Languaging! Home
Languaging! Links
Call for Contributions
Contact the Editors
Archives
No. 10
No. 9
No. 8
No. 7
[ No. 6 ]
No. 5
No. 4
No. 3
No. 2
No. 1
 The Exploratory Learning and Teaching Newsletter of Dokkyo University Winter 2005 | No. 6 |
Welcome
to Languaging! No. 6!
Please note
that archived issues are now available online also as PDF files. Future
issues will no longer be made available in HTML format. Feel
free to
print the entire issue or refer to the Table of Contents and
print only the page numbers of articles of interest. Let us know if
you have any questions.
| In the Classroom |
|
| WWW:
What's Worth While? in the Foreign Language Classroom Free Composition on Language Tests |
Marita
Wischerhoff Markus Rude, Daniel Webster (trans.) and Dokkyo Students |
| Learning and Teaching Reflections |
|
| Identity and Performance Weight in Conversation Videoing I think I’m Turning Japanese: Reflections on Student-Teacher Interaction |
Tim
Murphey Christopher Carpenter |
| Language and Culture |
|
| "Gorilla My dreams, I LoveYou!" A Reaction Student Report: Understanding Sumo Getting Yuusu Lingo Peki Peki |
Tim
Murphey Kenji Kazami Masuo Kamiyama |
| Issues and Perspective | |
| When
Assessment Defies Best Practice Response to Carter: Is it Good for the Kids? Tokyo Teacher Embattled Over War History |
Gene R.
Carter Dokkyo Students Robert Marquand |
| Also
in this issue... |
|
Website Recommendations Reader's Forum Funny Bones Kyoumuka Update Hot Tip for Teachers How to Contribute to Languaging! And more! |
|
|
A New Year's Resolution
小さいふりをしても
世界を変えることができない。 Pretending to be small and insignificant will not help you to change the world. (Nelson Mandela, paraphrase) Be the change you wish to see in the world! |
The editors of the Languaging! No. 6 wish you a Happy New Year in 2006!
Jim Brogan
Christopher Carpenter
Paul Dore
Tim Murphey
WWW: What's Worth While?
in the Foreign Language Classroom
Marita Wischerhoff
Crossroads Language School
Times have changed, and IT-designers are
not so eager to become language teachers,
whereas language teachers are more likely
to become web designers.
“The Information super highway,” “Cyberspace” and “Hyper-space” were all buzzwords in the 90’s. The role of language teachers seemed to be at stake, when IT-designers took charge of language learning programs for distance learning courses and the like.
Times have changed, and IT-designers are not so eager to become language teachers whereas language teachers are more likely to become web designers. Technology develops from a domain reserved for experts only to an easy to handle learning/teaching tool, although it will always be work in progress. That is why I dare say that, for the foreign language classroom, one of the most exciting technological developments for years to come will be the World Wide Web.
It is not so much technology itself that brings about the implementation of technology in the foreign language classroom; it is cognitive psychology, the psychology of learning, neurosciences, research on second language acquisition, and the increasing awareness of teachers towards research findings. If you've read the relevant literature on language learning processes over the past fifteen years you'll be familiar with phrases like student-centredness, critical thinking, task-based learning, cooperative learning, motivation, and technology integration, just to name a few.
One of the central questions in a Japanese foreign language classroom, I think every teacher will agree, is how to motivate the students. The answer is not easy, for there is no one way, at least none that suits all groups or students. Research on motivational aspects in language learning shows that motivation is not only subject to individual differences, but also differs intrapersonally:
Thus, in a general sense, motivation can
be defined as the dynamically changing cumulative arousal in a person
that initiates, directs, coordinates, amplifies, terminates, and
evaluates the cognitive and motor processes whereby initial wishes and
desires are selected, prioritised, operationalised, and (successfully
or unsuccessfully) acted out.”
(p. 65, Dörnyei and Otto,1998)
(p. 65, Dörnyei and Otto,1998)
This means, you have to come up with a lot of entertainment values in your teaching to compete with the initial longing for an ‘inemuri’ (the Japanese word for a ‘nap’ at places where a non-Japanese would not think of taking a nap ) and the attractiveness of club acitivities. So, one of the most important factors is you, the teacher. You (hopefully) know your students, their prior learning experiences and knowledge, the things that might interest them, and you know the learning target you hope to achieve while presenting a topic. Cognitive psychology tells us that when students are motivated they not only put in more effort in their language learning, but their minds are more alert and ready to make new connections and associations (cf. Anderson 2001). To foster intrinsic motivation, therefore, the tasks students are given should be properly tailored and presented to their needs.
The web provides a wide range of authentic material, so teachers don’t have to turn to dated textbooks or ready-made CD’s. Students get their individualized tasks and can not only surf but navigate the databases for current information (to surf means browsing the net without an aim or intention, whereas to navigate means a purposeful search to achieve an aim), contact experts directly, participate in peer-to-peer talk and much more. When they are asked to understand an issue, hypothesize about it or solve a problem, the authenticity of the web adds relevance. In this way language learning is not something that only carries meaning in the language classroom but is also of practical use.
The given task should not merely enable the students to chew the cud of the given information, it should allow them to transform it into a comparison, a cluster of the significant issues, a solution. Web enhanced language learning thus engages students into higher level thinking. By “chunking” their task into sub-tasks they may develop a more expert like thinking process, in such a way that they gain new thinking skills (cf. Anderson, 2001). In order to generate meaning and foster their cognitive flexibility, students require lots of examples, different perspectives, and different contexts in which to view the same issue. The web, with its hypermedia structure and its breadth of resources, is best suited to meet these needs.
Divide the class into teams and let students compete. This is not to say that not every student gets the same information. It means, that students should learn how to teach, prepare information for the group and deliver new material to the class. In this way, they assume responsibility for their teammate’s knowledge, which should motivate them to give their best performance with the effect to create excitement in the classroom.
The tasks on the web should not necessarily replace classroom actvities, they should be integrated as a tool, like any other worksheet or book. In this way, teachers won’t rely on technology completely; to quote Paul Horness (2004): “This teaching aid [computer] has been great, but like any other tool, too much reliance on it for all circumstances is just bad craftsmanship.” And he is right, since technology can be very time-consuming and demotivating, when it’s subject to Murphy’s Law.
Thus a hybrid course is a necessity. Staring holes in the screen for hours on end leads to uncritical thinking, impedes the mind in its construction of meaning, and creates the feeling of being “lost in hyperspace”. If we don’t want students hypnotised by a multi-colored, flickering screen and manipulated by the suggestive messages of the media, we have to support critical information processing. With a limited time set and a task at hand students gain new perspectives on what is right or wrong or good or bad about the information they are processing. Group discussion of their topics helps students to construct many possible interpretations of the same information. It is the teacher’s task, not the computer’s, to creatively initiate learning activities in which students involve themselves in having rich new experiences and meaningful discussion. This can optimize the probability that students will gain relevant and meaningful learning experience.
