Harry Carley is a long-time ALT who recently gave a presentation for the Matsuyama JALT Chapter. He writes about his experiences and thoughts.
English as a Foreign Language Taught in the Japanese Elementary School
by Harry Carley
English as a Foreign Language instructors that are thrust into Japanese elementary schools face many challenges due to the age of their students. Learners with a higher level of maturity may not be matched to their EFL level. This is a summary of a presentation that was given in March 2007 at a monthly meeting of the Matsuyama members of JALT. Although the topic was specifically targeted toward 5th and 6th year students and the balance of maturity to EFL level, many of these issues can occur throughout elementary school EFL lessons regardless of age.
There are three areas of contention from which problems can arise.
These locals of potential conflict within the EFL lesson are:
-The Assistant Language Teacher (ALT)
-The Homeroom Teacher (HRT)
-The Students
ALTs
I have been in an ALT type position for over 18 years. I began teaching ESL through an Eikaiwa (English conversation school). I have taught at a variety of levels and in many different situations, nursery schools, elementary schools, Junior and Senior high schools, one on one, large groups, businesses and even a dental school (okay let's practice everyone repeat after me, "Open Wide").
Through the years and in all these different teaching climates of EFL in Japan, there has been one common denominator. This element has flowed through all the classes and among all the students regardless of their age or ability. That one item has been - ME! And . . . my inability to teach.
I came to Japan many years ago. University degree in hand, I had planned on staying only a couple years. Sparing all the details, and stating the obvious, but I am still here. It wasn't until I had been involved with EFL for almost 10 or 15 years though that I actually felt confident in my own teaching abilities.
Admittedly, not every ALT is the same as I. Each ALT possesses his/her own level of abilities and competence in teaching EFL. Although, it is important to take into consideration the educational relevance of having some ALT's move on after only 1 or 2 years; they in turn are replaced with others who only stay a brief few years. Ever wonder why the majority of Japanese teachers do not change schools every one or two years? Not to bash the JET program (too much) or other independently hired ALT's but . . it is definitely something that should given careful and thoughtful attention to.
Homeroom Teacher
I can not emphasize enough the importance of the Japanese homeroom teacher. They are the "ones," the linchpin, the cornerstone, the glue that holds it all together, etc. Regardless of the abilities of the ALT, their role in the EFL classroom is immense beyond description.
Their position could even be more influential if it were not for the saddening fact that most Japanese elementary school teachers possess only marginal English language skills. On the other hand, most ALTs have questionable Japanese skills. But does it really matter? That's why ALTs have been utilized in EFL education, to bridge this gap.
Team teaching can be trying in the best of situations. Occasionally, both members of the team teaching group may have difficulty in communicating their educational feelings and desires due to the language barrier. These conflicts can carry over into the EFL classroom. An excellent book which discusses the team teaching concept is Team Teaching, The Northern Nevada Writing Project Teacher-Researcher Group. It offers a wide perspective on the role of team teaching and its pros and cons, something both a HRT and ALT are keenly aware of.
What is of utmost importance though with regards to the HRT is the HRT's (Homeroom teacher) attitude. If THEY dread the ALT visits, consider them a threat to their authority, they carry a "Good riddance to the whole lot of them" type of stance; then the class is already done. EFL instruction can not be accomplished without the cooperation of the homeroom teacher.
There is also the element of discipline that needs to be considered. From time to time, the HRT may not be able to control his/her class. The HRT is in charge of a given number of pupils to guide through the academic year. If the students ignore their teacher, continuously talk, fidget, sleep, walk around the room (on top of their desks), then the ALT has no chance of conducting a meaningful EFL lesson. The "importance of the Japanese Homeroom teacher." I can not say that enough.
It's not easy being the HRT regardless of the students' age or grade. Being the spouse of a Japanese elementary school teacher, I can feel the HRT's pain. I thank each and every one of them for their continued assistance and support. In return I offer them mine.
Students
Ultimately, they are the reason that there are EFL classes, an ALT, and a homeroom teacher. The students are what it is all about. That tends to get forgotten sometimes, with all the paperwork, school events, and other issues.
Many challenges can arise amongst the students whether they are in 5th, 6th or just starting out in 1st grade. There can be many difficulties caused by individual students or the class as a whole. Questions to consider are:
- Can the class act as a group?
- Are they a bunch of individuals?
- Is it one class that has splintered into many smaller groups?
- Is it a class consisting of boys AND girls? Boys here-girls over there and the two shall never mix.
- Do the students even like each other? (I can't tell you how many times I have been involved with a class where the answer is a definite "NO"!)
As evident above, these and many other questions can play into the success or failure of an EFL class regardless of EFL teaching experience by the ALT or stamina and understanding by the HRT. This is can be especially evident in lessons that may meet only once or twice a month.
In addition to the personality of the class there are also the EFL skills and abilities of the pupils to take into consideration.
What is the "spread" of the students' abilities?
Is it a small class, 10-20 students, yet with vast differences in their abilities?
