National Sep 4, 2020
The move aims to reduce the number of would-be students not attending any form of school.
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Mar 9, 2020
Stockpiling food and keeping up appearances in Hokkaido's schools
by Patrick St. Michel
English teachers in Hokkaido, which apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship has been hit hardest with coronavirus cases in Japan, struggle to make sense of measures taken at their schools.
National Mar 4, 2020
Some areas short of Japanese-language teachers for foreign youth
Some areas in Japan are struggling to secure enough public school staff to teach Japanese to children with foreign roots, amid a recent surge in the number of such students in the country, a Kyodo News survey showed Wednesday. The city of Yokohama, Saitama Prefecture ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Mar 3, 2020
With the coronavirus canceling classes, what are English teachers to do?
by Patrick St. Michel
ALTs and English-language school employees are reporting confusion over what role their employers should play in a possible pandemic.
Business Jan 9, 2020
Japan-run language school that saw stock surge 1,093% last year eyes expansion
by Min Jeong Lee and Shingo Kawamoto
A Japan-run language school that saw its stock soar almost 12-fold last year is planning to expand into new business areas as its chief executive officer tries to keep the rally alive. RareJob Inc., a Tokyo-based online English conversation school, or eikaiwa, that uses teachers ...
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 ...