About the writer
Marita Wischerhoff has been teaching as a private tutor for German in Japan for four years. She studied German as a Foreign Language, English and Education at the University of Bielefeld in Germany. The topic of her M.A. thesis was on using the web in a German language classroom.
Works cited in this article
RAnderson, J. R. (2001). Kognitive Psychologie. Heidelberg
Dörnyei, Z. / Otto, I. (1998): Motivation in action. A process model of L2 motivation. In: CILT Research Forum - Motivation in Language Learning.
Accessed on 2005/10/27 at http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/resfor3/dornyei.htm
Horness, P.(2004): Perspectives Reflections on CALL. Sometimes Less is More. In: Languaging! The Exploratory Learning and Teaching Newsletter of Dokkyo University, No. 4.
Accessed at http://www.oocities.org/languaging/L4/0411.html
For further information on how to introduce the web in the foreign language classroom see:
LeLoup J.W. / Ponterio, R. (2000): On the Net. Cooperative Learning Activities for the Foreign Language Classroom. In: Language Learning & Technology .Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 3-5.
URL: http://llt.msu.edu/vol3num2/onthenet/index.html
Workshop (2001): Technology in Language Learning. Designing Activities Based on Authentic Web-based Resources. Robert Henderson Language Media Center, University of Pittsburgh
URL: http://www.polyglot.pitt.edu/workshops/techfall02/authentic.html
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
| Languaging! Website
Recommendation Hall Houston’s “Random ESL Idea Generator” Hey teachers! Need a change of pace? Need a fresh idea liven up that Monday morning class? Want a quick warm-up to get people thinking again? Check out Hall Houston’s Random ESL Idea Generator at http://www.oocities.org/Tokyo/Flats/7947/rand.htm ... and this is what you’ll see: WELCOME TO HALL HOUSTON'S RANDOM ESL IDEA GENERATOR! This page was created to help ESL teachers explore new ways of teaching. It consists of a randomly generated list of ideas, activities, and suggestions for teaching. Most are fairly simple and can be used with a minimum of preparation. All can be adapted and expanded if necessary. If the first idea doesn't suit your needs, try again and maybe you'll find something perfect for today's class. Here’s a random sample of a few of Hall’s random ideas: Just click on
First Idea! Put the students in small groups, and ask each group to plan a vacation for you. They must plan where you will go, what you will do, who you will go with, and what you will buy. When they are finished, have each group present their plans. Want another? Click on
Another idea? Hang up four different posters (example - one of a world map, one of a famous singer, one of a flower, and one of Einstein) in the four corners of your room. Tell students to choose one corner to stand in, and talk about why they chose that poster. Another idea?
Begin by telling your students about an internal struggle between two sides of your personality (bold side vs. timid side OR hardworking side vs. lazy side), providing a brief example of what each side says to you. After a few minutes of preparation in pairs, have students present their struggles to the class. See the entire list of “75 ESL Teaching Ideas” included in the generator in the Internet TESL Journal (Vol. V, No. 11, November 1999), online at http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Houston-TeachingIdeas.html |
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
In the Classroom
Freies Schreiben in Sprachtests
Free Composition on Language Tests
Markus Rude, Daniel J. Webster (trans.)
and Dokkyo Students in SOGO German Class I -1
Dokkyo University
My hot love, my cup of coffee.
Mornings, when it’s you I see,
I’m mostly comatose.
In jedem schriftlichen Test in unserer Deutsch-Klasse gibt es einen kleinen Teil mit Namen “Freies Schreiben (Wörter, Sätze, Lieder, …)”. Die Studenten können hier schreiben, was sie möchten, und bekommen dafür ein paar Extrapunkte. Manche schreiben etwas aus ihrer Erinnerung, manche produzieren eigene Texte. Diese freien Produktionen können uns wertvolle Hinweise darüber geben, welche Inhalte und Strukturen die Studenten im Gedächtnis behalten, und woran sie besonders interessiert sind. Vielleicht noch wichtiger ist, dass die Produktionen authentisch sind (von bekannten Autoren oder von den Studenten selbst) und es einfach Spaß macht, sie zu lesen - ob nun als Student oder als Lehrer.
In every written test in our German class, there is a small section called “free composition (words, sentences, songs, …)”. Students can write here whatever they like, and they can receive some extra points. Some of them recall something from memory, some of them produce original texts. These free productions may give us some valuable hints about which contents and structures the students retain in their memories, as well as which ones are of particular interest to them. And, perhaps more importantly, they are authentic compositions (whether by well-known writers or by the students themselves), they are also just nice to read for both teachers and students.
Meine
heiße Liebe / My Hot Love
Recalled by Hiroe Teruyama; originally by Idee und Ton
Meine heiße Liebe,
meine Tasse Kaffee.
Wenn ich dich am Morgen seh
bin ich meistens noch im Koma,
doch dann riech’ ich dein Aroma,
schon bin ich frisch und munter,
und draußen geht die Sonne wieder unter,
Guten Morgen, heiße Liebe!
My hot love,
my cup of coffee.
Mornings, when it’s you I see,
I’m mostly comatose.
Then your aroma hits my nose,
and I feel fresh and full of fun.
But then, once more, the setting sun.
Good Morning, my hot love!
Recalled by Hiroe Teruyama; originally by Idee und Ton
Meine heiße Liebe,
meine Tasse Kaffee.
Wenn ich dich am Morgen seh
bin ich meistens noch im Koma,
doch dann riech’ ich dein Aroma,
schon bin ich frisch und munter,
und draußen geht die Sonne wieder unter,
Guten Morgen, heiße Liebe!
My hot love,
my cup of coffee.
Mornings, when it’s you I see,
I’m mostly comatose.
Then your aroma hits my nose,
and I feel fresh and full of fun.
But then, once more, the setting sun.
Good Morning, my hot love!
Lebenserfahrungen
/ Maxims
Recalled by Shimpei Taniguchi
Jeder Kalender erinnert uns daran, dass unsere Tage gezählt sind.
(Lothar Schmidt)
Every calendar reminds us that our days are numbered.
Das Leben ist kurz, wenn man nur die Zeit des Glücks Leben nennt.
(Jean de la Bruyere)
Life is short, if we only define happy times as life.
Am Ende gilt doch nur, was wir getan und gelebt - und nicht, was wir ersehnt haben. (Arthur Schnitzler)
In the end, only what we have done and lived through counts for anything, not what we have yearned for.
Ich habe eine Gastfamilie / I Have a Host-Family
By Shizuko Kiyonaga
Ich habe eine Gastfamilie in Deutschland. Sie haben mir ein schönes Foto geschickt. Da waren viele Blumen. Als ich die gesehen habe, habe ich Deutschland vermisst. Ich will wieder nach Deutschland gehen und meine Gastfamilie sehen.
