last week during my adult english conversation class, i found out something utterly shocking to me about japanese people. for a long time now, i've wondered why it is my kids always shy away when i ask them something, and why adults always seem to be at a loss for words to explain something to you. but more specifically, i discovered why it is that no one ever seems to express an opinion around here.
in the american education system, we spend many years from high school throughout college, to perfect an essay: how to write introductions, state your hypothesis, support it in your body, and wrap things up in your conclusion. i dont know about you, but for me, that was what i hated MOST about school. i loathed writing papers. but at any rate, learning to write those papers kinda inadvertently taught you how to defend yourself in conversations. you say something, people will challenge you, and you have to either defend what you say, or admit that maybe what you originally thought had some flaws. i dont know about you, but many of my first impressions of people are based off of how intelligently they can explain and support their opinions. i feel like that's how we judge educated people in general (or maybe that's just me...).
in other words, we learn to say opinions and explain why we think whatever. right?
well that's not how the japanese people roll. when i asked people why it is they can't seem to state their opinion, it's because.... they dont have an opinion. because they're never really taught to have an opinion. you know those hours and hours we spent on papers? not in japan! they learn that an essay has an intro, body, and conclusion, but they never really write papers, and they definitely dont have back-and-forth discussions like we do in the States.
when you think about it, their never really learning how to argue something explains why they never state a solid opinion. japanese people hate conflict. while i understand conflict is sometimes bad, as a human being with a functional brain, you gotta have opinions on SOME things, right? am i wrong to assume this?
for the last few weeks, i've been trying to teach my english class how to have a discussion: how to ask someone's opinion, how to respond to their opinions (agree/disagree), how to state your own opinion, and how discuss ideas in a non-confrontational manner. simple enough, right? i guess not, because i keep drawing blank stares and uncomfortable shifting. i finally understand why this is so difficult for them, and maybe i'm just asking the wrong questions, but i'm genuinely interested in what they have to say... if only they wouldn't give up trying to say it in english.
perhaps my approach is too radical for them. what's this? state my opinion? but that means disagreeing with someone else, and if i disagree, i'll look like an asshole... i really wonder if it's that extreme in their minds.
i think the reason why this bothers me so much is that if you want to truly be functional in a language, you have to be able to do more than just 1) talk about yourself and your hometown, and 2) ask about where someone else is from. if you want to develop real skills, i think discussing something is a vital tool you need. while it's interesting to learn that "wow, you're from an island in japan??", i think it's even more fascinating to ask a japanese, "what do you think about wearing uniforms to school?" or "what do you think about japanese baseball players in the major leagues?" or even "what do you think about Sailormoon?!"
we face this cultural and educational gap with the japanese, no question about it. so what can we do? encourage them to be like us? egg them on till they become opinionated? or just let things go and deal with the thought that hey, s/he probably thinks i'm a jerk because i come off so strong?
as the foreigner of my town, i'm supposed to not only spread my language, but my culture too. carrying on discussions is a part of my culture. i want to share it with japanese people, and yet i'm not seemingly getting through. to give up or not give up? that is the question....
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
english in japan
from my time in japan, i have formed a few theories on english. here's what i've observed:
- about 85% of the population here is too embarrassed to speak english, despite studying the language starting in 7th grade, and having compulsory classes until the end of high school
- younger kids (like 1st, 2nd grade) seem to treat english as something of a game, and are more likely than older kids (5th, 6th grade) to voluntarily use it. during classes at my elementary schools, the 1st graders are all about raising their hands and trying to read off all the animals i have posted on the board, as opposed to the 5th graders who are terrified of volunteering because they're afraid of being wrong. note: they haven't even officially started studying english yet!
- the vast majority of adults have a good vocab in english, especially when it's in written form. they understand a lot more english that i'm spitting at them than they're willing to admit. however, when put on the spot to use english, they'll madly shake their heads as if there's a bee in their hair and start wildly crossing their arms as if they're trying to ward off a vampire. in other words, getting adults to form and say a whole english sentence is like pulling teeth.
with these observations in mind, i've repeatedly stumbled over a puzzling question that everyone seems to have their own opinion on, and here it goes:
at what age should japanese children start learning english?
this question first came to my attention when i was being worked like a monkey at my largest elementary school. they were cramming classes in for me every period i spent at their school. at every other school, every child was receiving exactly 1 hour of english each month. why did 1st graders at the largest school deserve 2 hours of instruction each month over the junior high school-bound 6th graders at smaller schools? something in the system seemed out of whack to me.
