In the months leading up to moving to Japan, I often wondered why Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) get such a good deal through the JET Program. How is it that I can get a normal paying job as a teacher in Japan without a teaching certificate and without obtaining fluency in the Japanese language? In exploring the topic of English education in Japan, I stumbled upon the importance of learning English in other Asian countries as well. To me, it seemed obvious why English is important to learn. Because so many people speak it and those who do not speak it wish to, right? Here is where I began to see that in teaching English, I must beware teaching the American or Western sense of superiority to which I have been exposed to my whole life.
English is not an important language because we are some standard that everyone should aspire to. Rather, it has become the modem by which national governments, businesses, and beyond communicate. It is the modern day lingua franca of the international world, just as French was a couple hundred years back. This may seem obvious, but I believe that explicitly stating this to remind ourselves helps to keep the Western pride in check. After all, Western superiority is arguably diminishing and may eventually fall to the economic rise of Asia.
Do not think that I am running around waving red flags about how Asia's rise should result in a stronger push for English or Western culture education. English education is just as important regardless of whether or not we should "contain" those countries we fear are acquiring too much of perhaps the wrong kind of power (Yes, I am referring to the constant debates over China). Judging by the procession of historical events, it is only natural for an empire such as the United States to one day fall like the Persian, Roman, and Ottoman empires did, just not in the same way.
English is not an important language because we are some standard that everyone should aspire to. Rather, it has become the modem by which national governments, businesses, and beyond communicate. It is the modern day lingua franca of the international world, just as French was a couple hundred years back. This may seem obvious, but I believe that explicitly stating this to remind ourselves helps to keep the Western pride in check. After all, Western superiority is arguably diminishing and may eventually fall to the economic rise of Asia.
Do not think that I am running around waving red flags about how Asia's rise should result in a stronger push for English or Western culture education. English education is just as important regardless of whether or not we should "contain" those countries we fear are acquiring too much of perhaps the wrong kind of power (Yes, I am referring to the constant debates over China). Judging by the procession of historical events, it is only natural for an empire such as the United States to one day fall like the Persian, Roman, and Ottoman empires did, just not in the same way.
Globalization and technological advances make it possible for countries to maintain a peaceful ebb and flow of power among each other. For instance, if the US economy one day falls second to China's, we may still have the world's most powerful military.* We may one day lose our innovative edge to some other European country, while some South American country gains a manufacturing edge (please excuse my stereotyping). Even Great Britain, once considered an imperial power, has “fallen” to some degree, but this is not necessarily bad. Regardless, the world has become so integrated, countries so dependent on each other, that one country's "rise" over another in some particular area is not much to worry about. Instead, we must worry about proper communication to maintain peace. And that is where English and cultural sensitivity come in to play.
English is a mandatory class in Japan, yet the proficiency levels are far from stellar (just as my proficiency in Japanese is far from stellar!). To be fair, reaching English proficiency in a largely homogeneous society that uses a language syntactically and grammatically opposite of English is quite a challenge. However, a closer look at domestic research and comparative statistics show that English proficiency can be drastically improved.
It is clear more proficiency in English is needed. In Saitama Prefecture, which holds over 7 million residents, the Board of Education decided to survey how effective the English classes were. We were informed at the 2014 Tokyo Orientation for JET Program that in 2010, about 2% of English classes in Saitama were taught mostly in English- TWO PERCENT! And 14.7% were taught in English over half the time. According to The Guardian online news, Japan is only better than North Korea on TOEFL exams, despite having 7 years of compulsory English classes. The low English-test scores ignited a fear of a falling competitiveness in the business realm compared to other Asian countries, such as Korea, Taiwan, and China.
This is where the role of the ALT steps in. In 2011 the Japanese government mandated that English education be taught from 5th grade, as opposed to 7th grade. ** Native English speakers are therefore in even higher demand to help students improve spontaneous English conversation. English classes in Japan have notoriously been taught by asking students to memorize sentences and vocabulary rather than encouraging spontaneous conversation. As Japanese people tend to be shy, especially with people they do not know well such as foreigners, it is difficult for them to learn in a rigid classroom setting and then be able to magically converse in fluent English in the real world. Thus, an ALT that can demonstrate conversations, play games with the students, and interact with students both inside and outside the classroom will not only expose the students to the language, but excite and encourage the students to learn more.