Lowest Highest
[______________________________]
Is it a large class, 30-40 students, but with similar abilities in EFL?
Lowest Highest
[_____________]
Or somewhere in-between?
These factors can make an extremely huge difference in the success or failure of an EFL class.
In summary, there are three problem areas, ALT, HRT, and Students. Difficulties within an EFL class may come from one area (inexperience of the ALT) or a combination of all three of the areas (Students, ALT, and HRT).
What is (are) the solution(s)?
The number one answer is TIME!
Over time (years) the most difficult of classes can usually be turned around. The HRT may change from year to year. A fresh school year can bring a whole new attitude and revitalize a class. It is not easy, it is not guaranteed. Admittedly, I have taught at some of the same Japanese elementary schools for over 10 years so the use of time is on my side.
Truthfully though, this result of using the advancement of time as a solution does come in conflict with the whole current ALT scheme. But as stated earlier while discussing ALTs in general, some adjustments need to be made in their employment status and their full utilization as educators. Most ALTs are employed through the use of 1-year contracts. ALTs that are constantly changing is one of the most common complaints that I hear from HRTs.
Not surprisingly due to a lack of time, from time to time, the solution is no solution. A.K.A. - They graduate! They move on to Junior High School. Not exactly a textbook answer, but it happens. Not to fully justify this course of action, but it can be extremely difficult to implement any changes or corrections in the EFL lessons and procedures when classes meet on an infrequent basis. Due to this fact and as I have to sheepishly admit, the students will in all likelihood move on before any significant progress is made.
A more practical and beneficial response is to establish a curriculum of task-based activities. These activities can be used to demonstrate the ease and practicality of EFL. The author Rod Ellis examines this in great detail in his book Second Language Acquisition. Another book that has been of extreme use to me has been the text How Languages are Learned' by Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. Both of these, along with many others, can be very useful in explaining many of the theories behind the practical application.
Personally, for my own EFL lessons, I have made a number of task-based games and interactive activities through the use of clipart CDs. Many of these images are even readily available for free (good price) on the Internet. Having taken this approach, and by constructing my own materials, I have found that in the end I have exactly what I need and can use. Compare these to some publishers or salespeople who try to tell me what I need to buy but may not necessarily use.
Moreover, the most valuable resource for activities has come from other teachers in similar situations as me. Those that are also experiencing or have experienced what I am going through are a most treasured resource indeed.
During these task-based activities I involve all the students at the same time (preferably in pairwork). I implement these procedures to increase the teacher input while augmenting the student output. This additionally increases the number of instructors in action as both the HRT and I can be assisting students.
Additionally through the extensive use of pairwork, the students are able to assist each other. Various students these days have vast opportunities to come into contact with EFL outside of the classroom. Whether it is from Juku attendance, television, or other means, the learners are able to share their acquired knowledge of EFL through these tasks.
I look at it "as if having three instructors instead of one." Since EFL classes for 5th and 6th graders as well as all the other grades meet only once or twice a month, the frequency of the lessons is . . well . . . infrequent. The classroom time for EFL has to be used to the maximum for the learners' benefit.
This means that no student should be sitting doing nothing, waiting until their turn comes around again in four or five turns. With task-based activities accomplished in pairs, every turn is the student's turn or the very next. There is a constant flow and use of the target language for that lesson.
Thusly, the usage of "Noah's Ark" (students come up to the board two by two) type exercises is highly advised against. These are fairly common among the ALT activity books that occasionally surface. The books condone EFL practices that are very ineffective overall. Games such as Kangaroo Jump (two students jump up and down attempting to spy what letter, number, or word is taped to the other person's back); Karuta (many cards are placed down, the students have to grab them before the other students do); and Fruit Basket do not utilize the full potential of the learners.
These activities are usually dominated by a small, over-active number of individuals, leaving the majority of the class members out of the loop. These types of activities also do not make efficient use of the time (usually 45 minutes in Japanese elementary school). Lessons such as these show a rudimentary lack of planning and knowledge of EFL acquisition on the part of the ALT and HRT. Most likely these types of lessons have been thrown together with the idea of how best to fill up the EFL classroom time.
Other activities that I utilize alongside these task-based, everyone involved activities, are those from the JHS classes. Over the years that I have been involved in EFL, I have found many tasks presented to junior high students are actually more suited toward 5th and 6th graders. These are "Junior" junior high type lessons so to speak.
In conclusion, an important underlying factor to remember is that these activities and games should preferably have their roots in the 1st grade or earlier (kindergarten, nursery school). I feel that greater competency can be accomplished though the introduction of EFL at the earliest age possible.
This is an extremely debatable topic though and it has room for further discussion at a later time. I do firmly believe that EFL is no different than any other subject that is taught. EFL is similar to math, science, or even Japanese, in that EFL attainment grows and expands on previous knowledge from lesson to lesson and from year to year.
Reference
The Northern Nevada Writing Project Teacher-Researcher Group. (1996). Team teaching. Stenhouse Publishers.
Ellis, R. (1997). Second language acquisition. Oxford University Press.
Lightbown, P. M., and Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.