(English)
I never thought that the day would come, but it has. Yes, I too hate English.
Everyday I walk into the sixth graders English class, I see it in their faces: the utter despair of sitting through forty-five minutes of torture.
In this Junior High school, there is no joy in learning English. I have yet to hear one student say that English is their favorite class.
In class after class, I stand at the back of the room and observe the
students. When asked to repeat sentences that are usually obscure
and not spoken in everyday English conversation, they mumble. Some
whisper to classmates, play with their hair, flip their pens, do homework
for another class. However most just sit and stare at the black
board as the Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) repeatedly tells them that
the grammar point will be
難しい(difficult).
I may not be a fully certified teacher with years of teaching experience
under my belt, but if there is one thing I know for sure you don't
discourage a student or tell him or her that they are not intelligent
enough to learn the lesson. More to the point, I know the kids
understand the grammar, and know the answers to the JTE's questions, but
they chose not to answer.
After listening to a monotone lecture complete with writing on the board, the teacher walks over the shiny CD player and has the students read after the Canadian's on tape. Mind you that I am still standing at the back of the room and as far as I've been told I speak very good English. Then they get to open their notebooks and answer true/false questions. I see them glare at the teacher, I hear them curse the English language, and I can only shake my head in shame. I am being paid to do nothing and the students are miserable for free.
Now, this wouldn't bother me so much if were an infrequent occurrence. No, this is an everyday event when I have to "team teach" with this particular English teacher. Many times as soon as the bell rings, I exit quickly and make my way down the back stairwell to the teacher's room. Why? Because I am riddled with guilt that I can read, write, understand, and speak English. You see... if these students want to go to a good High school or heaven forbid a decent university, they have to know English grammar.
Right now the third year students, the American equivalent to eight graders are taking a series of tests that will determine what they can and cannot do for the rest of their lives. I used to ask the students how they faired on their exams. After witnessing the complete and utter breakdown of a girl who was unable to get into her chosen high school because of one point, I stopped asking.
Many might wonder why Japanese students have a long history of jumping in front of trains. I, however, know the answer. Japan's education system is merciless. If you cannot master the expected level of English grammar comprehension prescribed by the various Boards of Education then you have a snow balls chance in hell of getting into a good high school. This dilemma multiplies in that you must graduate from a top-level high school in order to pass the even more rigorous University examinations.
The pressure on
these kids can start as early as pre-school.
Many mother's take part time jobs in order to pay for cram schools,
private
pre-schools, private Elementary,
Junior High and High schools,
English conversation lessons, and private tutors. They make these
scarifies all in the hope that it will give their child a better chance to
get a high score on whatever examination they will have to take.
In this country of East and West, the Confucius educational values rein supreme. Thou must not think, Thou must memorize and regurgitate. All that matters is how well you score. Not how well you think, what grades you made in school, what sports and volunteer activities you participated in, how well recommended you are by your teacher, or the community, or what experiences you may have had.
There is a pervading belief in this country that the Japanese cannot speak English. In a way, I have to agree because although almost all Japanese people studied English as a foreign language, they only studied English vocabulary and grammar. Give any Japanese adult a sheet of paper and they write in very good English about why America should drop a nuclear bomb on North Korea. But ask how to get to the nearest train station? All you will see is the back of their head as they point and rush away. Many are afraid to talk to foreigners because they have never spoken English.
I have noticed that the younger generation is changing its focus and trying to concentrate on speaking English. Many of my students that go to cram school or have a real interest for everything American/Canadian/British (music, movies, commercials, clothes, food) approach me in the hallways. We usually do lot of gestures or speak in simple sentences, but where they're communication, there is a smile. Sometimes they get frustrated and switch back to Japanese, but the desire to talk and to ask questions is there and I feel more positive.
To sum up one of the main differences between how we learn language in America versus Japan, I leave you with this simple example.
I learned French and Japanese to communicate. Most if not all Japanese students learn the English language to take a test....
**Sigh**
So happy I was not born Japanese.
