2008年4月13日

今週の漢字: 英語

English:
The JET Program is not doing too well. The budget is being cut, and there are many schools switching to private companies for assistant English teachers. A few months ago, Nova, one of the largest private companies that distributed AETs had to shut down. There was a scandal where AETs weren’t paid properly and received poor treatment. All this including other factors led to its collapse. Right now, the importance of English seems to be winding down compared to the 1990s. The JET Program is the best program out there when it comes to AETs. The pay is the best, and there’s a decent support group available.

Recently, more schools have stopped with JET or flat out closed down. With the negative birthrate at play, there are fewer students in Japan. Even towns are merging like my town a few months ago. Most foreigners prefer to work near one of the major cities in Japan. This may be due to a lack of information on other parts of Japan. It doesn’t help that the major cities are the most popular and most known. I was no different. When I applied, my preferences were all around Tokyo. I love cities, and I thought that maybe I had a slight chance of getting placed there. Here’s some advice to those who are applying for the program: don’t choose the major cities for your preferences. Instead, try to research other locations out there. You’d be surprised how beautiful other parts of Japan are. If you love cities, maybe you’ll be lucky to be placed near one. I’d say I’m lucky, because Aichi prefecture is smack in the middle, and its capital is Nagoya (the 4th largest city in Japan).

Although Japan is a small country, there are loads of culture and experiences. This country, which can fit within the state of California, is so diverse despite the homogenous population. I hope English education can improve. It’s headed in the right direction with the introduction of an English curriculum in elementary schools. We’ll see what the future brings.

Stay tuned next week for another update!

En français:
Quand je me souviens au sujet de l’éducation de langue étranger, je pense que l’enseignement d’anglais est la même des États-Unis. Les étudiants du lycée de Mito peuvent parler l’anglais comme beaucoup d’étudiants américains de parler une langue étranger. J’espère que les étudiants japonais veuillent plus d’apprendre l’anglais.

今週の聖書の詩: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”
- 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)

今週の写真: These pictures were taken around Easter time. Look at how people can watch crystal clear TV on their cell phones! Look at the fun performance! Look at the Easter eggs!





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

that last egg picture looks evil. haha

where was the performance thingy?

- sarah

Anonymous said...

I like the last egg, too...and for non-Francophone speakers...here is the (loosely) translated text...[no mention of plans to take over the world (yet) was hidden in there, so we can rest easy (for now)]

When I remember about the foreign language education, I think that the teaching of English is the same in the United States. Students in the secondary school, in Mito, can speak English like many American students speak a foreign language. I hope that more Japanese students want to learn English.

-curtiss