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What You Need to Know About Japanese Students' Challenges Before Teaching in Japan - TEFL Blog
Tue, 14 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
What You Need to Know About Japanese Students' Challenges Before Teaching in Japan
Japan is a country with a long history, deep tradition, and vibrant culture. Within this culture sits the Japanese language. At first, being a spoken language and then adopting the Chinese Writing System, Japanese has grown and changed into what it is today. If you look at all languages, most Western languages originate from a set family, such as Romance Languages (which became today's Spanish, French, Italian, etc). But Japanese (as most Asian languages) was formed from entirely different roots. These fundamental differences mean that the method of learning these languages has a lot to do with memorization and repetitive practice of the Chinese... [Read more]
There Is No L (And Other Differences Between Japanese and English) - TEFL Blog
Fri, 18 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
There Is No L (And Other Differences Between Japanese and English)
Throughout high school and college, I mainly focused on learning how to speak Japanese as my second language. Unlike English, Japanese is a fairly phonetic language. Two of its three writing systems, hiragana and katakana, are phonetic. This makes it easy for foreigners to learn because each syllable, also known as sound clusters in some circles, is almost always said exactly how it is spelled. The third writing system, kanji, is not and, as such, is much more difficult for foreigners to learn because kanji are essentially pictures that describe their meaning. They are much more difficult to learn and use in everyday speech.
Table of Contents
Differences in... [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
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL... [Read more]
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
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!... [Read more]
How to Get Ready for Unforeseen Circumstances in The Classroom? - TEFL Blog
Tue, 14 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
How to Get Ready for Unforeseen Circumstances in The Classroom?
There can be a lot of difficulties a teacher might face in the future lesson. You might have to manage a class without any help or you might have students from different nationalities, ages, interests or so on. I believe, however, that most of the problems you might have would be solved if you planned the lessons carefully in advance. There are some reasons to support my idea.
Table of Contents
What's your lesson goal?
You can manage your class anyways
Know your students
Are you ready to teach ESL classes?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eri S.
What's your lesson goal?
First, you can find what you should exactly do in a... [Read more]
Teaching English Pronunciation to Students from Japan - TEFL Blog
Wed, 05 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Teaching English Pronunciation to Students from Japan
In my experience teaching elementary and junior high school level English in Japan, several different pronunciation problems appear frequently. The Japanese phonemic inventory is smaller than English's phonemic inventory, and the sounds present in each language differ from each other quite dramatically. Because of this, it can be difficult for native Japanese speakers to learn and master English pronunciation, but there are a few teaching techniques that can help students overcome this difficulty.
Table of Contents
Consonants Challenge
Non-Existent Sounds in the Native Language
Vowel Challenge
3 Methods to Work on Problems
1. Visual Representation
2. IPA Phonetics
3. Pronunciation... [Read more]
Why Is English Challenging to Learn for Japanese Students? - TEFL Blog
Wed, 17 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Why Is English Challenging to Learn for Japanese Students?
Japanese are known for being disciplined, dedicated, and hardworking individuals not only in their work but also in other aspects of their life like hobbies and studies. But why is it difficult for them to learn English despite their strong dedication, patience, efforts, and determination?
Table of Contents
My Teaching Experience
But still, the Japanese cannot speak English, why is that?
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Princess D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
My Teaching Experience
I've been teaching English... [Read more]
TEFL Japan - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ Assistant Language Teacher Needed In Japan ann. 2
Assistant Language Teacher Needed in Japan
Date posted:2021-07-26 | Writer: Heart Corporation | Email: [email protected]
Ready for your next big adventure?!Why not help teach English in Japan, as an Assistant Language Teacher!We are seeking enthusiastic teachers and graduates for the 2022 Japanese schools year. We are always looking for candidates who have a passion for teaching and are willing to assist Japanese students in fulfilling the dreams of speaking with you without the fear of making a mistake. They may not know it at first, but your voice will help propel them into the world of English at a young age.Assistant Language Teacher(ALT)The role of an ALT has two main duties: Providing fun and effective English lessons and Internationalizing Japanese youth. Japanese youth... [Read more]
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]
How Discipline Affects Motivation In and Out of Japanese Classrooms - TEFL Blog
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
How Discipline Affects Motivation In and Out of Japanese Classrooms
I work in two schools. I am an assistant language teacher at one commercial (low-level English) high school, and an integrated (high-level English) academic junior high and high school. I have had experiences with different kinds of students, Japanese-English teachers, and classroom atmospheres. In Japan, students take an entrance exam to get into high school. If they scored low on the entrance exam, then they are placed in the lowest ranking class. Each school has a certain number of classrooms for each grade. Both of my high schools have six classes total for each grade. There are usually around forty to forty-two students in each class as well. Teaching forty... [Read more]
How do Japanese Students Respond to Some Common Challenges in English? - TEFL Blog
Thu, 07 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How do Japanese Students Respond to Some Common Challenges in English?
Japan is a country continuously changing at a rapid pace largely due to globalization and marketing. With its growing popularity and necessity, difficulties are sure to arise for people learning English and specifically, in Japan. To fully understand all the problems learners face in Japan, it is important to realize why English is so widely being studied in the first place. Firstly, students must study English for 6 years throughout primary and high school. As well as being part of the Japanese schooling system, the advantages of being able to speak English are endless. The benefits of finding a job or being able to communicate whilst abroad are common motives.... [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]
An Australian Amongst American Textbooks in Japan: ✅ Teaching in a Country that Values American English - TEFL Blog
Tue, 15 Dec 2020 Maddy Payne
Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
An Australian Amongst American Textbooks in Japan: ✅ Teaching in a Country that Values American English
Assistant Language Teachers in Japan come from different countries worldwide, bringing different kinds of English with them. In my experience, American English is often the most sought-after version of English. Some countries highly value Language Teachers from the USA, which often matches their American-style textbooks and resources. Sometimes people are even overlooked for job opportunities due to their Australian accent and British English background. Well, Japan is no different in this regard. Many Japanese schools hold American English in high regard, so what is it like being an Australian-English... [Read more]
Differences in Teaching Monolingual and Multilingual EFL Groups - TEFL Blog
Tue, 18 Dec 2018 Laura Payne
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Differences in Teaching Monolingual and Multilingual EFL Groups
I am currently working as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. Before I began this job I assumed that because Japan has a largely homogeneous population, all of my classes would be monolingual. However, I was wrong in this assumption. In addition to my Japanese students, I have many students who are Brazilian or Filipino. These students largely do not use Japanese as their mother tongue and have to learn both English and Japanese as a second language. This diverse student population, in addition to my work experiences and studies, has taught me a lot about working with both monolingual and multilingual classes.
Table of Contents
Listen to this blog post:... [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
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was... [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 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]
Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories from: 1230
Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories
Who Is Easier to Be Taught: a Child or an Adult?
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares her thoughts on teaching different age groups.
A TEFL Graduate Shares Her Personal Teaching Experience
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares her experience of teaching.
What You Need to Know About Japanese Students' Challenges Before Teaching in Japan
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate explains several challenges which Japanese students have when they learn English.
English Learning Problems For Chinese Native Speakers and Solutions
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
This blog post was... [Read more]
Japanese Native Speakers and Their Challenges in ESL Learning - TEFL Blog
Thu, 04 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Japanese Native Speakers and Their Challenges in ESL Learning
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Doneika D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Table of Contents
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!
Related Articles:
I am currently an English teacher living in Japan. I teach both Elementary and Junior High School English Language.
Japan's government allows the students to start learning English sometimes as early as Kindergarten. Most Elementary schools have a designated ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) that possesses a native level of English. Even though English is a compulsory subject in Japanese Junior High and High... [Read more]
Cultural Sensitivity In Japan - TEFL Blog
Mon, 11 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Cultural Sensitivity In Japan
So, you've just finished a delicious meal of sushi at your favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The waitress comes by and leaves the check at your table, you place your money inside, hand it back, and she shortly returns with the receipt. You proceed to place a generous tip on the table to thank her for her wonderful service, and you show yourself out of the restraint, back to the busy streets of Tokyo. Can you spot something that you shouldn't have done in this scenario?
Table of Contents
Foreign point of view
Behavior
Other Cultural Symbols
Presents
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zachary B. Please note... [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]
Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories from: 820
Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories
Native Language Experience in Second Language Acquisition
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on how native language helps to learn a second language.
The Difference Between First and Second Language Acquisition
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
This article is devoted to the problem of first and second language acquisition. Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts.
How Learning a Foreign Language Makes You an ESL Student’s Best Friend
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their opinion on how a teacher knowing a second language can help their students.
Why Learning Grammar is Crucial for the Society
Elizaveta... [Read more]
Alumni TEFL Chat with Maddy & Georgia - Two Aussie Sisters Teaching English in Japan - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Alumni TEFL Chat with Maddy & Georgia - Two Aussie Sisters Teaching English in Japan
07/08/2021
all right hi hey everyone hi as you can see it's not only me this
week welcome to our live stream we have guests today i'm super happy about it hi maddie hi
georgia hello hey so yeah back here another for another week and
i'm live on a different day i usually go live on fridays so today is very special
and also because we have guests so i'm super happy about that
and yeah if you are watching if you can see us if you can hear us please just leave a high in the comments that would
be really cool and where you're watching from i'm always really curious about where people are watching from
and um yeah i'm in south korea my name is linda from itt if you don't know me and i'm yeah
about an hour... [Read more]
Common Issues Japanese Learners Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Wed, 22 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Common Issues Japanese Learners Face When Learning English
Through my experience as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan, there have been numerous difficulties and challenges my students face in learning the English language. My students are primarily between the ages of 5 and 15. These challenges involve the pronunciation difficulties the students face coming from Japanese pronunciation, as well as the methodology of teaching English in Japan They may not apply to all of Japan but are definitely prominent issues within my area.
Table of Contents
Pronunciation
The Problem of Making Mistakes
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate James W.... [Read more]
Establishing Rapport in Rural Japan - TEFL Blog
Mon, 14 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Establishing Rapport in Rural Japan
I first decided to take this TEFL course because I am currently teaching English in rural Japan. I plan and execute English lessons for Junior High School students, as well as serve as a cultural representative of my country and foster cultural exchange. Here's the catch though - I don't speak Japanese.
Table of Contents
Setting up good relationships
Beginning of the study
Inspiring students
Rewarding system
Role model
English only
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gwendolen J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Setting up good... [Read more]
The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program: All You Need to Know and How to Apply - TEFL Blog
Mon, 15 Oct 2018 Laura Payne
Destinations TEFL Information
The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program: All You Need to Know and How to Apply
The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program is not the only means to teach English in Japan, but it is one of the most popular programs out there both for aspiring teachers and those who wish to pursue other fields. I first joined this program a little over a year ago. In the short time since then, I've gained incredibly valuable experiences through my work as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT).
Table of Contents
The History of JET
Duties of an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT)
How to Apply for the JET Program
Remuneration and Living
Rewards of JET
Common Challenges for ALTs
The JET Community
Listen to this blog post
What are you waiting... [Read more]
Class TESOL TEFL - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Class TESOL TEFL
Check out tefl tesol about Class TESOL TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad.
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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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Y.I. - U.S.A. said:
Non-native monolingual class Studying English is a heated topic in Japan these days. We used to start studying English when we were at junior high, and most of the classes were taught by japanese teachers. We studied mainly English grammar for a long time, however recently the preference has shifted to conversation skills. And the starting age of studying English is getting younger and more native English speaking teachers are needed right now. I believe that the... [Read more]
Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories from: 120
Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories
What is Reported Speech?
Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences
We can quote people through what's called direct speech. In written form it would look like “Corey said we're moving house next week”. We've used quotes and we've quoted Corey directly, i.e. used the exact words that he used. There is however another way we can quote people, and this is through reported speech. We don't quote their exact words, but we simply let people know what has been said.
Evaluation and Testing of Students - Placements Tests
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
In this blog we will show how a simple speaking interview with the student, can be used to place them in one of the five ESL teaching bands, from Starter to Upper-Intermediate.... [Read more]
Problems Japan Faces in Developing English as a Second Language - TEFL Blog
Fri, 28 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Problems Japan Faces in Developing English as a Second Language
There are several challenges Japan faces when it comes to learning English as a second language. Japanese culture is a bubble. Everything, including their ad signs, TV, games, government, studies, work and even the internet is filled with one language; Japanese. In a world of globalization, where your goods and services can come from literally any part of the globe. Japan is one of the few remaining homogenous cultures where English is still seen as an optional language. As the global economy becomes more global, the English language will likely become less optional, but essential. In addition to the cultural issues, Japan's English curriculum in the school is... [Read more]
Class Location TEFL - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Class Location TEFL
Check out tefl tesol about Class Location TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad.
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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:
Check out ITTT's Blog Posts
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]