Japan, you are not alone!
I watch, read and listen to a lot of different language learning videos, blogs, and podcasts. Recently I’ve noticed a common thread that seems to be overlooked in Japan. So many of these people, who often can speak upwards of 10 languages, point out that they, and their peers, took English (or some other language) in their school for X amount of years, and yet they couldn’t speak that language once they were adults. Does this sound familiar?
I hear from so many people that Japan’s English curriculum in schools is horrible and therefore they can’t speak English. Although I don’t disagree with this statement entirely, I also think that 1) it’s not a situation unique to Japan, and 2) in modern-day education, the school is not responsible for your speaking. It’s a widely known fact that school these days, not only in English but in all subjects, is very test-based. Classrooms are packed and schools are expected to produce quantifiable results so they work on getting children to pass tests rather than worrying about if they can communicate in that language. It’s a sad but undeniable truth.
Who is responsible for my progress?
So what’s the solution? English conversation schools! While they may be fun and give the students exposure to native speakers, I am already seeing a pattern that worries me. Students go there with the expectation that, now, since they are speaking from the beginning they will become fluent English speakers. While this may be true if your classes are 6 hours a day, it’s just not the truth for a class one hour a week. It’s just not enough exposure. Students have to ramp up their exposure time to make that hour of conversation worth it!
Even before you learn your first word, remember that your success is ultimately yours. You, your hard work, and your goals decide your progress, not by your school, class, or teacher. Don’t overlook the mental strength it takes to learn a language. Let’s teach our young learners, even if it’s five minutes a day, to take control of their own English journey!
The Transposed Classroom
Motivating families and students to enjoy, work hard, and excel in their English journey!
Students can be located anywhere in Japan! Lessons up to 4 days a week!
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Have a question? Ask devonsenglishclassroom[at]gmail.com
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay