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English to be taught at elementary schools


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> But where is the Monkasho going to get thousands of qualified English teachers who do not have a thick Japanese accent? The likely result of compulsory education is that the children will pick up the accented English that their teachers speak.

 

By teaching it properly at school and by having proper teacher training - same as anywhere else.

 

> Without an appreciation of the cultural, social, historical and religious context these words are used in, the children will be at a loss as to know when, where and why to express them.

 

Yes, and having the language is the key to appreciation of the cultural, social, historical and religious context. But you do not actually need to know the cultural, social, historical and religious context of the language to be able to say "I have been stung by a wasp. Is there a good doctor nearby" and other useful phrases.

 

> Just because English is the most universally used language, it does not make it superior to any other.

 

Actually it does. It is superior in terms of general applicability and return on investment. And as for teaching kids Korean instead, what is the point if the Korean kids are also learning English? Why learn to communicate with just one country when, with the same investment in time, you can learn a somewhat universal language?

 

> Children are as clever and perspicacious as adults

 

No they aren't.

 

> But they lack the experience necessary to put many of the things that they learn into a meaningful context.

 

Yes, but they get that later.

 

 

> I wish that I had been exposed, as a child, to the works of Orozco, Siqueros, Kahlo and Rivera and taught why the country next door was producing such geniuses.

 

But then you would have been lacking the experience necessary to put into a meaningful context, as you say yourself.

 

Bollocks indeed.

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Japanese people (and idiot journalists) place far too much emphasis on pronunciation. Most mainland European politicians speak advanced English with a noticable foreign accent. You get the odd pisstake, but other than that noone really cares. They are perfectly capable at communicating complex ideas, accent or no accent.

 

Japanese people's main problem is confidence. Unrealistic expectations about beginners' pronunciation just undermine such confidence.

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True fact about the pronunciation, indeed I rarely come across students whose pronunciation presents serious communication issues, more often than not the problems lie in other areas. Doesn't mean there is no place for pronunciation input, but laboring r vs l isn't going to help a Japanese student gain confidence.

 

bettyx that's hard work you're dealing with there, it simply beggers belief that some teachers of English are being paid to be what sounds like a negative influence.

 

The guy who wrote the article can knock Nova Kids et al all he likes, but I disagree. On a number of occassions I have had random conversations in English with Japanese kids who come up and talk to me in the supermarket and so on. I always try to keep them talking but of course it's usually limited and then you can speak Japanese.

 

The fact that these kids are trying to use English and are confident enough to speak to a foreigner is great. So it isn't all a waste of money and I'm pretty sure they get their mojo from eikiewas. Admittedly though I am a little disappointed when they can't sing along to "How much is that doggie in the window"

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Not really on topic, but this is the second time in a week I've read, "When I was at school in L.A. in the 50's/70's, we were taught that..." In both cases, what they were taught sounded like utter shit. Has L.A. had a long history of bizarre education...? In both cases, they were rebelling against the nonsense they learnt in L.A. by spouting new, different nonsense.

 

And in the US, they pronounce English all wrong anyway. I've heard more times than I care to think Japanese people saying "Is it true that 'hot' is pronounced 'hat'? I was corrected the other day..."

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Mr Wiggs you're spot on.

 

So much bally-hoo about pronunciation as if it was the sacred cow of language learning.

 

Sure I teach phonics to kids and encourage clear mouthing (not off), but the focus should be on clarity, coherence and confidence in communication.

As Mr W stated many of the world's political and business leaders - and lesser mortals - function perfectly in accented English. No sniggers observed.

 

Ret's rub each ahzza.

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thank you. makes me feel much better... that japtimes article pissed me off a little. the journo said he brought his kids up in the japanese education system, but i wonder if he taught them english too? (he probably sent them to novakids!)

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