I have a host-family in Germany. They’ve sent me a beautiful photograph. It was filled with flowers. When I saw them, I missed Germany. I want to go back to Germany and see my host family.
Ich denke an meine Freunde / I Think of My Friends
By Yuri Hachikubo
Ich denke an meine Freunde.
Ich vertraue ihnen.
Ich denke an die Klausuren.
Ich fühle mich schlecht.
Ich denke an die Sommerferien.
Ich freue mich darauf.
Ich denke an den Deutschunterricht.
Ich mag die Lieder!
I think of my friends.
I trust them.
I think of exams.
I feel sick.
I think of summer vacation.
I look forward to it.
I think of German class.
I like the songs!
Geburtstagslied / Birthday Song
Recalled by anonymous by an unknown original author
Wie schön, dass du geboren bist
Wir hätten dich sonst sehr vermisst
Wie schön, dass wir beisammen sind
Wir gratulieren dir, Geburtstagskind.
That you were born is wonderful.
Without you, life would be so dull.
We’ve come together to wish for
A Happy Birthday, and for many more!
Recalled by Shimpei Taniguchi
Jeder Kalender erinnert uns daran, dass unsere Tage gezählt sind.
(Lothar Schmidt)
Every calendar reminds us that our days are numbered.
Das Leben ist kurz, wenn man nur die Zeit des Glücks Leben nennt.
(Jean de la Bruyere)
Life is short, if we only define happy times as life.
Am Ende gilt doch nur, was wir getan und gelebt - und nicht, was wir ersehnt haben. (Arthur Schnitzler)
In the end, only what we have done and lived through counts for anything, not what we have yearned for.
Ich habe eine Gastfamilie / I Have a Host-Family
By Shizuko Kiyonaga
Ich habe eine Gastfamilie in Deutschland. Sie haben mir ein schönes Foto geschickt. Da waren viele Blumen. Als ich die gesehen habe, habe ich Deutschland vermisst. Ich will wieder nach Deutschland gehen und meine Gastfamilie sehen.
I have a host-family in Germany. They’ve sent me a beautiful photograph. It was filled with flowers. When I saw them, I missed Germany. I want to go back to Germany and see my host family.
Ich denke an meine Freunde / I Think of My Friends
By Yuri Hachikubo
Ich denke an meine Freunde.
Ich vertraue ihnen.
Ich denke an die Klausuren.
Ich fühle mich schlecht.
Ich denke an die Sommerferien.
Ich freue mich darauf.
Ich denke an den Deutschunterricht.
Ich mag die Lieder!
I think of my friends.
I trust them.
I think of exams.
I feel sick.
I think of summer vacation.
I look forward to it.
I think of German class.
I like the songs!
Geburtstagslied / Birthday Song
Recalled by anonymous by an unknown original author
Wie schön, dass du geboren bist
Wir hätten dich sonst sehr vermisst
Wie schön, dass wir beisammen sind
Wir gratulieren dir, Geburtstagskind.
That you were born is wonderful.
Without you, life would be so dull.
We’ve come together to wish for
A Happy Birthday, and for many more!
About the teacher
Markus Rude plays guitar and teaches German at Dokkyo University and Tsukuba University. His research interests include developing technological aids to enhance vocabulary acquition and the use of prosodic writing to teach stress and intonation.
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Reflections on Learning and Teaching
Identity and Performance Weight
in Conversation Videoing
Tim Murphey
Dokkyo University
When asked to contribute to the performance of a class, psychologically
you probably will become more alert and attentive and perhaps
take notes so that you can perform as you want to perform ...
Our identities are multiple and continuously under construction. However, depending on the activities and activity systems we engage with or in, the performance weight of an identity within a certain group or situation can be very different. Let me explain with an example. If at present, I am the speaker/presenter and you are the audience and you are only asked to listen, the performance weight is mostly on my shoulders. Your constructed identity as merely a listener does not give you much weight at all.
The theory I am proposing goes like this: the people who accept performance weight in any situation will spend time to prepare for performances and produce energy to give good performances and thus learn more (in general, teachers are the ones who learn the most in schools because they assume most of the performance weight). Those who are not given any performance weight can by default not expend much preparation time nor energy.
However, if I tell you to listen well because in a few minutes you will be asked to summarize what I am saying to a partner, then I am inviting you to share the performance weight. When asked to contribute to the performance of a class, psychologically you probably will become more alert and attentive and perhaps take notes so that you can perform as you want to perform, that is, attempt to give a good summary of what is said.
If I tell you that later you will be videoed having conversations in English, then chances are you will prepare yourself for these in various ways in order to support your desired identity for yourself. This need and desire to be attentive and to prepare is what I call “performance weight”. My students typically feel the weight, the stress, is too much at their first videoing performances.
Gradually students get use to being videoed and feel fairly comfortable. Then I need to give some more facilitative anxiety to help them feel the performance weight. I ask them in the 4th or 5th week to show their conversations to a friend or family member and ask for a comment. In the 6th or 7th week they take home their partner’s video and they review all conversations and write a letter saying how they have improved and giving advice for further change. I may do these things several times which encourages them to keep their performances sharp and strive to make them better.
One student responded recently showing some of this performance weight:
Hiro gave me a letter with a lot
of lovely seals. He admired my conversations a lot, so my roller
coaster is going up!! By the way, I’ve felt that the videoing time is
getting shorter and shorter. But you said that you make videoing time
longer than before. I was surprised so much because it shows that I
enjoyed conversation and there was a lot of things to talk about. I
remember that I felt “the videoing time is too long to keep talking” in
the first class. I’m becoming a better communicator!! I was so happy to
notice it. I’m looking forward to the next videoing. The topic is
fascinating for me!! I’ll prepare properly.”
(Haruna Takahashi, Nov. 30 2005 Action Log entry, used with permission)
(Haruna Takahashi, Nov. 30 2005 Action Log entry, used with permission)
The suggestion embedded in this short piece is that we find ways for students to assume more performance weight in our classes so that they might learn more. Videoing seems one way to do this. Most teachers already get students to perform out of class with homework and perhaps interactively with technology, and these are valuable. But if tests are the only performance weight by students in a classroom, then they are probably not learning much. How can we handover more responsibility to students for their own learning?
