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Common Problems Japanese Learners of English Experience - TEFL Blog
Wed, 09 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Common Problems Japanese Learners of English Experience
Japan is an island nation and is a recognized homogenous society with a very small percentage of foreign permanent residence and more than half of the adult population lacks the necessary skills to speak English proficiently. Because of this, English as a Second Language is in high demand with young learners being a focus group in Japan. English is taught in the school environment during nearly all of a child's primary education years, but this, unfortunately, doesn't translate to a proficient English-speaking Japanese population.
Table of Contents
Global Opportunities
Differences in Language Structure
Cultural Challenges
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The Most Common Obstacles for Japanese Learners of English - TEFL Blog
Thu, 30 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The Most Common Obstacles for Japanese Learners of English
Formal English education first took root in Japan with the creation of the first English schools in 1865 and has since steamrolled into an aggressive effort by the government to produce an English-proficient population. The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) was established to introduce native speakers into English classrooms, and English instruction continues to become mandatory for increasingly younger students in primary schools. Despite these efforts, an English Proficiency Index conducted by the organization English First gave Japan a "low proficiency" score, with the island country lagging not just the multicultural countries of Singapore and Malaysia but... [Read more]
Common Pronunciation Mistakes of Japanese Students - TEFL Blog
Thu, 19 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Common Pronunciation Mistakes of Japanese Students
This piece will discuss the difficulties faced by Japanese learners of English regarding English pronunciation and suggest methods to help learners in different age groups overcome them. It posits that most difficulties stem from the differences in phonology between the English alphabet and the Japanese kana system.
Table of Contents
Differences in the Alphabetic Systems
Ways to Overcome Difficulties
Working with Adults
How to Approach Young Students
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Niall M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of... [Read more]
Why do Japanese Learners Face Difficulties when Studying English? - TEFL Blog
Mon, 10 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Why do Japanese Learners Face Difficulties when Studying English?
English is causing many problems in Asian countries which can be seen just by the high demand for English teachers - including ESL teachers. One of the countries is Japan, a country with a good economy and a society well known for their kindness and politeness, but unfortunately also for the low number of English speakers. There are many reasons why English is likely to pose problems in Japan but there are many possibilities to improve the English lessons to offer lessons that help Japanese students to achieve a higher English level.
Table of Contents
1. English is only written during lessons (Student Talk time is too low)
2. Students are not asked to express their... [Read more]
Typical Challenges for Japanese Native Speakers in ESL - TEFL Blog
Wed, 11 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Typical Challenges for Japanese Native Speakers in ESL
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daisy C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Table of Contents
Grammar
Pronunciation
Japanese schools
Japanese culture
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Grammar
One problem facing many Japanese students learning English is differentiating between countable and uncountable nouns. In the Japanese language, the same word is often used for 'much' and 'many'. In English, 'much' is used to describe countable nouns, and 'many' is used to describe uncountable nouns.
A problem facing many EFL learners, especially Japanese learners,... [Read more]
Possible Reasons why Japanese Students have Difficulties Acquiring English - TEFL Blog
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Possible Reasons why Japanese Students have Difficulties Acquiring English
Japan is a First-World, Asian country, well-known for its clean vehicular designs, its production of famed animations, its ability to wow the Western world with hygienic efforts even at leisurely events (World Cup 2018), and overall its impeccable attention to detail in most areas of life. Yet, even with these accolades behind the name, there remains a sore spot, which any foreigner who has experienced Japan in the flesh, can verify exists. That is, the surprising lack of ability of the general public to understand and/or produce comprehensible English, an established global language.
Table of Contents
Failures
Teaching techniques
Social challenges
Do you want... [Read more]
Last posts written by Elizaveta from: 1620
Elizaveta Pachina
Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job.
Read my articles
How to Help Chinese Native Speakers to Follow English Grammar Rules in Speaking | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on how to teach grammar to Chinese native speakers.
What is Easier: Group Teaching or Individual Classes? | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on group lessons and one-to-one classes.
Common Problems Japanese Learners of English Experience | ITTT | TEFL... [Read more]
Last posts written by Elizaveta from: 648
Elizaveta Pachina
Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job.
Read my articles
How do Japanese Students Respond to Some Common Challenges in English? | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
This blog post is devoted to some most common issues of the Japanese students in English and their attitude towards it.
The Most Common Pronunciation Problems for English Learners in Myanmar | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their experience of working with students from Myanmar.
What is Motivation and How to Increase it in the ESL Class? | ITTT |... [Read more]
Anticipated Problems: Japanese Speakers and Their Issues in ESL - TEFL Blog
Mon, 22 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Anticipated Problems: Japanese Speakers and Their Issues in ESL
I have been living in Japan for the past one and a half years. Needless to say, the experience has been enthralling. This country would have never been my first choice for a country to relocate to, from my home country, India. But if my stay has taught me anything, it is that never judge a book by its cover. When we think of Japan, the first thing that pops up is that it is a country of workaholics; it has zero English presence, and the people are highly prejudiced against foreigners and foreign culture. I was proven wrong. Japan is a beautiful country. It is culturally so rich, it makes me want to live here forever. The people, though tend to be a little distant... [Read more]
Easy Solutions for Problems Faced by Japanese Students in English - TEFL Blog
Wed, 22 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Easy Solutions for Problems Faced by Japanese Students in English
Learning a second language can be difficult and depending on the learner's mother tongue, it can present challenges unique to a certain group of people. More specifically, there are several unique challenges for Japanese native speakers who are learning English and vice versa. English can be difficult for Japanese native speakers for various reasons such as difficulty distinguishing certain sounds, the use of katakana to teach English words, and drastically different sentence structure.
Table of Contents
Difficult Sounds
Vocabulary Typical to Japanese Only
Sentence Structure
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Class Location TEFL - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Class Location TEFL
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W.P. - U.S.A. said:
Pronunciation Problems in JapanEnglish pronunciation for japanese learners is very difficult compared to many other languages such as the Romantic ones. Not only does Japan have a different style of writing (non-Roman alphabet) but it has rules of speaking that limit how words are pronounced. They also add items to a word such as extra syllables or letters so that the English spoken word fits in with their known, existing japanese rules of speech.
Since the... [Read more]
Organizations Recommended TEFL - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Organizations Recommended TEFL
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This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:
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E.B - Japan said:
Problems for learners in JapanIn the present article I will offer an opinion about the origins of the difficulties that japanese learners face while studying English. The potential range of the topic is so broad that would require hundreds of pages to be discussed exhaustively. I will therefore concentrate my attention on three major issue: the impact of modern history on the japanese psychology, the introduction of English words in modern... [Read more]
Centre Internet TEFL - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Centre Internet TEFL
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This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:
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A.J. - Japan said:
Problems for Learners in JapanEnglish is a compulsory subject in all japanese schools and is studied for a minimum of seven years if not longer. Very few of these students, however, will become proficient enough to be considered at an advanced and in many cases not even an intermediate level. Those few that do excel at English are students that are motivated from outside of the classroom and/or have spent time abroad in a country where English is commonly... [Read more]
Teaching in Japan: Problems of Local Learners - TEFL Blog
Thu, 05 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Teaching in Japan: Problems of Local Learners
In this essay I will be discussing the problems for young Japanese learners of English, and what problems Japanese learners often encounter as well as explaining some of the reasons why teachers can run into problems while teaching in Japan. I will be referring to the book "The Smart Guide to Teaching English in Japan' by Charlie Moritz and Martin Bragalone, as well as drawing from my knowledge and experiences of studying and volunteering in Japan. Japan can be a challenging but rewarding country to work in, despite stereotypes of Japanese people being polite and studious so it is important to consider that reality can be different when teaching in Japan.
Table of Contents
Eikaiwa... [Read more]
Systematic Problems for Learners of English in Japan - TEFL Blog
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Systematic Problems for Learners of English in Japan
Next year, Japan will host the thirty-second Olympiad in the capital city of Tokyo. To correspond with the timing of the 2020 Olympics, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (hereafter MEXT) has laid out a plan for the reform of English education to meet the future needs of Japanese students in a globalized world. However, this plan presents several challenges for current and future learners of English in the Japanese educational system.
Table of Contents
Education System Modernization
Demand in English-Speaking Professional Teachers
JET Program Peculiarities
International Examination for Japanese English Learners
Do you want to teach English... [Read more]
The Usual Problems of Japanese Students in English - TEFL Blog
Fri, 01 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Usual Problems of Japanese Students in English
A large number of obstacles can arise for the students when learning a foreign language. Some of these problems are related to the contrast between the mother language and the learned language. About the differences between L1 and L2, there is plenty of research in the field of contrastive linguistics. Moreover, regarding that topic, many papers can be found comparing English to Japanese with the aim to address the problems of Japanese learners of English. However, other predicaments with the apprehension of the L2 can develop when teachers underestimate the importance of the cultural dimension of the language taught. Concerning that particular impediment, less scientific literature... [Read more]
Group Teaching as Opposed to Individual Teaching - TEFL Blog
Wed, 20 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Group Teaching as Opposed to Individual Teaching
Teaching English as a foreign language can be done one of two ways: teaching a group of students or by teaching on a one-to-one basis.
Table of Contents
Teaching students in groups are very common in most classrooms.
There are some advantages to teaching one-to-one courses.
For teaching large groups, it can be made easy if you adopt the right teaching activities.
In the case of one-to-one teaching, classes can be physically and mentally exhausting for learners and teachers.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Xiaobing W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent... [Read more]
Problems for the English Language Learner in Japan - TEFL Blog
Tue, 18 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Problems for the English Language Learner in Japan
Japan is well known for its unique culture, and history. As an island nation, it was isolated from the rest of the world until the mid-19th century when the country had to open itself to trade with western powers of the time. It was then when the English language made its way into the Japanese educational system. English spread quite rapidly, as the government saw the new language a way to catch up with the west. And, in 1873 English became the language of instruction in universities. However, due to various political reasons including the establishment of a standardized Japanese language system the urge to learn English had declined. Today in modern Japan, English is widely... [Read more]
The Most Common Issues Faced by English Learners in Japan - TEFL Blog
Fri, 17 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Most Common Issues Faced by English Learners in Japan
Given the increase in globalization during the late 20th and early 21st centuries and the growing inter-dependencies of domestic economies within the international marketplace, English, as a primary language medium for conducting international business arrangements, has become an increased priority both socially and within the business environment. However, notwithstanding the importance of English fluency within contemporary society, Japan and Japanese English learners face difficulties when trying to achieve competency. These difficulties and issues can be shown by the 2018 EF English Proficiency Index which ranked the English level of Japanese learners as rank 49 out of 88... [Read more]
What is Challenging in English Pronunciation for Japanese Native Speakers? - TEFL Blog
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
What is Challenging in English Pronunciation for Japanese Native Speakers?
What's the most difficult part of learning a new language? Is it writing? Perhaps it's the reading or memorizing new vocabulary? Well for some it's speaking the new language, specifically when it comes to pronunciation. Every language has its unique ways or pronouncing their vowels and constants as well as how they form their sentence structure. Especially this write up will focus on Japanese English as a Second Language (ESL) students and the difficulties they face while learning English and its pronunciation.
Table of Contents
Japanese Writing
Teaching Approach
Pronunciation Differences
Further Steps
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The Main Problems of ESL Learners From Japan - TEFL Blog
Thu, 13 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The Main Problems of ESL Learners From Japan
Regardless of the Japanese government's efforts to increase the number of foreign tourists to be a tourism-oriented country and to have been retaining compulsory English education for decades, Japanese people still have a reputation of being bad at English. The average TOEIC and TOEFL scores for Japanese are one of the worst among advanced nations. South Korea was also one of the worst in the past, but they are getting better and better these days. However, there are still some obstacles for many Japanese English learners to get over.
Table of Contents
1. First, there are very few teachers in Japan who can teach students how to speak and write English with confidence.
2. Secondly, the... [Read more]
The Cultural and Institutional Obstacles that Japanese Students of English Need to Overcome - TEFL Blog
Fri, 03 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The Cultural and Institutional Obstacles that Japanese Students of English Need to Overcome
Many challenges come with teaching English in Japan that is unique and not innately obvious to some people. In addition to the more universal challenges of learning a new language, there are inherent cultural obstacles that English learners must overcome in Japan as well as several problems with the current course of study that is being taught. However, English teachers should do their best to work within the limits of the system to foster an interest and passion for language that lives on outside the classroom and beyond the school years of learners.
Table of Contents
Vastly different language system
The history of Japanese isolation... [Read more]
Common Challenges in English for Japanese Native Speakers - TEFL Blog
Mon, 13 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Common Challenges in English for Japanese Native Speakers
If you ever find yourself driving in French Canada, you will be stopped by stop signs that say 'arrêt', which is stopped in French. Almost all drivers in North America would know that this means stop because it's the same octagon red stop sign. In Japan it's very different, stop signs are triangular with Japanese script on them but, beneath the Japanese, you can find English subtitles which read 'stop'. In fact, if you travel anywhere in Japan, the majority of signs and announcements related to travel are offered in Japanese and English. English has been taught in Japanese schools since the American occupation after World War Two. However, according to an EF English... [Read more]
The Most Challenging Aspects in English for Japanese Students - TEFL Blog
Mon, 29 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
The Most Challenging Aspects in English for Japanese Students
Description: When teaching English in Japan, there are a few common problems all learners, young and old, face. Two main issues students face are with grammar, as well as pronouncing and hearing certain sounds. As this course was designed for teaching young learners, in this paper, I will address the issues above and possible solutions as they apply to this age group.
