Tag - english

 
 

ENGLISH

WORLD / Society
Aug 27, 2014
Decline of French language could cost half a million jobs: report
A decline in the number of people worldwide who speak French could cost France 120,000 jobs by 2020 and half a million by 2050 due to missed economic opportunities, a report commissioned by President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday.
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 Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jul 27, 2014
Osaka bets big on TOEFL to boost English levels
The Osaka Prefecture Board of Education is pushing through a raft of initiatives to shake up English-language education, chief among them the introduction of TOEFL at top-performing high schools, which will be taught by an elite group of teachers earning approximately ¥8 million a year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Jul 9, 2014
Three ways to jump-start English abilities in time for 2020
There will likely be a raft of further efforts to encourage English learning in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but here are three simple ideas that could help boost English levels right now.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Jun 29, 2014
Cartoonist Ernst captured 'fish-out-of-water' gaijin as they floundered
Having often been told by the Japanese that he would 'never understand' their culture because he was not one of them, American cartoonist Tim Ernst decided to embrace this notion and deploy it creatively.
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 / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
May 26, 2014
Letters: Kikokushijo encounter trouble upon re-entry
Japanese returnees and others discuss the trials and tribulations facing those educated abroad if and when they attempt to settle back in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
May 11, 2014
Returnees' experiences drive a will to give something back
The returnees profiled here highlight the potential that can be unlocked within individuals lucky enough to have the chance to live overseas and, crucially, receive the right support on their return to Japan.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2014
Good example of English use
Perhaps an education ministry division's decision to begin conducting its meetings in English this month will help shake loose Japan's grammar-translation paradigm, which does little to compel students to communicate and understand English better.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
May 4, 2014
Kikokushijo: returnees to a country not yet ready for them
Though the number of returnee students has tripled since 1977, and despite the recent government push to develop 'global human resources,' the existence of this group of globally educated young people has been largely ignored by policymakers.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2014
Education ministry body to roll out English-only meetings
Meetings on English education at a division of the education ministry will be conducted in English beginning in May on a trial basis, in an apparent move to both reflect and promote the trend in language education.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Apr 28, 2014
Fujisawa: What do you think of the new rules for standardizing English on public signs?
New transport ministry guidelines require that public signs use standardized English words to replace Romanized Japanese words. So what do tourists and residents in Enoshima think of the changes?
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
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2014
Iitate farmer's cautionary tale translated
Kenichi Hasegawa is a man of conviction.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2014
Standardized English for road signs to help foreign tourists
Foreign tourists in Japan will have a less confusing time trying to identify roads and landmarks thanks to the introduction of standardized English words and eradication of "Romanized" Japanese words on public signs, transport ministry officials said.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2014
Tokyo to put up more multi-language signs for Olympics
Tokyo and the central government launched on Wednesday a public-private council to come up with ways to put up more multiple-language signs for the 2020 Olympics.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 16, 2014
To get more out of your students, make the most of your space
Teachers need to know how to maximize their space to get the most out of their students, and schools should be designed to meet the needs of their specific range of students.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 22, 2014
Tokyo 2020: only as old as the medalists you field
The motto of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is 'Discover Tomorrow,' which organizers hope will help distract sport fanatics from the reality of Japan being the fastest-aging country in the world.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 7, 2014
'Cove' to become 'aquatic nook' as Abe takes aim at improper eigo
Some say that Shinzo Abe's latest proposed tax increases, part of the 'fourth arrow' in his popular 'Abenomics' policy, are going a step too far. Dubbed the 'language tax,' the new levy is aimed at word usage.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight