Teaching in a Japanese Academic High School

My immediate response to the request to write a Pros and Cons essay about teaching in an academic school was, ^“Well, that's easy. There are no cons." It's true that most of the students will possess enough grey matter to understand and communicate with you. Academic high school students usually are more interested in English than plucking their eyebrows into extinction or daydreaming about what is in their bento boxes.

Another advantage is the classes tend to be quieter, more attentive, and suffer less from discipline problems (at least of the surface variety). The kids can be bright, cleverly cheeky, and inquisitive. The students may ask something like the following question which I faced:

"Is that joke an example of black humour?" 

(cough, cough) "I didn't realize you understood that."

Once a student, quite offended, said:

“I know how to spell interests!”

“Oops.”

Academic high school students can be a dream to work with if the conditions are right. If you have been given a fair amount of control over the oral communication classes, the sky is the limit. I've introduced letter writing to mail-order companies and embassies for tourist information for oral presentations about countries the students aim to visit, “Dear John” letters, a monthly newspaper, PA English broadcasts, a lunchtime French class and journal writing. The students don't fall apart when they meet me. They initiate conversations. I, in turn, try not to treat them like babies.

However, if your school is wildly determined to get every kid into a university come hell or high water, your attempts at oral communication are not going to be welcomed. You are taking up precious time with your classes which the kids could put to better use mending split infinitives. Students desperately trying to squeak into a competitive university tend to pare unnecessary luxuries like oral English, eating supper, sleeping - even sex fantasies. Your presence as a native speaker will be valued in that you may help the students pass the listening comprehension component of an entrance exam and find a key to the mystery of English grammar (which is really a muck of Latin rules imposed on a variety of adopted languages and words).

My advice is to find an ally amongst the teachers who regards English as more than an exam requirement. He or she may be able to sway others who have bonded with the textbook. Gear your activities to focus on increasingly difficult  (but still riveting) listening comprehension activities which will gradually include more student speaking. Make these activities competitive

Never suggest that what you're doing are “games.” “Learning activities” sounds more pedagogical. Connect your activities closely to the work that they are doing in their other classes. The teachers may see it as more valid. Talk to the teachers to find out what the students have to absorb by the end of the year. Discuss how you can help the students to understand it more fully.

If the students are stuck doing really dry translation and grammar crunching, beg off five or ten minutes at the end of class to institute an activity which will reinforce the grammar point, vocabulary, expression, etc. If you demonstrate your interest in the students and the subject, the students will appreciate the effort and become more involved. Teach the way you'd like to be taught.

Taren Kidd