Tag - eikaiwa

 
 

EIKAIWA

Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jul 6, 2016
Tokyo is squandering resources on its 2020 Olympic English drive
Misguided training program appears to be aimed at turning city workers into unlicensed tour guides.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 22, 2016
Teacher seeks advice on sick leave and contract nonrenewal
A reader writes to Lifelines about difficulties he is dealing with at work.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues
Jan 6, 2016
For Japan's English teachers, rays of hope amid the race to the bottom
The major economic engines of Japan Inc. — car manufacturers, appliance giants and the like — have often been caught price-fixing: colluding to keep an even market share, squeeze competitors out and maintain "harmony." Similarly, the commercial English-teaching business could be accused of wage-fixing: Rather than competing for talent, they have followed one another's lead, driving down salaries to hamper career development, limit job mobility and keep foreign teachers firmly in their place.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 7, 2015
Red flags and exit strategies: advice for English teachers in Japan
It's important for new instructors in Japan to know when they are being exploited, and, if so, how to improve their lot or extricate themselves from the situation as painlessly as possible.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues
Mar 22, 2015
University teachers in Japan work under the shadow of a falling ax
For most teachers, their job is more than an economic exchange of time for money — it is a vocation. Concern for students' educational development is genuine, as is a deep belief in the value and importance of education, and a regard for the institution's reputation and welfare.
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Mar 18, 2015
Just can't say goodbye to Japan: some readers' letters
Comments in response to Thomas Dillon's recent 'When East Marries West' column, 'Time, gentlemen: When it's time to bid sayonara to Japan, what next?'
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 15, 2015
First impressions count for ALTs meeting their new Japanese colleagues
Fostering a good vibe early in the new school year can pay huge dividends, making the next 12 months easier for the both of you.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 12, 2015
Filipinos in Japan call for acceptance with new film
Documentary presents stories of women helping in Tohoku, working in health and education — and putting down roots.
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Dec 14, 2014
Readers' letters: Hague abduction pamphlets, East Asia ties, temping teachers and learning English
Some emails received in response to recent Community articles.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Nov 26, 2014
This teacher's seen more ESL acronyms than you've had hot dinners
Even after long years teaching English in Japan, he still views himself as an avant-garde teaching artist, as can be seen by what insists he now be called: The Adjunct Instructor Formerly Known as Bob.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2014
Japan's English conversation schools are adapting their classes to specific requirements
Some English conversation schools are increasingly tailoring classes for students who want specific training, such as dealing with customers or full immersion in American culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 28, 2014
Eikaiwa, deal with sexual harassment of teachers before it's too late
If English schools in Japan do not take firm steps to protect teachers, it may only be a matter of time before another Lindsay Hawker is murdered — this time on their watch.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Aug 24, 2014
Constructivist 'Pied Piper' of English education rebuilds after hitting rock bottom
David Paul lost almost everything when his Hiroshima-based company, David English House, tumbled like a house of cards in 2010.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Aug 17, 2014
Could the lingua franca approach to learning break Japan's English curse?
Learning English as a lingua franca (ELF) involves approaching the language as a tongue shared by non-native speakers around the world rather than as a lingo that must be mastered to native-speaker level.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 24, 2014
Buyer allegedly sold stolen Benesse data to 50 firms, NHK reports
A name-list broker who bought stolen customer data from a systems engineer working for a Benesse Corp. contractor allegedly sold the data to 50 companies, including cram schools, NHK reported Thursday, citing investigative sources.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 16, 2014
Harassers exploit Gaba's 'man-to-man' lesson format
The first sign that Olivia's Gaba lesson would be anything but ordinary came when her student insisted during the warmup that he didn't like wearing clothes.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Apr 20, 2014
To teach to test or for communication — or both?
Which is more important: to communicate in a second language or to test well?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 14, 2014
Suit over dismissal to tackle thorny issue of language teachers' employment status
At the heart of the Sulejman Brkic case is the issue of what, in legal terms, the nature of his employment status was while he worked for language school ICC: Was he an employee or a contractor?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 9, 2014
Clarify your role, prepare before a disaster strikes
When she first arrived in Japan from Ireland in 2008, Sarah Hickey was mostly concerned with adjusting to her new life in Fukushima Prefecture. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme placed her in Iwaki, which is itself a large city, but she found herself near the coast in less metropolitan surroundings.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / LEARNING CURVE
Feb 23, 2014
Lado’s victory and demise weren’t without their lessons
With decreasing salaries and eroding job security, it may seem as if little has improved for instructors working in Japan's eikaiwa (English conversation) industry.

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces