the new teachers, same as the old teachers
We've taken in 5 new teachers-in-training at my middle school, straight from the middle of university, not even graduated yet. They're supposed to spend 3 weeks here to figure out how a real school works, I suppose.
I chatted a bit with one of the prospective teachers who planned on teaching English. Her English isn't atrocious, but my Japanese seems to be better than her English. For some stupid reason, she's been paired with a teacher whose favored method is "cover page X in the textbook", probably the least popular and least effective English teacher in the school. I asked her about how their professors were telling them to teach lessons in school. The answer was disturbing: straight textbook lecture. The professor was explicitly instructing her to tell the students, "Open your books to page 22." It's the exact teaching method they've been using for the last 50 years. You know, the one that DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. That's right, drones, just follow the same textbook plan for every lesson and you can't go wrong! I'm trying to get her to use her brain, figure out what the textbook is trying to cover, and come up with her own lesson, but I honestly don't know what I can tell her. The girl has probably never had an effective language instructor in her whole life.
I've given up on the system here. I really have. It's broken, and nobody is trying to fix it. The whole teaching English grammar and vocabulary for a test while claiming at the same time that it's for communication, it's worse than not teaching English at all.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Well, dear, isn't that pretty much the Japanese system all around, even in business? My understanding (from across the Big Water) is that creativity is not encouraged, that following the system like a good soldier and keeping your mouth shut is what's rewarded. That's why I have a hard time believing you are existing over there, since those "values" are the antithesis of yours!
May 24th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Your mother has a good point. From what I understand that is their system, and it's not going to change. Can you survive one more year without going over the edge? :-)
July 6th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
But keep in mind, the reason they are learning the token English at school is partly for historical reasons, such as losing WW2 against US, and US mandating its relationship with Japan. Not saying teaching English is wrong, hell they need it. But I think there might be a reason to why there is no soul in this system.