Help them when they need your help. You will learn a lot from them too. Your best kind of lesson and another teacher's are surely different. Even if I am impressed by your lessons, I might not adopt your approach to my lessons, as it depends so greatly on our personalities how we lead the class. When we discuss our lessons, we need to think in the person's shoes. That is one of the most important aptitude for teaching too.
Yeah. It sounds like you are a dreamer to me. Your story is so nice and comfortable to listen to but it is totally lacking in reality. You remind me of administraters who used be teachers and now are working for the education board either at a federal level or local government level. If this is the case, you are supposed to be my superior. ha! Keep dreaming.
Gee, why are you so doubtful of people's nature to grow? Why are you teaching? I am a mere English teacher at a public high school. I wouldn't say anything if I were not a part of it. I hate a critic to talk down on others.
Look, what the f*** is this? >>567 I don't think I can express myself as freely as yourself. Why do you compare (it is a comparative sentence, right?) People like you do this to yourself unwittingly. Is this sarcasm ("shut up ya noisy bastard!") or flattery (condescending BS)? or what? You always make yourself clear and I find it enjoyable to communicate with you, otherwise I won't talk to anonymous people like this. Comparison is the essence of violence. We compare and hurt ourselves. Don't you notice that? This is not healthy. Are you communicating with me only because it is in English? Would you have said "Shut up and pass the test, or I won't let you say anything!" if I had said it all in Japanese? If so, I am a complete idiot who believe we share the hope for better education and kids' wellbeing. Whichever language I use, it is the same me.
I really want you to be free from the bondage... the bondage of competition, even against yourself. You know well you didn't need the certification of Grade 1 to prove you as a proficient teacher. Get out of the cage and you will see the wider world full of wonders, where you start explore and guide your students and fellow teachers around. Stop being conscious of the knife you own, don't blandish it like a tsujigiri slaughterer. You are meant to be a chef.
>>583 Then, I hope now you know that comparison is the source of violence in most cases. Conflicts between different countries, races, social classes and value systems are caused by comparison. Did you know some people here said only native teachers would do because they wanted to deny the existence of Japanese English teachers. They wanted to deny the potential of all the others taught by japanese teachers to make use of the language because they couldn't. They can't accept that others can do what they cannot do.
I know an absolutely awesome teacher with almost native-like English and splendid teaching skills. The teacher is a hero for some students, and still, she (don't pick this one!) intimidated others. Some told me they felt mocked, which I told them was actually what they did to themselves. So many people hurt others and themselves due to English.
My intention is not to excuse ourselves but to find some way out the frustration and if possible, let people know what the situation is really like, because education matters with all who learn, who have kids, and who care about the future for the next generation.
For the purposes you showed there, tests may help learners to a certain extent, but kids seldom brag the scores. You would sound pretty pathetic if you kept saying "When I was a student at Tokyo University..." etc etc. People would think you didn't achieve anything after entering the school and the name is your only pride. You passed Grade 1 as if you breathe. You won't walk with a tag saying "Grade 1". I am impressed by you because you communicate, not because "your English is so good".
I don't quite understand in what way the female teacher with almost native speakers' level of English was such a pain in the neck. Did she brag her ability and were her students asked to do something they cannot possible do? I know you don't want to go into detail because you want to stay anonymous... but could you elaborate on this point a little further? You said some students respected her as a model to see how far they can go if they keep on trying very hard...or something. If she pleased some students, it seems to me that she was an all-right teacher, because you just can't satisfy everyone.
We all have weak points. When we find a little error in someone, or something we usually respect, we go aha! and smile, like yourself when you found a typo in the magazine. If you have a compulsive fondness toward competition, you are a weirdo but everyone wants to win. We use this human nature and let our students play games in class, right? It's not altogether a bad thing to be a little competitive. 英語学習者としては「英語だから」やってるってこと多いよ。母国語だったら 「タルイ」と思われることだって、英語であるというだけでやっていて、それで もって楽しいと思われることだってあるんだ。
We are mainly talking about older teachers over 50, who were employed when they increased the number of high schools double or three times in order to accept baby boomers' children in 80'. Of course they sat for a test to be a teacher, but almost all of them were accepted because of severe shortage of teachers back then.
It is true once you are accepted, it isn't difficult to keep the job. If they decide to be lazy, yes, they will lose their ability little by little. We don't want to see that happens.
