Tag - english

 
 

ENGLISH

COMMUNITY / Issues
Apr 6, 2014
Teaching tricks of the trade for the new school year
Spring means the new school year has arrived in Japan, and for Assistant Language Teachers and non-Japanese English instructors it also signals a lot of changes. Some will find themselves in entirely new school assignments, while those staying put will welcome new classes of students.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2014
Standardized English for road signs to help foreign tourists
Foreign tourists in Japan will have a less confusing time trying to identify roads and landmarks thanks to the introduction of standardized English words and eradication of "Romanized" Japanese words on public signs, transport ministry officials said.
JAPAN
Mar 21, 2014
Break 'passive' English effort: expert
Efforts to foster a generation of more globally competitive talent will not bear fruit unless Japan breaks away from its traditional penchant for "passive" written English exams, Perry Akins, a well-known expert in the field of English-language education, said Friday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2014
Tokyo to put up more multi-language signs for Olympics
Tokyo and the central government launched on Wednesday a public-private council to come up with ways to put up more multiple-language signs for the 2020 Olympics.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 16, 2014
To get more out of your students, make the most of your space
Teachers need to know how to maximize their space to get the most out of their students, and schools should be designed to meet the needs of their specific range of students.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / LEARNING CURVE
Feb 23, 2014
Lado’s victory and demise weren’t without their lessons
With decreasing salaries and eroding job security, it may seem as if little has improved for instructors working in Japan's eikaiwa (English conversation) industry.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 22, 2014
Tokyo 2020: only as old as the medalists you field
The motto of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is 'Discover Tomorrow,' which organizers hope will help distract sport fanatics from the reality of Japan being the fastest-aging country in the world.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 7, 2014
'Cove' to become 'aquatic nook' as Abe takes aim at improper eigo
Some say that Shinzo Abe's latest proposed tax increases, part of the 'fourth arrow' in his popular 'Abenomics' policy, are going a step too far. Dubbed the 'language tax,' the new levy is aimed at word usage.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Jan 27, 2014
Have your say on English education
Letters and online responses to the Jan. 6, 13 and 20 Learning Curve columns by Teru Clavel on English education.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 26, 2014
No time for free reading? You can make it up at university
I hope 2014 has started well for all our readers. Lifelines kicks off the Year of the Horse with an email from overseas reader Hannah, who has several questions about the Japanese education system:
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 22, 2014
Teachers tread water in eikaiwa limbo
Every year, thousands of young native English-speakers fly to Asia in search of an adventure, financed by working as English teachers. They come from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Britain, Canada and elsewhere.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 19, 2014
China, South Korea face familiar woes in English quest
Japan isn't alone in its struggles with teaching English. China and South Korea have experienced similar frustrations, but their responses and results have been quite different.
COMMUNITY
Jan 19, 2014
Team-teaching rules can lead to confusing situations
At present, Japanese labor law restricts foreign native English-speaking teachers, referred to as ALTs (assistant language teachers) from team-teaching with Japanese classroom teachers. Students get the short end of the stick, as team teaching is considered a highly effective foreign-language teaching...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 12, 2014
No lack of ideas on a course of action for English education
Last week's Learning Curve column, "English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul," looked at the persistent mismatch between the education ministry's stated goals and the actual outcomes of English language education in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 10, 2014
Teachers must nurture critical thinking, confidence in English for a shot at 2020 goals
Until English teachers start developing critical thinking skills in the classroom and emphasizing confidence over competence, students will never be able to converse with native English speakers 'at a viable level of proficiency.'
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jan 10, 2014
Educator with a mission sends out support from Hiroshima
Some people seem to have a knack for turning their hand to anything that comes along and, moreover, making a success of it. This is certainly the case with Hiroshima-based Adam Beck. Over the years, the American has been a children's theater director, an English teacher, a newspaper columnist and the...
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 5, 2014
English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul
Ringing in 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a dream: One nation that will actively re-engage with the global marketplace.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT ENGLISH
Jan 3, 2014
Immersion tactics come with risks and benefits
Some parents opt to immerse their children at a young age in a multilingual environment, hoping they will become not only bilingual but also have new avenues of opportunity open up.

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition