I don’t know what it is anymore, seriously, I thought I did but I’m confused now. It’s amazing when you see a bunch of “educators” refusing to take a long, hard look at their lamentable situation and do something about it. At some point, you think they are just plain stupid, but then you say to yourself “it couldn’t be possible that all Japanese English educators are stupid”, so you begin to question their morals. Gentlemen, whatever you are doing, it is NOT working. How many decades is it going to take before you come to your senses and start making some changes?
I met a teacher the other day who showed me some of the materials he was given to teach High school 1st graders in a 2-day intensive course. Based on what he said, the students could barely greet and introduce themselves, and what did they want to teach them now? How to make a speech and how to debate! WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? GENTLEMEN! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? Debating and making speeches are things that native speakers struggle with, now you’re expecting Japanese High School 1st graders to do it, after 2 DAYS! That is like teaching someone how to run before he can even walk! How idiotic! Or should I say…immoral! I want to know whose interest they are serving? Is it the interest of the students or some stupid professor working in some big shot college completely disconnected from reality.
No wonder why those poor students HATE English, who can blame them! I would hate it too. They have to sit in the classroom and listen to some guy teach them how to pass a test, how to make a speech, how to debate, how to discuss, when they’re still not able to put a couple of words together. What a joke! Now I understand why some of my Japanese students in Australia literally cried in my classroom, they cried because they felt so ashamed and embarrassed about not being able to produce 1 coherent sentence in English despite hours and hours of painfully boring English classes through Junior High School. What a waste! Think about it. How much money is the government pouring on English textbooks and foreign ALTs? How long is this charade going to last? I feel so bad for those poor students? It’s only a matter of time before they realize they are cheated on and betrayed. I have never met one Japanese adult who does not criticize the English education in elementary and Junior and senior high school, not even ONE. I have never run into one Japanese adult who speaks well of their Japanese English teachers at school. You would think that should be a wake-up call to those dummies and shameless so-called “professors”.
Speaking of “professors”, the title “professor” is used loosely in Japan. A guy like me for example with 2 master degrees could be refereed to as a professor. In Australia, a professor would typically have to hold a PHD to be worthy of such a title but in Japan, you just need to be teaching at university, especially if you’re teaching English. I’m sure there would different and stricter criteria that apply to “professors” of other subjects.
Oh Japan! Wonderful nation! Great people! Stupid or immoral educators! Pity!
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