as you may know, i've been teaching english conversation at night, once a week, to adults in the community for free. into my 10th week now (only 5 more to go!!), i felt it was finally time to teach them how to debate/express opinions and respond to other's opinions.
as the final practice topic last night, i decided to ask them this question and see what a regular japanese schmo thinks about english education in his country.
class consensus: out of 8 people, 7 agreed that english should be taught as early as possible, 1st grade being the latest.... most said starting in kindergarten would be best. the reason for starting as early as possible is because kids are like sponges.... the earlier you start them on something, the more likely it'll stick and the more confident they can be in it.
the remaining person said english should be started in 4th grade because at that age, they'll be able to comprehend what a foreign language is.
and here's my opinion:
in the case of japan, it's apparent to me that 1st grade is too soon, and 7th grade is too late. i've taught 1st graders in their first week of school as 1st graders, and you know what my impression was? that they barely understand japanese. if they can barely comprehend japanese or that they live in a place called "japan", how can they be expected to understand what a "foreign language" is? i seriously still know 2nd graders who spell piano ピヤノ instead of ピアノ. shit, I'M better at japanese than they are.
seriously, if i were those poor group of 1st graders looking up at me on that day, i would have said to myself, "who is this and why is she here?..."
i dont, however, want to take away from what those little 1st graders accomplished that day. they indeed, had excellent pronunciation, considering it was only their first time being introduced to english. they were quick to volunteer to try to repeat what i said, and they were definitely excited about my teaching them (or about my being there?..). while their response was positive, i still don't feel like they realize what i'm attempting to teach them.
one thing that makes japan vastly different from the states is that about 99% of the population grows up knowing only 1 language. in the states, it's not uncommon for people to grow up bilingual, if not trilingual. the struggle to learn english comes from needing it to survive. in japan, the struggle to learn english comes from needing to pass tests, to be able to read papers written in the scholarly world.... this is probably why so many japanese people are terrified of actually speaking any english.
so i look at the energetic 1st graders with their excellent pronunciation and confidence in english, and then i look at the shy 7th graders, terrified of making mistakes, and terrified of saying something wrong. somewhere in between is where these kids need to build their confidence in english, so that by the time they hit 7th grade, they're ready to be taught grammar and tested in a foreign language.
here's my opinion: japanese kids should start learning english in 3rd grade. this way, kids will have the first 2 years in elementary school to get a grip on japanese, and understand that the world is round and that people that live on the other side of the world in many places other than japan speak english. by third grade, there'll still be time to instill confidence in them. i'd suggest just teaching basic greetings and vocab, much like ALTs currently do.
then in 5th grade, i think they should start learning how to write the alphabet. at that time, they still have 2 years before they're tested in english, and that way, they can put in writing what they've been saying for the last 2 years.
at my special english school, kids learn english every week starting in 1st grade. despite this, they are at the same level when they enter junior high school because they can't spell for crap. and that's almost everyone's problem. so what happens to all their confidence in english that's built up since they were 6? gone. out the window. those kids who have been happily using english all those years suddenly find themselves at the bottom of the curve in english, which generates yet another japanese clone who's afraid of english.
this is why i think it's important to start writing earlier than later. for me, if i can't put a kanji to a vocab word in japanese, i can't remember what it means. also, when people can see the power of phonics and sounding out a word, they become that much more empowered in english.
this is all, of course, just my opinion. english will eventually become mandatory in elementary schools. who knows how that'll work out. most elementary school teachers are no different than the average adult: they're just as terrified at the thought of trying to pronounce english. i've seriously asked some teachers before to just say a few words in english, and they all freeze up and do the mad head-shaking-hand-crossing dance. *sigh*. teacher, if i can't use you as a role model for these kids, who can i?
if anyone else is fascinated by this question, let me know what you think. how old should japanese kids be when they start to learn english?
- about 85% of the population here is too embarrassed to speak english, despite studying the language starting in 7th grade, and having compulsory classes until the end of high school
- younger kids (like 1st, 2nd grade) seem to treat english as something of a game, and are more likely than older kids (5th, 6th grade) to voluntarily use it. during classes at my elementary schools, the 1st graders are all about raising their hands and trying to read off all the animals i have posted on the board, as opposed to the 5th graders who are terrified of volunteering because they're afraid of being wrong. note: they haven't even officially started studying english yet!
- the vast majority of adults have a good vocab in english, especially when it's in written form. they understand a lot more english that i'm spitting at them than they're willing to admit. however, when put on the spot to use english, they'll madly shake their heads as if there's a bee in their hair and start wildly crossing their arms as if they're trying to ward off a vampire. in other words, getting adults to form and say a whole english sentence is like pulling teeth.
with these observations in mind, i've repeatedly stumbled over a puzzling question that everyone seems to have their own opinion on, and here it goes:
at what age should japanese children start learning english?
this question first came to my attention when i was being worked like a monkey at my largest elementary school. they were cramming classes in for me every period i spent at their school. at every other school, every child was receiving exactly 1 hour of english each month. why did 1st graders at the largest school deserve 2 hours of instruction each month over the junior high school-bound 6th graders at smaller schools? something in the system seemed out of whack to me.
as you may know, i've been teaching english conversation at night, once a week, to adults in the community for free. into my 10th week now (only 5 more to go!!), i felt it was finally time to teach them how to debate/express opinions and respond to other's opinions.
as the final practice topic last night, i decided to ask them this question and see what a regular japanese schmo thinks about english education in his country.
class consensus: out of 8 people, 7 agreed that english should be taught as early as possible, 1st grade being the latest.... most said starting in kindergarten would be best. the reason for starting as early as possible is because kids are like sponges.... the earlier you start them on something, the more likely it'll stick and the more confident they can be in it.
the remaining person said english should be started in 4th grade because at that age, they'll be able to comprehend what a foreign language is.
and here's my opinion:
in the case of japan, it's apparent to me that 1st grade is too soon, and 7th grade is too late. i've taught 1st graders in their first week of school as 1st graders, and you know what my impression was? that they barely understand japanese. if they can barely comprehend japanese or that they live in a place called "japan", how can they be expected to understand what a "foreign language" is? i seriously still know 2nd graders who spell piano ピヤノ instead of ピアノ. shit, I'M better at japanese than they are.
seriously, if i were those poor group of 1st graders looking up at me on that day, i would have said to myself, "who is this and why is she here?..."
i dont, however, want to take away from what those little 1st graders accomplished that day. they indeed, had excellent pronunciation, considering it was only their first time being introduced to english. they were quick to volunteer to try to repeat what i said, and they were definitely excited about my teaching them (or about my being there?..). while their response was positive, i still don't feel like they realize what i'm attempting to teach them.
one thing that makes japan vastly different from the states is that about 99% of the population grows up knowing only 1 language. in the states, it's not uncommon for people to grow up bilingual, if not trilingual. the struggle to learn english comes from needing it to survive. in japan, the struggle to learn english comes from needing to pass tests, to be able to read papers written in the scholarly world.... this is probably why so many japanese people are terrified of actually speaking any english.
so i look at the energetic 1st graders with their excellent pronunciation and confidence in english, and then i look at the shy 7th graders, terrified of making mistakes, and terrified of saying something wrong. somewhere in between is where these kids need to build their confidence in english, so that by the time they hit 7th grade, they're ready to be taught grammar and tested in a foreign language.
here's my opinion: japanese kids should start learning english in 3rd grade. this way, kids will have the first 2 years in elementary school to get a grip on japanese, and understand that the world is round and that people that live on the other side of the world in many places other than japan speak english. by third grade, there'll still be time to instill confidence in them. i'd suggest just teaching basic greetings and vocab, much like ALTs currently do.
then in 5th grade, i think they should start learning how to write the alphabet. at that time, they still have 2 years before they're tested in english, and that way, they can put in writing what they've been saying for the last 2 years.
at my special english school, kids learn english every week starting in 1st grade. despite this, they are at the same level when they enter junior high school because they can't spell for crap. and that's almost everyone's problem. so what happens to all their confidence in english that's built up since they were 6? gone. out the window. those kids who have been happily using english all those years suddenly find themselves at the bottom of the curve in english, which generates yet another japanese clone who's afraid of english.
this is why i think it's important to start writing earlier than later. for me, if i can't put a kanji to a vocab word in japanese, i can't remember what it means. also, when people can see the power of phonics and sounding out a word, they become that much more empowered in english.
this is all, of course, just my opinion. english will eventually become mandatory in elementary schools. who knows how that'll work out. most elementary school teachers are no different than the average adult: they're just as terrified at the thought of trying to pronounce english. i've seriously asked some teachers before to just say a few words in english, and they all freeze up and do the mad head-shaking-hand-crossing dance. *sigh*. teacher, if i can't use you as a role model for these kids, who can i?
if anyone else is fascinated by this question, let me know what you think. how old should japanese kids be when they start to learn english?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
back to school
so my long and beautiful summer finally came to an end, and alas, i'm back at school. so far, though, my schedule has been pretty light. last week (the first week back), my first two days were completely empty, and this week, because all my students are done taking tests and preparing for Sports Day this Sunday, there's been a moratorium on classes. i had one today, none tomorrow, and one again on friday. sweet? i think so.
so far, the highlights of my last week and a half:
- trying to teach my kids body parts and verbs to go along with it, such as stand up and sit down. when i tried asking them, what's [stand up]? a kid replies: "Stand down!"