Comments are welcome. Please send to mits@dokkyo.ac.jp
About the writer
Tim Murphey is an avid juggler, skier, and ski-juggler. And he serves, tea, coffee, and cappucino in his office, as well as an occasional glass of wine.
| Virtual
Professional Development EVO:Electronic Village Online TESOL Workshops January 16 to Feb 26, 2006 Sign up Jan. 3 to 16, 2006 The CALL Interest Section of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) offers language teachers world-wide the opportunity to participate in the Electronic Village Online (EVO), a professional development project and virtual extension of the TESOL Convention. The intended audience for this project includes both TESOL convention-goers and those who can participate only virtually. Interest Sections, Caucuses, and other member groups of TESOL in particular are invited to sponsor sessions related to the convention. You do NOT have to be a member of TESOL, nor do you have to register for TESOL 2006, to take part in these FREE events. The Electronic Village Online Sessions For six weeks, participants and ESOL experts can engage in collaborative, online discussion or hands-on virtual workshops of professional and scholarly benefit. These sessions will bring together participants for a longer period of time than is permitted by the four-day convention and will allow a fuller development of ideas than is otherwise possible. Sessions may be on any topic in ESL/EFL and are free and open to all interested parties. Session leaders (moderators), who must be TESOL members, will receive hands-on training in online discussion management and the use of Yahoo! Groups, and they may be asked to help train future session leaders. Moderators need not have previous experience in online teaching. Sessions of EVO must be sponsored by an Interest Section, Caucus, or other member group of TESOL. The sessions run for six weeks in January and February. Just Google “EVO” and “TESOL” and then sign in for one or more of the 13 courses!
For more information, visit the EVO call for paticipation page at http://webpages.csus.edu/~hansonsm/announce.html |
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Issues and Perspectives
When Assessment
Defies Best Practice
Gene R. Carter
Executive Director, ASCD
Rather
than help teachers improve instruction, these
inflated test scores may reinforce teaching that exacerbates
the achievement gap by denying children a complete,
challenging curriculum.
inflated test scores may reinforce teaching that exacerbates
the achievement gap by denying children a complete,
challenging curriculum.
The following article appeared in Carter's monthly column, "Is It Good for the Kids?" accessed at http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.e904532af52fde8cbfb3ffdb62108a0c/
Imagine an educational approach that teachers believe is unfair, inaccurate, develop- mentally inappropriate, and damaging to student and teacher motivation.
Next, imagine that teachers feel great pressure to comply with this approach despite these objections and their belief that it makes their colleagues more likely to teach in ways that contradict their own ideas of good educational practice.
It may seem hard to believe an approach that raises these objections would persist in our schools, but it has. That approach is high-stakes testing, which is mandated at both the state and federal level, and the objections mentioned above are the findings of two recent studies exploring teachers' perceptions of high-stakes testing. The studies were released in 2003 and 2004 by the National Board on Educational Testing and Public Policy and the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.
Assessment has a valuable role to fill by providing educators with data they can use to determine which students are struggling, what strategies are working to help those children, and how they should adjust their instruction to ensure that all children succeed. High-stakes tests, however, are a long way from accomplishing that goal.
In both studies, teachers report the tests have a narrowing effect on what they teach by increasing the amount of time they focus on tested areas to the detriment of nontested areas. Even more disconcerting is the finding highlighted in a recent issue of ResearchBrief that, in the month leading up to exams, teachers in high-poverty schools spend up to 79 percent of instructional time on test practice, review, and strategy.
Children who are taught test-taking skills and a narrow curriculum may perform better on standardized tests, but these superficially high test scores tell us nothing about what children know and can do well. Rather than help teachers improve instruction, these inflated test scores may reinforce teaching that exacerbates the achievement gap by denying children a complete, challenging curriculum.
In addition, testing expert James Popham has found that the tests themselves are unlikely to provide a true measure of the achievement gap. According to Popham, 40–80 percent of test questions are linked to socioeconomic status (SES), meaning that they are more likely to be answered correctly by students from higher SES families, regardless of academic instruction.
As one example, Popham cites a 6th grade science question that asks children to select the tool they would use to discover whether a distant planet had mountains or rivers on it. The correct answer—a telescope—favors children whose families have taken them to museums or who have telescopes in the home, making it a great measure of SES but not of instruction.
The results of questions such as these are meaningless to teachers and do nothing to accurately measure the achievement gap. In response to these concerns, ASCD recently adopted a position stating that the use of a single achievement test to sanction students, educators, schools, districts, states and provinces, or countries is an inappropriate use of assessment. ASCD supports the use of multiple measures in assessment systems that are
- Fair, balanced, and grounded in the art and science of learning and teaching;
- Reflective of curricular and developmental goals and representative of content that students have had an opportunity to learn;
- Used to inform and improve instruction;
- Designed to accommodate nonnative speakers and special needs students; and
- Valid, reliable, and supported by professional, scientific, and ethical standards designed to fairly assess the unique and diverse abilities and knowledge base of all students.
About the writer
"Is It Good for the Kids?" is a monthly column by ASCD Executive Director Gene R. Carter, which addresses timely educational issues. These articles are archived online at http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.e904532af52fde8cbfb3ffdb62108a0c/
Reaction
Is It Good for the Kids?
Dokkyo Student Reactions to the article by Gene Carter
Students from Tim Murphey’s Teaching Methods Class
Dokkyo University
As the article said, high test scores tell us nothing about what children know and can do well. Everyone can get a high score if they study only for the test. But it is nonsense. Teachers should teach not only the tested area but also more practical things. In fact, there are a lot of students, including me, who cannot speak English well even if they can take a good score in tests. We should change this situation.
- Ikumi Yamada
Surely it is important to study very hard to enter the university, but it is wrong to regard the scores of the tests as the final aim of study.
- Toshihiro Konagaya
I think evaluating not only from what [students] memorize but also from what they come to be able to do through the class is necessary.
- Aki Honda
I think evaluation is the most important thing in education. It affects studetns’ motivation. If they don’t get good evaluation they lose their motivation and give up studying.
- Chieko Kameyama
Most students study only before final exams. This shows us that such tests cannot represent students’ abilities… However, if exams are abolished, students will study nothing. Japanese education should make assessments that can evaluate students’ continual efforts of everyday life in school. I think action logs are effective because teachers can grasp through action logs what students feel about the lessons, whether students understand or not.
- Yuichiro Iida
Another possible reason that teachers think it hard to change the present conditions of education is the lack of understanding from children’s parents, I think. Usually, parents desire their children to get a good job and in order to do that, they probably think their children have to go to a famous school. This kind of social situation causes the gap between a real educational style and ideal and better one. We have to make efforts to make a lot of unprofessional people know and cooperate with teachers to change future education.
- Natsuki Hata
In my opinion, Japanese have poor speaking ability, so they must tudy speaking, so the speaking test is necessary. … It is very important to change the test system. Perhaps this problem is as important as teaching method.
- Yuji Okura
JHS and HS have 2 big tests per term in Japan. Teachers see the score and determine how well students understand or study. But actually, students study for just one week before the tests are held. That means students don’t remember one month later. ... it’s just the knowledge of overnight cramming.
- Makiko Sugawara
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Reflections on Learning and Teaching
“I Think I’m Turning Japanese”
Reflections on Student-Teacher Interaction in the Japanese Classroom
Christopher
Dokkyo University
Silence often has different meanings in the Japanese context.
You shouldn't always interpret it as you would for, say,
a student from an overtly expressive culture.
