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Monday, September 25, 2006

Stairway to ...heaven? They work both ways, you know.

These are stairs to a shrine that I have been wanting to visit for some time. I ride past them sometimes on the way to or from school. The other day I stopped for a little look about. It was a nice shrine, but not that old. The original seems to have been moved from its original site, a little over a kilometer away, to its present location during the Meiji Era, or about a hundred years ago. I'll include a photo of the original site, which is still commemorated by a plaque and a monument to the mountain god of the area.
shrinestairs
Originally uploaded by Yokkaichi 1.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

The rice harvest is in

This is a rice harvester. The fallen rice in the foreground fell as a result of weather and hopefully the grain-laiden weight of the tops. The rice is almost completely in now, and it looked like not too bad a year. Thanks to the farmers and providence, we'll have enough for another year.
riceharvest
Originally uploaded by Yokkaichi 1.

Agree, then disagree: English education leaves much to be desired

At asahi.com, there was an article published, Shinichiro Noriguchi: English education leaves much to be desired (I also Furled it so that if the removed it from the server...) The article gets me going, "Yeah, finally someone who says what I've been thinking," and then it goes terribly wrong.

...the number of shallow-minded youths is ever increasing.

How many times have we heard this? In Japan the number is clearly decreasing with the decline in population. Of course youth is shallow-minded. They are young.

First, let me clearly say that Japanese society has been completely duped by the idea that the TOEIC test and the development of "communicative" skills in English will finally solve the long-standing problem of inept English education.
Yes! I can get behind this.

Students can achieve higher scores by taking TOEIC-focused classes and cramming. It is for this reason that Japanese English instructors can do a better job teaching TOEIC classes than native-speaking English teachers.
Whoa! Lost me here. I was all fired up, and reading like crazy, and then this came along, stopping me like axel-deep mud. Where is the evidence that Japanese English instructors can do a better job? Where did he get this information? I can imagine that there are more Japanese teachers actually teaching these classes, though I have no evidence for this, but doing a better job? What does that mean, anyway?

The government, in particular the education ministry, together with Japanese corporations, have been accomplices in creating this lamentable situation.

The companies that create and cater to the TOEIC test probably can't stop laughing at this situation from which they derive great profit.

Yeah, back on board! This is the word.

The best way to correct this problem is to have our writing in English corrected by native English teachers, but this is not always possible. They must earn a living. Many are part-timers teaching a large number of classes at various universities, where they often simply go through the motions of teaching.

Where did that come from? A roundhouse out of nowhere leaves this writer reeling, vision fading... Many are part-timers because it is legal for public universities to discriminate against non-Japanese teachers, and are hired on inferior terms, expected to produce more, and are not given the protections that society offers their Japanese counterparts. GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS... where is his evidence for this slander? When was the last time he observed a classroom? What does that mean anyway? This is total irresponsibility, casting dispersion on a whole group of teachers without the slightest bit of evidence, other than saying that he has 40 years of experience at the beginning of the article. This is unprofessional and shallow-minded. (Hey, didn't he accuse someone else of being that?)

In particular, native speakers who have lived in Japan for more than 10 years tend to have adapted to the system and have become ineffective as teachers--this is also partly because their English has become Japanized and is spoken to suit the ears of their Japanese students. Some of these teachers are not aware of this.

Now here is where I really get upset. 10 years, a magic number I assume. And teachers who have lived here for more than that magical length of time have "adapted to the system," or maybe it's more like they've learned too much Japanese and too much about the education system so they can see that the king isn't wearing any clothing. Maybe that's it. And maybe he has some research that shows that these teachers, and only "native speakers," a term he does not bother to clarify, become ineffective after that length of time.

It is, of course, Japanese university teachers of English who are most responsible for the depressing results of university-level English instruction.
No one is spared his unprofessional criticism.

The English ability of English-teaching staff is, frankly speaking, often poorer than that of capable students, especially when it comes to speaking and listening comprehension.
My English teaching colleagues at this university are fluent in the English language, and are dedicated scholars and teachers. I respect them and their abilities, which are considerable, and credit them with contributing to the high educational standards at this school. They have made significant contributions to their students and to society as a whole.

No constructive outcome can be achieved by a teacher attacking other teachers without evidence. Professor Noriguchi was given a privilege position from which to write and publish his ideas, and from there has chosen to slander an entire profession.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Kintaro Walks Japan

I just watched a great film on the Internet, and I highly recommend it if you are interested in Japan. The film is "Kintaro Walks Japan," and you can see it here. Whether you have never seen the country before, or whether you are a tried and true veteran of the country, this will not disappoint.

Radio Show, Japan's Aging Society

Did a radio show yesterday on Yokkaichi's Port Wave radio station. It was a two-hour live show on Japan's aging society, and more specifically the "2007 Problem." It seems as though a disproportionately large number of people will reach retirement age next year, and there is much concern about what to do with all of those retirees.

Below is a copy of the blurb on the station's site.

特番「ラジオフォーラム」〜2007年問題を前にして、高齢化社会を考える〜

9月5日(火) 15:00〜17:00
コーディネーター:小林 慶太郎先生 (四日市大学地域政策研究所 助教授)
パネリスト:市田 與惣次さん (株式会社東海テクノ会長)
        ダニエル・カークさん (四日市大学 総合政策学部 教授)
        豊田 忠正さん (笹川5丁目自治会 会長)
        宮本 隆弘さん (三重県健康福祉部 地域福祉室 副室長)
        (あいうえお順)
進行:平賀順子(ポートウェイブアナウンサー)

The organizers of the program wanted me to give my insights into how retirement works differently for Japanese and Americans. My basic line was that there shouldn't be age discrimination against people, and the best thing people can do for the society in general is to stay physically and emotionally healthy and contribute as they see fit. I also mentioned, when there was some discussion of how organizations can be created as frameworks for people to volunteer and contribute, that there is a conspicuous absence of religious organizations in the discussion. What is the role of temples, shrines and churches in Japan?

I have heard from one person who heard the show, and they said that it was interesting, and the comments from the organizers have been positive. That is a relief.

Friday, September 01, 2006

The pears are ripe

It is pear season! Remember, I blogged about pears in individual bags? Well now the pears are out, getting a little sun before they are picked. The pear orchards that I ride through from time to time are active with the individual owners boxing up their harvest, or selling them at stands along the narrow roads between the rows of trees.

As I ride through, I have recently begun to hear the recordings of various animal voices in distress. My guess is that the farmers play amplified versions of these distress calls to ward off unwelcomed crows, monkeys, and the sort. It is a bit unnerving, even for a human. These sounds are not relaxing at all, and they come as a surprise, even though I know they are there.

ripepears
Originally uploaded by Yokkaichi 1.