- my largest elementary school FINALLY listening to me (and my higher ups) and cutting down not only the number of classes i have at that school, but the number of students per class. what used to be 6 then 4 classes on a wednesday and friday have now turned into 5 and 4 (only 1 class less, but you have no idea how less painful that makes my day there). also, what used to be 60-80 kids per lesson is now magically 30-40. all of this equals a MUCH happier evelyn.
- finally discovering that the evil, highly explosive propane powered shower of mine actually DOES have more settings than scalding hot and freezing cold. note that i have lived here since the beginning of may, and this whole time, i've been trying to find some magical button that will give me less than scalding water, while still maintaining the flame that warms my water (having that flame stay on is even less predictable than when a baby is going to take its next dump). and last week, just last week, i FINALLY found it. it was set to "medium" gas quantities till now, and it was hidden behind the hose that directs my propane to the shower. this WHOLE time it was RIGHT frickin there... arrrgh. anyway, i now enjoy lukewarm showers! granted, it's still not the ideal temperature, but i'll take whatever i can get.
- i discovered that i can kinda bake! in preparation for a BBQ, i made oatmeal raisin cookies, and they actually came out pretty well if i may say so myself. it definitely had the right amount of sweetness to satisfy americans (i wonder if it was too sweet for japanese people?...). they were probably a little too much on the soft side, but when i think about it, i really dont like hard, crunchy oatmeal cookies. so yeah... my soft cookies were a pleasant change =) although i have to admit, it's kind of a pain when my oven can only fit 4 cookies at a time.... needless to say, it took a slight while to bake all of them.
that's about all i have to say for now.... that and i can't believe it's already been 6 years since 9/11. that's kinda nuts... has time already flown by that fast?
and with that, i'm leaving you with a picture of my new ALT family (well, most of it):
Aaron, Mike, Mitch, Rob, Adam, and me at our Mexican Food Party!
so far, the highlights of my last week and a half:
- trying to teach my kids body parts and verbs to go along with it, such as stand up and sit down. when i tried asking them, what's [stand up]? a kid replies: "Stand down!"
- my largest elementary school FINALLY listening to me (and my higher ups) and cutting down not only the number of classes i have at that school, but the number of students per class. what used to be 6 then 4 classes on a wednesday and friday have now turned into 5 and 4 (only 1 class less, but you have no idea how less painful that makes my day there). also, what used to be 60-80 kids per lesson is now magically 30-40. all of this equals a MUCH happier evelyn.
- finally discovering that the evil, highly explosive propane powered shower of mine actually DOES have more settings than scalding hot and freezing cold. note that i have lived here since the beginning of may, and this whole time, i've been trying to find some magical button that will give me less than scalding water, while still maintaining the flame that warms my water (having that flame stay on is even less predictable than when a baby is going to take its next dump). and last week, just last week, i FINALLY found it. it was set to "medium" gas quantities till now, and it was hidden behind the hose that directs my propane to the shower. this WHOLE time it was RIGHT frickin there... arrrgh. anyway, i now enjoy lukewarm showers! granted, it's still not the ideal temperature, but i'll take whatever i can get.
- i discovered that i can kinda bake! in preparation for a BBQ, i made oatmeal raisin cookies, and they actually came out pretty well if i may say so myself. it definitely had the right amount of sweetness to satisfy americans (i wonder if it was too sweet for japanese people?...). they were probably a little too much on the soft side, but when i think about it, i really dont like hard, crunchy oatmeal cookies. so yeah... my soft cookies were a pleasant change =) although i have to admit, it's kind of a pain when my oven can only fit 4 cookies at a time.... needless to say, it took a slight while to bake all of them.
that's about all i have to say for now.... that and i can't believe it's already been 6 years since 9/11. that's kinda nuts... has time already flown by that fast?
and with that, i'm leaving you with a picture of my new ALT family (well, most of it):
Aaron, Mike, Mitch, Rob, Adam, and me at our Mexican Food Party!
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