A Daily Yomiuri article (“Japan Teachers May Get English Training in U.S.“) reports that as part of an effort to reform the current English education structure in Japan, Japan and the U.S. are considering “a program that would send young Japanese teachers of English to the United States to improve their English ability.”
Here’s the link to the full article: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T101010001858.htm
The idea appears to still in be in the concept stage, and it is unclear whether exposing JTE’s to U.S. education will inherently assist in their ability to deliver English to the Japanese classroom. Also unclear is what form this “training” will take.
The project seems to allow for the inference that the JET Programme will be scaled back and perhaps retooled, with a possibility of outright elimination.
With the possibility of Japanese Teacher of English being brought into local American communities, it would be interesting to contemplate a supporting role for JETAA and JET alums generally to assist recruited teachers.
2 comments so far...
They will need to send them to China soon.
An interesting concept, but what classrooms would they be sticking these teachers into? It doesn’t make sense to put them in an English classroom, especially at the high school level. Perhaps in the ESL classroom most schools have these days? What would the role of the teacher be? If it’s like the student “teaching” they do in Japan, they just sit in the back of the classroom looking bored and don’t do much in the way of hands-on teaching. Can’t see a US teacher being too keen on having someone like that taking up space in the classroom.