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2005
From: "Christopher" chris@dokkyo.ac.jp
Subject: Working with Japanese students
Dear Brian,
Thanks for the email. It was great to hear from you! The three-week intensive course you’re going to do with Japanese students sounds like a lot of fun. I’m sure they’ll find Kentucky quite interesting, but probably nothing like what they’re expecting.
You asked me if I had any advice for teaching Japanese students. Of course, contrary to popular opinion, Japanese kids are like kids all over the world. That is, they're all different. Some are very open and expressive; some are very reserved. Likewise, every group of students is unique. But if you've been working with Eastern European and Latino students for some time, you may be struck by what seems like a reservation and hesitation on the part of some Japanese students (again, it depends on the group).
I can only tell you about my own experience, but there are some culturally influenced modes of communication that do take a little getting used to, on your part and theirs. For example, I am often struck by what seems to be a delay in reaction time when I ask my students to do something. At first I didn't know if it was simply that they didn't understand or, I don't know ... resistance? Then I happened to attend a teacher’s meeting facilitated by the Japanese faculty at one of my schools. At this meeting I was struck by the extremely deliberate and orderly turn taking protocol among the Japanese teachers. When the moderator would ask one of the Japanese teachers for her or his opinion, she would hesitate for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. Then she would start talking and continue uninterrupted. None of the other teachers would say a word during this time. Not until it was absolutely obvious that the teacher was finished with her thought would any one else speak. And after she was finished, there was another substantial pause, sometimes of 10 seconds or more, and the moderator would look down, as if reflecting on what had been said. I was truly amazed. It was a real moment of cultural learning for me.
Then an non-Japanese English teacher would start to speak, and as is typically our style, it devolved into this apparent free-for-all, with interjections, tangents, recursions, multiple speakers talking at once, etc ... total chaos! Of course, it isn't really. There are very definite sociolinguistic rules of turn taking in English, but it was no wonder that the Japanese speakers didn't dare enter the fray. Of course, go to the bar (or some other informal scenario) with Japanese colleagues, and the protocol relaxes dramatically. But in the somewhat formal context of a meeting, the contrast was stark and enlightening.
Of course, typically the classroom is a very formal context for Japanese students. Traditionally teacher-centered, the classroom is not a forum for freely sharing ideas. And even students who are open to approaching the classroom from a new perspective may find it difficult to immediately discard a lifetime of socialization. This understanding combined with my experiences in meetings led me to adjust my expectations and approach to interaction in the classroom. From that point on, after asking my students to do something (pair or group work in particular), I allow a long pause and let myself be comfortable with it. Sometimes I start to do something else, looking at the lesson plan, preparing the next activity, as if ignoring them. Sometimes I even walk to the back of the class and stand behind them where they’re not looking at me. From there I watch as people turn to each other, ask questions, and engage in the task. And I can see who isn’t on task and try to help them.
I’m not sure exactly why this came to mind to tell you. And again, you may just as well get a group of very interactive and expressive people that have already adapted to a more open and informal classroom environment. But if you feel you are working too hard to get them to begin even simple tasks, stop working so hard and allow time for pauses, reflecting, and even awkward silence, and don't stress out about it. Silence often has different meanings in the Japanese context. You shouldn't always interpret it as you would for, say, a student from an overtly expressive culture.
Other issues that may come up: a tendency toward hyper-correction that inhibits them in simple interaction. Try activities that help them relax. Stress that mistakes are okay, even good! Practice meaning negotiation skills like asking for clarification, etc. Also, they may tend to cluster outside of class. Try to get them engaged in activities that force them to interact with native speaker students. They will appreciate your encouragement. You may have conversations with students that make you wonder how much English they actually know, but don't be fooled. These people have a hell of a lot of grammar and vocabulary crammed into their brains. The trick is helping them to make the connections so that all of this knowledge becomes active and productive.
Good luck and have fun! Japanese students can be gracious and appreciative. I’m sure you will find working closely with a group of them to be very rewarding. Tell me how your experience goes. If you like, keep a journal on it and publish your reflections in Languaging!
Talk to you soon,
Christopher
About the writer
Christopher Carpenter teaches classes in the Interdepartmental Curriculum at Dokkyo University where his students often wonder why he hides from them in the back of the classroom.
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Language and Culture
“Gorilla My Dreams, I Love You!”
A Response to “Chimps Won’t do a Neighbor a Favor”
Tim Murphey
Dokkyo University
...
it looks as though a very fragile species (humans)
with a great lack of confidence is trying to boost its
collective ego by saying, “See, we are so special!”
with a great lack of confidence is trying to boost its
collective ego by saying, “See, we are so special!”
Discussed in this article: “Chimps won’t do a neighbor a favor” in Special to World Science. Accessed online Oct 26, 2005, at http://www.world-science.net/othernews/051026_chimpfrm.htm
Insecure Species-Centric Boasting
The research described in the article cited above shows how chimps who have lived in the same community for awhile still do not voluntarily help others who are not in their immediate family or a mate. Certainly important research and admirable in its efforts.
However, to say “We [humans] are the only ones who do favors without expecting something in return” seems to be a very egocentric, or rather species-centric, over generalization in two ways. First, it looks as though a very fragile species (humans) with a great lack of confidence is trying to boost its collective ego by saying, “See, we are special!” That does not appear to be extending much favor to other species. This lack of empathy, that this report seems to attribute to chimps, could also be extended to most people’s lack of empathy to other species, nature in general, and our environment. The 80’s may have been the “me generation,” but the history of humanity has been a “me-first” show from the beginning. A true sign of maturity of the human race would indeed be generative altruism.
Secondly, while certainly some of our species does have this favor-giving capacity toward others of the same species, it is sorely lacking in a great number of people who are indeed expecting something in return. Even countries want oil for liberation efforts and praise as a liberator. As humans are apt to say, “there are no free lunches.” The United Nations seems to be the greatest haven for altruistic members of the human race and the highest form of regulatory intelligence yet conceived. And yet even there one must be wary of the false favors with strings attached that demand repayment.
Researching altruism is sorely needed, not just among other animals, but among the human species. Connecting this altruism to other species and the environment may also be crucial to our own survival in the long run. George Bernard Shaw reportedly said, “The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." I am certainly cynical about the claim that we (all) have become altruistic favor givers as a species and that we are special. And yet I am hopeful because I know it is a possibility for all humans to become altruistic. However, realistically I also believe it will demand some study and work to realize it. Empathy toward other species and the environment, indeed, may be the saving favor of our planet.
About the ranter
When Tim Murphey isn't ski-juggling, he can be found trying to get a perfect picture of the sunset behind Mt. Fuji from the roof top of the Central Building at Dokkyo University.
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Language and Culture
Understanding Sumo
Kenji Kazami
Dokkyo University Extension College
The
most important thing for yokozuna
is not only to win, but to win rightly.
is not only to win, but to win rightly.
The following essay was contributed in hopes of encouraging interest in one of Japan's most famous spectator sports by explaining some of its intricacies.
The Sumo Ranks are divided into 10 groups. Makuuchi (also called Makunouchi) is the top division of sumou ranks, consisting of yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake, komusubi and maegashira. The rikishi (sumo wrestlers) are divided into east and west team. The east team (called Higashi) traditionally considered more prestigious than the west.
Sumo ranking will be released in Banzuke (list of rikishi, according to their ranks). These official ranking list will be published before each of the tournaments. Tournaments called Basho (or Honbasho) will be held six times a year.The names of Makuuti rikisi will be written on top of Banzuke in large, bold characters.
Yokozuna is sumo's highest rank, created in early Edo era. Yokozuna are often called in English as "Grand Champion", but the position of yokozuna is quite different from other sumo dividions. If other division's rikishi make a poor record during Basho (tournament), he will be demoted. On the other hand, only yokozuna can never be demoted, even if he makes poor score during Basho. If yokozuna should continue with a bad record, he is expected to retire. But none can force him to retire. It is his own decision.
Yokozuna Shingi-iinkai (the Yokozuna Deliberation Council) of Sumo Kyokai (Japan Sumo Association) decides the proposed promotion of a paticular rikishi to Yokozuna. To become a cadidate of yokozuna, he must have won two consecutively Basho while holding the rank of ozeki.
There are three important points to becoming yokozuna. He must excell other rikishi in these three points. These three are 心 (shin), 技 (gi) and 体(tai). 心 (shin) = こころ…whether he is a man of character, worthy to hold the title yokozuna. He must have real manly dignity of Bushi. (the word "rikishi" means powerful Bushi) 技 (gi) = わざ…whether he has better sumo techniques than other rikishi. 体 (tai) = からだ…whether his physical strength is enough to hold the position. The most important thing for yokozuna is not only to win, but to win rightly. This is why yokozuna is sometimes called God of Sumo.
About the writer
Kenji Kazami is a student at Dokkyo Open College. He graduated from the German department of Dokkyo University and, until retiring in 2002, worked as director of a listed credit company. Since then, he has completed the 420 hours of practical teaching for the Japanese Language Teacher Training course and has passed the required exam to become a teacher of Japanese. He will be returning to Dokkyo as a graduate student in 2006
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Language and Culture
Getting 'Yuusu' Lingo 'Peki-peki'
aReal Chore for Adults
Masuo Kamiyama
From the WaiWai Pages of Mainichi Online News at http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/
Rochuu -- short for "rojo de chuu,"
to kiss on a public street.
to kiss on a public street.
Listening to two Japanese teens talk, you might start wondering what country you're in at the moment. Or what planet. And no one, reports Weekly Playboy (October 18), is more confused by this juvenile jargon than the policemen assigned to patrolling the areas teens frequent.
"When taking a deposition from a witness, in principle, a police guidance counselor just records what is said, word-for-word," explains a source in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. "The problem is, half the time they couldn't figure out what kids were saying. So from several years ago, staff began compiling a list of jargon. Now they've got a real manual to go by."
The police procedure for deciphering the meanings of unfamiliar words is straightforward enough: the guidance counselor asks the kid, "Hold on, what does that mean?" and then takes down explanation.
"Cops, of course, have to deal with foreigners who don't understand a word of Japanese," says Akio Kuroki, a former MPD cop turned journalist. "But it's crazy to waste time making cops pick up teenage jargon. All they need to do is tell a kid, 'Speak in proper Japanese.' Once cops start filling up depositions with this kind of silly gobbledygook, they might as well call it quits."
New words are formed by shortening existing words, reversing their syllables or adding "ru" to nouns, thereby creating the infinitive forms of new verbs, such as in "biniru." Which sounds like the word for "vinyl," but actually means to go to a "konbini" (convenience store).
Using the same construction, "famiru" means to go to a family restaurant. "Yoshiru" means to eat at a Yoshino-ya chain restaurant. "Apiru" is to appeal to someone, "okeru" means to go to sing karaoke, and "operu" is to undergo cosmetic surgery (from "operation"). Then you have "rabiru" which means to be trapped and unable to take any action. ("Rabi" is short for "labyrinth," a maze.) Strangest of all, perhaps, is
"giboru" -- to undergo a paranormal experience. It is taken from the name Aiko Gibo, a psychic who used to appear regularly on television.
Another source of new terms of late has been blogs and chat rooms on the Internet. Weekly Playboy provides 100 examples of the latest jargon examples of which appear below.
An-pan -- not a roll filled with sweet bean jam, but an am-pm convenience store outlet. (Whose main rival is called "bun-bun," taken from SeBUN-ereBUN -- get it? Seven-Eleven.)
Chihuahua -- to borrow money from consumer finance company Aiful, whose TV commercials feature "Qu-chan," a cute miniature dog.
Daa -- short for "darling"
Getoru -- to obtain something. Combining "get" and "toru" (to take).
Haafu -- from the English "half." Means to stay out half the night, until 3 a.m.
Ikato -- a nerdy person who's out of it. Shortened from "ikanimo Todai-sei" ("he or she is really like a University of Tokyo student).
Isojin -- name of a well known brand of throat gargle, but in this case means a person (jin) who is exceptionally busy (isogashii).
Karako -- a color copy
Keiban -- a cell phone number. Shortened from "keitai bango."
M4 -- not a magnitude 4 earthquake, but an appointment to meet someone at 4 pm at McDonalds.
Maha-go! -- a command to get lost, beat it, scram. Composed from "maha" (mach, the speed of sound) and "go."
Marumera -- Marlboro Menthol Lights
Oniden -- Literally, "demon-electricity." To telephone a person persistently.
Pee-pee (pronounced peh-peh) -- to lie, or a liar.
Peki-peki -- short for "kanpeki," perfect.
Rochuu -- short for "rojo de chuu," to kiss on a public street.
Takakura Ken -- refers to a clumsy person. (The name of a famous macho actor.)
Wakame -- normally a sea vegetable, but in this case refers to straight, black hair. Probably because eating wakame is believed to promote healthy hair.
Yababa -- combined from "yabai obasan," an older woman capable of making trouble.
Yakui -- a hood, someone resembling a yakuza.
Yarahata -- a girl who reaches the age of 20 still a virgin. The word is made by combining "yaranai" (not to do it) and "hatachi" (age 20).
Yuusu -- a high school student. From the English "youth."
Zenbei ga naita -- literally, "the entire United States wept." Means nothing important.
One might be moved to wonder how the above expression could possibly take on such an unrelated meaning. After checking the blogs, your reporter came up with this explanation: When many U.S. films open in Japan, they are accompanied by posters claiming that American viewers were moved to tears. But the such films have little emotional impact on viewers here. So Japanese filmgoers have learned, apparently, to disregard such promotional claims as largely meaningless.
Be as it may, these days being able to rap with one's peers is clearly a source of pride.
"About 10 years ago, young people tended to feel a sense of guilt when they used slang; but these days speaking it gives them a sense of superiority," notes Chikara Kato, a professor at Sugiyama Gakuen University and authority on teen slang.
Kato doesn't discourage adults from mastering teen patois, but warns that such terms go stale rather quickly.
"By the time adults get around to acquiring them, kids have already moved on and coined new ones. So there's a good chance learning them is hardly worth the effort," he cautions.
(By Masuo Kamiyama, People's Pick Waiwai writer)
October 15, 2005
Copyright 2004-2005 THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS.
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Issues and Perspectives
Tokyo Teacher Embattled Over War History
City official said Japan never invaded Korea. Teacher demurs.
By Robert Marquand
Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
From the November 22, 2005 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1122/p01s04-woap.html
I feel it is my job
to tell the truth,
it is what I spend my life doing ...
it is what I spend my life doing ...
TOKYO - Miyako Masuda is a 23-year veteran of public schools here. Like many Japanese history teachers of her generation, she dislikes new textbooks that frame Japan as the victim in World War II. It bothers her that books claiming America caused the war are now adopted by an entire city ward. In fact, Masuda disapproves of the whole nationalist direction of Tokyo public schools.
Yet until last year, Masuda, who calls herself "pretty ordinary," rarely went out of her way to disagree. Few teachers do. But when a Tokyo city councilman in an official meeting said "Japan never invaded Korea," her history class sent an apology to Korean President Roh Moo-hyan - an action that sparked her removal from her classroom. The war history dispute in Asia is now so front-and-center that it was cited by South Korea as a reason to avoid an upcoming December visit to Japan by Mr. Roh. Alongside the diplomatic row, the Masuda case shows how nationalist policies are creeping into the minutiae of daily life in Japan's capital city.
Masuda, who says her two sons have Korean friends, got censured after her class did a study group on Japan's occupation of Korea. Her social studies class wrote a letter of apology to Roh, and sent it to the Korean Embassy in Toyko. In a cover letter, Masuda said that councilman Koga Toshiaki's remarks were "a disgrace" by objective historical standards, but "regrettably [they] can be presented proudly as a triumph in the assembly of Tokyo, the capital of this country."
The class never heard from the Korean consul. But Masuda did hear from the Tokyo Board of Education. Her letter was discovered by a Yasukuni shrine support group and they complained to city officials. Masuda was told that while Mr. Koga did speak in public, it was "inappropriate" for Masuda to repeat his name in a letter that was not private, and a violation of city employee codes.
Masuda is now ordered to spend her days in a small room studying public servant regulations, a serious humiliation she says. She in turn is trying to fight in court. Masuda's experience shows the growing power of Japanese nationalists, and their grass-roots influence in Tokyo, analysts say.
For example, last month Japanese leader Junichiro Koizumi positioned his ultranationalist protégé Shinzo Abe to be his successor, after Mr. Koizumi steps down in September. Mr. Abe, like Tokyo's hugely popular Mayor Ishihara, is a fan of the Tsukuru-Kai history textbooks that seek to restore a proud Japan by rewriting the past. Mr. Ishihara, for his part, directly appoints all six Tokyo school board members.
Tokyo schools reflect nationalist views: children pledging allegiance to the emperor as in the 1930s, school board members supporting Yasakuni shrine visits, and curriculums failing to mention Japan's invasion of Korea or China.
Masuda, for her part, insists it is wrong to teach untruths to students, for any reason. "I feel it is my job to tell the truth, it is what I spend my life doing," she told the Monitor. "When something looks crooked I don't like it. I feel I want to make it straight. If you are straight it is better for everyone. I explain and teach the past. But I am now suspended as a history teacher for doing that, even though they say it is for administrative discipline." In an interview, Masuda reads out the words of the Tokyo city council member from the official transcript: "It is not proper to describe a war of aggression by Japan. Where and when in the world did Japan ever invade? I'd like to ask, once and for all, when where and which country...."
At the APEC summit in South Korea last week, it was unclear whether Koizumi and Roh would even meet on the sidelines. The Korean president told Mr. Koizumi outright that his visits to the Yasakuni shrine, and the Tsukuru-Kai texts, were "provocative." Koizumi tried to say his visits to the shrine, where the remains of Class A war criminals are housed, symbolized the idea of never going to war again. Roh, according to Asahi Shimbun, told Koizumi, "No matter how positively we interpret your feelings, the people of South Korea will never accept it." Masuda says some fellow teachers supported her at first in her current ordeal, but have since stopped. They fear of their own status in the school. Masuda now must report to the Tokyo Metropolitan School Personnel In-service Training Center, a place she describes in Kafkaesque terms.
Masuda seems a little stubborn, a little leftist, but a stickler for details in the way of junior high teachers around the world. She brightens immediately when the subject turns to teaching. She is proud her classes are not rote memory exercises typical in Japanese public schools. She requires "Discussion Papers" where students have to show how they arrive at conclusions. Papers deal with topics like Hiroshima and Iraq. Last year she showed her class a television documentary put out by Japanese national TV on Korean comfort women- how the Japanese government in the war had sent orders for brothels to be built in China with women dragooned to work there from all over Asia. Currently, teachers that stress Japan's responsibility for wartime aggression are increasingly framed in Tokyo as "Marxists" living in the past. Masuda's case has been picked up as a case of simple slander by the Tokyo media. A Japanese journalist with extensive experience points out that the Tokyo Asahi ran an item saying that Masuda was suspended for slandering the government officials and the publisher of the textbook.
The Asahi reporter sourced the story to the Tokyo Board of Education. Masuda's friends and fellow teachers protested to the Asahi reporter. They said the story was inaccurate, and that Masuda should have been talked to for balance. So the Asahi reporter went back to the Board of Education and asked if his story was correct. They told him yes, his story was correct.
Editor's Note: This story should be of interest to teachers and students who are interested to know more about local educational issues, and thus we include it in this issue of Languaging!. The opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of Languaging! nor of Dokkyo University. In search of more information and alternate perspectives on the situation, we asked a Japanese colleague to search for the story in Japanese publications on Nov. 23rd, 2005. The colleague wrote back: After two hours on search-engines … I could not find a single article about Masuda's case in an online newspaper, but I found a video clip of a press conference by her at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. If interested go to:
http://www.videonews.com/keyperson/keypersonrecent1.html
(Click on the 5th image from the top, that’s Masuda). In this video clip she describes what happened to her. The conference is all in Japanese except the questions. The main points are:
1. She has had little solidarity from her colleagues - the teachers' labor union did not help hhhhheer, though her punishment seems to be unjust.
2. Asahi and Mainichi paper have shown interest in her case, but put her story only in the Tokyo regional section. This means those who live outside Tokyo do not know her story. With such little coverage, how can we know the truth?
We want to know: Why is this newsworthy story running in the foreign press but not in Japan?
Ed.
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Reader’s Forum
| READERS! Languaging! wants your feedback! Please send us your comments, reactions and reflections, however brief, positive or critical. One way is to use the form in the Languaging! Reader's Forum. Alternatively, you can send your comments by email to languaging@yahoo.com. In the subject line, write “Reader’s Forum.” Please tell us which article you are commenting on. |
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Humor Dose
from Thomas Kerrer
Here's a few one liners for those of you interested in intensive (as opposed to extensive) reading. Bon appetite.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Karl Marx: It was a historical
inevitability.
Colonel Sanders: I missed one?
Pierre de Fermat: I just don't have room here to give the full explanation.
Colonel Sanders: I missed one?
Pierre de Fermat: I just don't have room here to give the full explanation.
Badabing, badaboom! And ...
Old soldiers never die ...
young ones do.
Old mathematicians never die, they just tend to zero.
Old professors never die, they just lose their faculties.
(Just like a certain humor column editor we all know - Ed.)
Old mathematicians never die, they just tend to zero.
Old professors never die, they just lose their faculties.
(Just like a certain humor column editor we all know - Ed.)
Take a load off: Hey, Teachers!
Does this picture remind you of anyone you know?
Cheer up! The holidays are almost here!
Does this picture remind you of anyone you know?
Cheer up! The holidays are almost here!
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Heads Up!
Kyoumuka Open at Lunch Time!
Students respond positively
According to an email interview conducted with Namiko Shinya, a Kyomuka staff member, the Kyoumuka offices have had new hours since classes began in September. However the staff is not sure of the effect on students or how useful their lunch-time opening might be. Thus, we decided to do a quick poll of three classes on their Yahoo Group web pages.
The following question was sent to the Yahoo Groups of three of classes at the beginning of November. This data was calculated on November 20th, about three weeks after the question was asked. A total of 44 students responded out of about 62, or 71%.
| Poll Questions Starting this semester the Kyoumuka is open from 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, even during lunch, and 9:00 to 12:00 on Saturdays. Please click on one of the answers below. |
I did not notice BUT I am glad I can go there at lunch time 21 I noticed they were open at lunch and I am glad I can go there then. 12 I noticed they were open, I am glad they are, and I have already been there at lunch time. 3 I noticed they were open at lunch BUT I do not care. 7 I did not notice and do not really care. 1 |
The first three choices in the above box are positive reactions to the Kyoumuka being open, with a total of 36 of the responses (82%) in these three categories: 21 who had not noticed but who were nevertheless glad; 12 who had noticed and were glad; and 3 that had noticed, were glad, and had already used the services at lunch time.
A small number, 8, reported that they did not care about the longer opening hours (with only 1 of these also saying they had not noticed). We suspect that while they may now say they do not care, maybe they will when they need to go there at lunch time some day. We often do not care about something until it becomes needed. From this data we can also say that the Kyomuka is doing a fairly good job of letting people know they are open as 22 students (50% of the respondents) had noticed.
A student petition, asking that the Kyoumuka be open at lunch times, was circulated in a signatures. The petition was sent to President Kajiyama and several other administrators, who reported that they were glad to get it, as they had heard such requests from individuals from time to time but they did not have any strong evidence of support for the change. President Kajiyama wrote in his response to the students:
In fact, this has been a very old request and I completely agree with you. But we cannot carry this out immediately unless a majority of the office staff support the idea. Taking every opportunity, I have been making this request to each director and chief-officer as well as the union because improvement of student services should be our top priority. (January 27, 2005)
The message here for students is that they can have an impact and a voice in the running of their university, when they make their voices heard. When students provide information that can be useful for the administration, in the form of petitions and surveys, then more reasonable discussion with the concerned parties can be engaged in, and changes that help us all can be achieved.
You can make your own online polls, too! And it’s easy! Go to Yahoo Groups and set up your free group discussion page.
Now, if only we could do something about those awful double doors by Kyoumuka exiting to building 5!! They make a bottleneck that is frustrating and dangerous. We will start a petition soon!!! - Ed.
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
Hot Tip!
Making CD’s of your own Students
Steps
- Reserve a computer lab for one class. (Preferably with a
technician, or at least get a technician to show you how to use the
sound recording functions on the computer and how to save them and send
them to the front. Then you need to burn them onto a master.)
- Tell your students and decide what you want to record. It
could be telling stories, conversations, or, like mine, pretending to
be radio personalities and telling about their language learning
histories.
- Get them to prepare a few weeks in advance. It helps if they write it out, but when they actually record they do not read but rather speak to a person. It’s more natural to listen to.
JUST DO IT!
Buy enough printable CDs at a Joshin and take them to the Magic Building 5 second floor people (Joho desk). They can make copies for you and your students! And if you take a picture they can even put it on the CD !
| Languaging!
No. 6 |
Dokkyo
University |
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS!
Share your learning and teaching explorations!
Languaging! is a semesterly newsletter. Our goal is to encourage students and teachers to explore their learning and teaching more reflectively by writing about it and sharing their ideas in our community of learners (we are all learners, after all). We want to encourage people to learn and teach (and write) together. We believe learning and innovation happen most frequently (and most productively) when people are doing it together. We want to encourage others to innovate, to take risks, to collaborate and to write about it!
We consider teaching a form of perpetual learning. This is an “exploratory” newsletter, and we want to hear from people who are exploring, trying new things, and seeing how they work. Learning and teaching involve a lot of exploration, and we hope to encourage this as much as possible. Furthermore, when we take risks, we often make mistakes. That’s part of learning, too. Feel free to write about the mistakes you’ve made and the lessons you’ve learnt so we can all learn from them.
Languaging! is a place to experiment, not just write about experiments. Think about your favorite ways of teaching and learning – fun ways to learn that could help others. Think about the data you might collect: keeping a journal, recording your changing feelings and ideas, having friends observe your classes, visiting friends classes, quizzing yourself, recording yourself, getting feedback from students on your classes, your materials, or the whole education system! If you read a good book, write about it. If you have a good idea, write about it. If you have a good conversation, write about it!
Writing style: First person narratives are fine! Student writing is great! You should write a few drafts and give it to some friends for comments. Revise it a few times, and then send it by “file attached email” to the editors (by May 15th for the next issue). Editors may ask for some adjustments or give suggestions for fine-tuning before publishing.
Length: We hope you will contribute short pieces for consideration. Teachers and students are busy people (or at least they look busy!), and they are more likely to read short pieces than long ones (4 pages or 2000 words maximum, although we also like paragraphs, comments, short anecdotes, etc.)
Format: Please send your contributions as simple Word or Text files (.doc or .txt). Word files should use normal margin parameters and a common font (New Times Roman, Arial, etc.) in 12 pt. pica, single-spaced. Use only simple highlighting devices (bold, italic, and underlining). You may include tables and illustrations embedded in your document, but illustrations should also be sent as separate jpeg files.
Get your ideas out in Languaging! Ask your students to submit their ideas, too!
Send submissions for Languaging! No. 7 by May 15th
to the editors at languaging@yahoo.com
Languaging!