Table of Contents
Grammar Tricks
Pronunciation Tricks
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An Overview of Common Challenges of ESL Students from Japan - TEFL Blog
Mon, 04 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
An Overview of Common Challenges of ESL Students from Japan
Japan is a nation that has tried to increase its citizens' English ability, especially with the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games being held in their country. However, progress has been slow and not fruitful. There are various reasons for this slow stagnation of the nation's English abilities such as the larger academic system and access to proper education in rural areas. However, I will focus on three main hurdles that Japanese learners of English must face that can impede their English education.
Table of Contents
Japanese vs. English
Phonetics
Alphabet
Japanese English Class
Style Problems
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This... [Read more]
Problems That the Japanese Might Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Problems That the Japanese Might Face When Learning English
Learners from Japan have to face cultural issues as well as phonetic problems when learning English.
Table of Contents
Social Pressure
Motivation Challenges
Sound Awareness
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Susanne W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Social Pressure
Like in many other Asian countries, Japanese students are used to ex-cathedra teaching, rather than actively participating and contributing to the lessons. One of their biggest fears is to 'lose face' in front of others, which not only means losing... [Read more]
Several Pronunciations Troubles Faced by The Japanese Native Speakers - TEFL Blog
Fri, 09 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Several Pronunciations Troubles Faced by The Japanese Native Speakers
The differences between many Asiatic languages' pronunciation and that of English form the basis for a multitude of miscommunications between international interlocutors. My experience living in Japan provides plentiful evidence to support this assertion. When my Japanese associates and I communicate in English, I notice three significant pronunciation struggles for my conversation partners. For the Japanese who are learning English, the clear enunciation of the /th/ sound, the fricative quality of the /v/ consonant, and the distinction of /l/ versus /r/ formation of the tongue.
Table of Contents
Language Structure
Difficult sounds
Do you want to teach English... [Read more]
TEFL Japan - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ Teach Tefl In Japan 1
Teach TEFL in Japan
Date posted:2006-06-23 | Writer: Westgate Corporation | Email: [email protected]
Teach in Japan - More Than 100 EFL Instructors Needed For University Program's Fall 2006 Term and Academy Program's Year 2006!!
==WESTGATE CORPORATION EMPLOYS APPROXIMATELY 380 ENGLISH INSTRUCTORS PER YEAR!==
==We are pleased to announce that our survey in the past 3 years shows more than 70% of our instructors wish to renew the contract with us, and we actually have many returning instructors!==
WESTGATE is looking for highly motivated EFL/ESL instructors to teach conversational English to Japanese university students at universities for approx. 3 to 4 months (UNIVERSITY PROGRAM), to Japanese elementary school children at elementary/primary schools for approx. 3 months (YOUNG... [Read more]
How Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers are Valuable in English Class - TEFL Blog
Thu, 04 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers are Valuable in English Class
Teaching English as a foreign language can be an intimidating task, especially for non-native English speaking teachers. This is true for many of my coworkers who are homeroom teachers at elementary schools in Japan. English has recently become a formal subject in elementary schools here and many homeroom teachers are intimidated by the sudden responsibility to teach a language they are not fluent in. Many feel that native speakers are better English teachers since native speakers have natural pronunciation and excellent command of the language. Co-teaching with a native speaker can put added pressure on homeroom teachers to speak perfect English in front of their... [Read more]
What are The Challenges for English Learners in Japan? - TEFL Blog
Mon, 25 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
What are The Challenges for English Learners in Japan?
I have taught in a Japanese high school for the past four years as an assistant language teacher, which gives me a particular insight into the problems and advantages of EFL in that area. This will naturally require some generalizations. Individuals have very different problems from one another, but broader shared issues do crop up.
Table of Contents
My experience
Japanese average
Gap between two languages
Japanese culture can also make teaching difficult
Another aspect of the culture that can make things difficult is the island mentality of Japan
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This post was written by our TEFL certification... [Read more]