So after going on this research extravaganza, I have finally discovered exactly why I am asked to be here and how I get such a good deal for going on this year-long adventure. English education is in high demand because the Japanese government wishes it so. The Japanese government wishes for better English results because it affords the country a competitive edge in international business. And all I have to do is speak English with children, generate some creativity in the classroom, learn about my mother’s home country, and have an adventure of a lifetime. 英語を教えるのをがんばります!
So after going on this research extravaganza, I have finally discovered exactly why I am asked to be here and how I get such a good deal for going on this year-long adventure. English education is in high demand because the Japanese government wishes it so. The Japanese government wishes for better English results because it affords the country a competitive edge in international business. And all I have to do is speak English with children, generate some creativity in the classroom, learn about my mother’s home country, and have an adventure of a lifetime. 英語を教えるのをがんばります!
My friend, after reading this short essay, asked what I think is a really interesting question:
"My question is (to play a devil's advocate), the JET program has been in existence for 28 years and I would like to know what the program has achieved. The number of Japanese students going abroad has diminished in the last decades or so. Perhaps, all these money that the Japanese government is pouring in on the JET program is better spent on some other (more innovative) programs? "
Hopefully I will be able to gather more information throughout my time in Japan so that I can explore this question further. I also think it may take, literally, a few years to thoroughly answer this question. This is because Japanese initiatives to improve English in Japan have recently been implemented, about two and a half years ago in 2011. This promotion of better English classes will likely result in JETs being used by the Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) differently than they have in the past, so I think it will take a few years for these Japanese initiatives to produce any reliable results. For instance, 5th graders at the time the initiatives were first implemented will graduate from high school in 2019. Thus, it might take until 2019 to see the effect these new initiatives will have on TOEFL test results and studying abroad. This, in turn, might be an indicator of the effectiveness of the JET Program.
The experiences I have in the classroom and with other JETs will undoubtedly provide some insight as to how effective our teaching practices are and I will be sure to post my findings here.
"My question is (to play a devil's advocate), the JET program has been in existence for 28 years and I would like to know what the program has achieved. The number of Japanese students going abroad has diminished in the last decades or so. Perhaps, all these money that the Japanese government is pouring in on the JET program is better spent on some other (more innovative) programs? "
Hopefully I will be able to gather more information throughout my time in Japan so that I can explore this question further. I also think it may take, literally, a few years to thoroughly answer this question. This is because Japanese initiatives to improve English in Japan have recently been implemented, about two and a half years ago in 2011. This promotion of better English classes will likely result in JETs being used by the Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) differently than they have in the past, so I think it will take a few years for these Japanese initiatives to produce any reliable results. For instance, 5th graders at the time the initiatives were first implemented will graduate from high school in 2019. Thus, it might take until 2019 to see the effect these new initiatives will have on TOEFL test results and studying abroad. This, in turn, might be an indicator of the effectiveness of the JET Program.
The experiences I have in the classroom and with other JETs will undoubtedly provide some insight as to how effective our teaching practices are and I will be sure to post my findings here.
*Giles, Chris. "China poised to pass US as a world's leading economic power this year." Financial Times. Last modified April 30, 2014. Accessed August 12, 2014. http+//www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d79fffff8-cfb7-11e3-9b2b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3AFkBeHEZ
There is widespread belief that China will soon surpass the US as the world's leading economy.
Bender, Jeremy. "11 Most Powerful Militaries in the World." Business Insider. Last modified April 23, 2011. Accessed August 12, 2014. http://www.businessinsider.com/
According to popular belief and articles such as this one, the US currently has the most powerful military in the world.
** Fukada, Takahiro. "Are schools ready for English?" Japan Times. Last modified February 26, 2011.
Accessed August 12, 2014. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/02/26/national/are-schools-ready-for-english/#.U-m9kON_sto.
There is widespread belief that China will soon surpass the US as the world's leading economy.
Bender, Jeremy. "11 Most Powerful Militaries in the World." Business Insider. Last modified April 23, 2011. Accessed August 12, 2014. http://www.businessinsider.com/
According to popular belief and articles such as this one, the US currently has the most powerful military in the world.
** Fukada, Takahiro. "Are schools ready for English?" Japan Times. Last modified February 26, 2011.
Accessed August 12, 2014. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/02/26/national/are-schools-ready-for-english/#.U-m9kON_sto.