Here we say good English teacher are a kind of speaker who sound native. Usually, those teachers are not qualfied to be influential to students at school. They are just doing low level conversation. We should not expect every student can pronounce like native. Communicaiton is more compelx abliltiy.
>>596 warm thanks from the flower child (who wishes rather to be a punk rocker!)
The more I try to be practical, the more out of touch I seem to sound. sigh. Can our society afford to fire the teachers who fail the test? Can we replace them with native speakers with fluent Japanese and other good communicators in English who know how to teach? You may be able to collect some by raising the pay, but the most decent kind of educator works for different goals. I want more time and understanding of the society than money because we can't do our work apart from the real world. Kids pick as much from outer world as at school. When a famous restaurant reuses their dishes, it is strenuous to set the standard straight for kids.
When teachers give reasonable lessons at ordinary high schools, that means they are at least the level Eiken Grade pre-1 requires. I once had a chance to see a new young teacher's class at a junior high school. He pronounced some basic words wrongly and couldn't answer an innocent question from a kid. He scolded the kid saying "Don't ask a silly question, that's not funny!" He was a Grade pre-1 holder. Another fluent teacher was reading a fashion magazine for American teenagers and said he used it to attract kids' interest. I was amazed how insensitive he was to choose such an empty magazine filled with information of sexy dresses and diet.
The requirement should be about the quality of the lessons they do, and that is surely higher than Grade pre-1 by all means. I still agree we don't use much English at academically lower high schools and junior high schools, but as far as the lessons are appropriate (of course including every necessary bit of accuracy and fluency for the particular lessons), that will do.
In terms of lesson materials, I don't really think they should be strictly academic. The stuff the fluent teacher used might not be so relevant in a school setting but, to be honest, I might use it once in a while. If you keep using that kind for a whole term, the students might get a wrong message but just once or twice won't harm them.
No, we do need to have a good sense in choosing materials. To be politically fair is one thing, keep class free from obscenity and violence is another.
(complement to 601) If we dare use such materials, we have to be certain with the purpose. We shouldn't think lightly about entertaining kids with "cool" stuff. If you bring in criticism of girls' obsession for being skiny, you have to prepare yourself and know background well.
well, well... >>586 Darling, you sometimes frustrate me. I said she is more than all right. That's not the point. What can I say? You are right. Nobody satisfies everyone. Do you? I don't. The students who didn't have the capacity of appreciating the excellent teacher liked me somehow and they did ok in my class. That never means I am somehow better than her, but it tells one thing. We complement each other and work as a whole. Kids have maybe 5-6 English teachers through junior and high schools, and they are lucky if they have one to wake their inner desire to grow. Girls can study hard and subsequently come to like English only because their teacher is handsome!
Don't darling me, PLEASE. You are also frustrating, if you ask me. You sound like a deadly serious teacher with a puritanlike moral. I know you mean well but just a little bit too much.
OK, no offence. I am professional. I play the teacher's role when I teach. That's all. Call me anything like flower child or puritan or moralist. That will make my friends laugh the shit out of them.
Yeah, that was me... I know you didn't like it but as I said before in >>569 part of me agrees with you, or rather actually I like your positive ideas. I wish I could believe in it. Anyways we are going around the same place on and on and the same things are being talked about here. It sure is a waste of time to say anything here. Please keep that in mind.
数学ノートの例: Solve for x in the equation Ln(x)=8. Let both sides be exponents of the base e. The equation Ln(x)=8 can be rewritten e Ln(x)=e8. The answer is x=e8. 歴史ノートの例: Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Edo Shogunate in 1603. Marco Polo published "east record of personal experiences" in 1275.
ネイティブ教員がオマエらに「生の英語」を教えてくれても、 オマエらは I live in Japan. I like 2-Channel. Do you like Sushi? 程度の英会話しかできないわけだろ。 従来通り文法中心の「読み書き」をしっかり勉強しておいた方が将来のため になるから、ペラペラに喋れるみたいな妄想は一刻も早く捨てなさい。
my name is john. im from australia. i have been an english teacher for 5 years.im in the saitama area. if you would like help with your english. pls contact me. 45 mins/\5500 60 mins/\7500
Japanese teachers who teach English cannot speak English well because they do not have to speak English much at the time of the exam getting teachers. They can read, write, and listen, but cannot speak in English.