Commentary / Japan Aug 18, 2019
A better way to teach kids foreign languages
by Robert D. Eldridge
To get results, language learning should be fun, eye-opening and meaningful.
Asia Pacific / Crime & Legal Aug 13, 2019
Surge in arrests of foreign teachers reported as China pushes to clean up education system
by Cate Cadell
Arrests and deportations of foreign teachers in China have soared this year, lawyers, schools and teachers say, amid a broad crackdown defined by new police tactics and Beijing's push for a "cleaner," more patriotic education system. Four law firms told Reuters that requests for representation ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Aug 4, 2019
What makes a good teacher? It depends on who you ask
by Heidi Wiltamuth
When considering your role as a teacher it is best to think about what your students and employer want, and don't forget to take cultural differences into account.
National Aug 1, 2019
Nationwide test results highlight Japanese students' poor English speaking and writing skills
by Magdalena Osumi
In the speaking section, many students struggled with improvised speech on randomly chosen topics.
Editorials Jun 27, 2019
The enactment of a new law that spells out the government's responsibility to ensure adequate Japanese language education for residents from overseas is a step forward. Policy actions and funding to back it up must now follow.
Our Lives | BLACK EYE May 15, 2019
A tale of two ads (and two different sets of eyes)
by Baye McNeil
Since many Japanese people don't have the opportunity to interact with black people in their daily lives, how the community is represented in the national media is important.
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Apr 24, 2019
Malala is only one part of what makes Pakistan great
by Farrah Hasnain
The textbooks used in English class are starting to look more and more like they should be used in social studies class, focusing increasingly on the cultures of countries where English isn't the first language. These lessons in diversity come in the form of ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Apr 10, 2019
by Kris Kosaka
The closure of 51 Coco Juku eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan last week, with more to come in June, illustrates just how unstable the English teaching market can be. Companies that used to provide fairly well-paying jobs are now, in many cases, restructuring ...
National Apr 10, 2019
Nichii Gakkan says more closures to come after shuttering 50 Coco Juku English schools across Japan
by Ryusei Takahashi
Nichii Gakkan wrote in a statement it decided to close most of the language schools as they were deemed unlikely to turn a profit.
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Apr 10, 2019
Know your rights as a language teacher
by Kris Kosaka
Dennis Tesolat is chair of the General Union based in Osaka. Founded in 1991, the organization is part of a national private sector trade union known as Zenkoku-Ippan (the National Union of General Workers), which belongs to a confederation known as Zenrokyo (National Trade ...
National Mar 19, 2019
Zama school gives helping hand to foreign students struggling with Japanese life
by Maya Kaneko
A public high school in Kanagawa Prefecture is providing a safety net to foreign students who face difficulties in their day-to-day lives, helping them with everything from the Japanese language to addressing family issues and preparing them for self-sufficiency. Sagami Koyokan High School, in the ...
Voices | FOREIGN AGENDA Mar 15, 2019
Your 'Japanese experience' doesn't have to be 'Japanese only'
by Farrah Hasnain
After living in Japan for a while you start to notice certain personality types popping up in the international community, particularly among English teachers. There's the "weeaboo," a fairly recent character; the paripi (party people), who hit every nomikai (drinking party); and the gaijin (foreigner) ...