Comments on: Is Japan getting bored with English? Let’s Hope So! http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/ Photos, Stories and articles on East Asia Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:53:25 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Mutantfrog Travelogue » Blog Archive » English teaching in Japan by the numbers http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-333946 Mutantfrog Travelogue » Blog Archive » English teaching in Japan by the numbers Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:43:30 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-333946 [...] precipitous drop coincides with reports at the time of oversupply in the eikaiwa market as the big schools such as NOVA rushed like mad to open schools [...] [...] precipitous drop coincides with reports at the time of oversupply in the eikaiwa market as the big schools such as NOVA rushed like mad to open schools [...]

]]> By: Mutantfrog Travelogue » Blog Archive » Fewer Japanese people studying English in the UK http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-107327 Mutantfrog Travelogue » Blog Archive » Fewer Japanese people studying English in the UK Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:00:23 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-107327 [...] Essentially, if this article’s assertion that people are choosing to study at home is to be believed (though why they chose to measure that in hours as opposed to people escapes me), that would mean Japan’s domestic ESL market (for Japanese adults, anyway) has become so developed (to the point of saturation) that people may be taking seriously the idea expressed in top English conversation firm NOVA’s slogan of “study abroad near your local train station.” That would be a sad development—the peculiar nature of the still-flourishing interest in the English language in Japan has now been officially blamed as a factor keeping Japanese people from studying abroad, which ironically means less overseas exposure for the average Japanese. The pros and cons of eikaiwa-style English education aside, it simply cannot serve as an effective replacement for studying abroad if one’s goal is to learn how a language is used and the culture it comes from. [...] [...] Essentially, if this article’s assertion that people are choosing to study at home is to be believed (though why they chose to measure that in hours as opposed to people escapes me), that would mean Japan’s domestic ESL market (for Japanese adults, anyway) has become so developed (to the point of saturation) that people may be taking seriously the idea expressed in top English conversation firm NOVA’s slogan of “study abroad near your local train station.” That would be a sad development—the peculiar nature of the still-flourishing interest in the English language in Japan has now been officially blamed as a factor keeping Japanese people from studying abroad, which ironically means less overseas exposure for the average Japanese. The pros and cons of eikaiwa-style English education aside, it simply cannot serve as an effective replacement for studying abroad if one’s goal is to learn how a language is used and the culture it comes from. [...]

]]> By: Mutantfrog Travelogue » Blog Archive » The JET Program turns 20 - time to put it to sleep? http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-81636 Mutantfrog Travelogue » Blog Archive » The JET Program turns 20 - time to put it to sleep? Sun, 12 Nov 2006 17:53:13 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-81636 [...] The JET Program started back when the idea that putting a foreigner in the classroom would work wonders for English education was just gaining steam. But as I have noted, the number of JET participants has declined in recent years, in part because English-teaching industry has matured since then. Nowadays, English conversation schools can be found almost everywhere in Japan, and a school that wants to hire a foreigner can hire one more quickly and easily through private placement agencies or by advertising directly to the large pool of teachers already in Japan. The Wikipedia entry for the program notes that several prefectures have opted out of the JET Program in recent years. So is it time to follow the Koizumi model of “letting the private sector do what it can” and leave the hiring of English teachers up to market forces? [...] [...] The JET Program started back when the idea that putting a foreigner in the classroom would work wonders for English education was just gaining steam. But as I have noted, the number of JET participants has declined in recent years, in part because English-teaching industry has matured since then. Nowadays, English conversation schools can be found almost everywhere in Japan, and a school that wants to hire a foreigner can hire one more quickly and easily through private placement agencies or by advertising directly to the large pool of teachers already in Japan. The Wikipedia entry for the program notes that several prefectures have opted out of the JET Program in recent years. So is it time to follow the Koizumi model of “letting the private sector do what it can” and leave the hiring of English teachers up to market forces? [...]

]]> By: Kent Phillips http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-64743 Kent Phillips Thu, 31 Aug 2006 08:15:12 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-64743 Definitely, JET is declining due to the EXPLOSION of the success private companies are having by taking up the bloated contracts. I work as a manager in one of those companies, and we have taken in dozens of cities in the past few years alone. JET market share has dropped to less than 25% in Kanto because they can't compete with companies like mine. We do it cheaper and better. We constantly have more positions than applicants and the private lesson sector is growing. The only thing happening is that people are shying away from the inflexible old standards of JET and English conversation and hitting local companies instead. I strongly urge anyone bilingual and with some managerial experience to get in on the ground floor with a small company and prepare to ride it to the top. Don't believe the cherry-picked statistics on companies and government agencies that can only fall, because the phoenix is rising from the ashes and current small companies are about to soar above the old guard. Definitely, JET is declining due to the EXPLOSION of the success private companies are having by taking up the bloated contracts. I work as a manager in one of those companies, and we have taken in dozens of cities in the past few years alone. JET market share has dropped to less than 25% in Kanto because they can’t compete with companies like mine. We do it cheaper and better.

We constantly have more positions than applicants and the private lesson sector is growing. The only thing happening is that people are shying away from the inflexible old standards of JET and English conversation and hitting local companies instead. I strongly urge anyone bilingual and with some managerial experience to get in on the ground floor with a small company and prepare to ride it to the top. Don’t believe the cherry-picked statistics on companies and government agencies that can only fall, because the phoenix is rising from the ashes and current small companies are about to soar above the old guard.

]]> By: Frog in a Well - The Japan History Group Blog http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-64194 Frog in a Well - The Japan History Group Blog Sun, 27 Aug 2006 06:36:19 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-64194 [...] English Teacher Imports Decline in Japan, for several years. About time? [...] [...] English Teacher Imports Decline in Japan, for several years. About time? [...]

]]> By: dusty http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-58932 dusty Wed, 26 Jul 2006 07:38:01 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-58932 As the economy improves, people will find good jobs and won't seek additional training/education. So instead of the adults going to school, they'll put their salaries into their kids' education. This may explain the trend I observed where children's classes are increasing at the expense of adult lessons. As the economy improves, people will find good jobs and won’t seek additional training/education. So instead of the adults going to school, they’ll put their salaries into their kids’ education. This may explain the trend I observed where children’s classes are increasing at the expense of adult lessons.

]]> By: aliene http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-58528 aliene Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:17:00 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-58528 No point learning a language you have no practical or personal use for...Even the more educated set would have trouble keeping up with it if they don't live/work in an English environment of some kind... I don't think this difficulty in learning is particular to Japan, really. I would think China, Korea, Taiwan etc, have the same problem... No point learning a language you have no practical or personal use for…Even the more educated set would have trouble keeping up with it if they don’t live/work in an English environment of some kind…

I don’t think this difficulty in learning is particular to Japan, really. I would think China, Korea, Taiwan etc, have the same problem…

]]> By: nate http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-58382 nate Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:58:40 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-58382 JETs of course have more free time than anyone to come along and comment... that's why I'm here. Regardless of the market saturation you propose for private ALTs, you can be sure that the growth in those numbers has outpaced the decline in the JET numbers. There are almost certainly more English teachers present in the public school system than ever before. That number may be in for a decline as the government re-realigns it's English teaching policies. The JET program was part of an initiative to move away from grammar and memorization to a more wholistic approach... an approach which all but the most green of young teachers admit has failed pretty badly. I think the consumer end has already discovered this failure, and has consequently divided itself into those who want to take english as seriously as any other subject, and do so at regular juku and those who want to meet globetrotting foreigners, who can get their kicks at gas panic, or nova. JETs of course have more free time than anyone to come along and comment… that’s why I’m here. Regardless of the market saturation you propose for private ALTs, you can be sure that the growth in those numbers has outpaced the decline in the JET numbers. There are almost certainly more English teachers present in the public school system than ever before.
That number may be in for a decline as the government re-realigns it’s English teaching policies. The JET program was part of an initiative to move away from grammar and memorization to a more wholistic approach… an approach which all but the most green of young teachers admit has failed pretty badly. I think the consumer end has already discovered this failure, and has consequently divided itself into those who want to take english as seriously as any other subject, and do so at regular juku and those who want to meet globetrotting foreigners, who can get their kicks at gas panic, or nova.

]]> By: quaisi http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-57720 quaisi Sun, 23 Jul 2006 04:03:10 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-57720 Great post there. I agree with Joe that learning isn`t on the way down. I think the Japanese are realising that you don`t have to pay a large company money to talk to a gaijin. You can get free lessons by　going to Western bars and picking up Western men or join clubs where big groups of Western and Japanese people will drink together. Mainly it`s progressing towards children`s education. Enrol them in a school. Get them able to differentiate between an "A" and an "a", count to 1000 and tell the time and then pull them out of the school before they hit junior high school. Then they`ll be at an advantage over the other kids. Great post there. I agree with Joe that learning isn`t on the way down. I think the Japanese are realising that you don`t have to pay a large company money to talk to a gaijin. You can get free lessons by　going to Western bars and picking up Western men or join clubs where big groups of Western and Japanese people will drink together.

Mainly it`s progressing towards children`s education. Enrol them in a school. Get them able to differentiate between an “A” and an “a”, count to 1000 and tell the time and then pull them out of the school before they hit junior high school. Then they`ll be at an advantage over the other kids.

]]> By: Joe http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/comment-page-1/#comment-57464 Joe Sat, 22 Jul 2006 02:19:16 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2006/07/21/is-japan-getting-bored-with-english-lets-hope-so/#comment-57464 English learning is most definitely not on the decline. People just have higher standards now. Fewer are willing to "learn by osmosis," and there are enough foreigners in the country now that finding a native speaker of another language isn't too difficult. The market now is for people who are actually qualified to teach ESL. Eikaiwa jobs in Tokyo are paying ¥1000-2000 an hour, which certainly isn't bad but won't get you beyond first base in this city (you'll be eating convenience store sandwiches and drinking Miscellaneous Alcohol-2). English learning is most definitely not on the decline. People just have higher standards now. Fewer are willing to “learn by osmosis,” and there are enough foreigners in the country now that finding a native speaker of another language isn’t too difficult. The market now is for people who are actually qualified to teach ESL. Eikaiwa jobs in Tokyo are paying ¥1000-2000 an hour, which certainly isn’t bad but won’t get you beyond first base in this city (you’ll be eating convenience store sandwiches and drinking Miscellaneous Alcohol-2).

]]>