6.07.2004
No loss in translation
This author evidently had the same experience as me coming through customs last time, thought I suspect she came through Narita.
On that front, I am feeling inspired to become a better teacher this week on account of a seminar I attended yesterday. Very good. Highly recommended--for 4000-en it's very reasonable and we covered a lot. It was also interesting to meet so many different kinds of teachers--people with their own schools, college professors, kindergarten teachers. I suppose for folks with a background in education much would be review, but I was impressed to see that much we're trained to do at my school is spot on with the current thinking. That is to say, our teaching methodology is very balanced. The presentations would probably offer insights even for those who have the background. I have to write a paper on it to get the certification so I'll probably tell you more about that when I process some of the ideas. To anybody who says that Eikaiwa teachers are hacks or that private language schools are a scam, well some of them may be, but there are good ones too, even among the "big 5". I like my job, and it's not McEnglish.
You know a nation is good with a foreign language when they start making jokes in it. Our arrival at Customs was a quick induction into a sly, dry sense of humor. A quietly bored customs man asked if we had anything to declare, adding with a grin, "you know, marijuana, heroin ...?"I was so surprised and amused I burst out laughing. Must be part of the training. As for being representative of English ability here, that's a stretch.
On that front, I am feeling inspired to become a better teacher this week on account of a seminar I attended yesterday. Very good. Highly recommended--for 4000-en it's very reasonable and we covered a lot. It was also interesting to meet so many different kinds of teachers--people with their own schools, college professors, kindergarten teachers. I suppose for folks with a background in education much would be review, but I was impressed to see that much we're trained to do at my school is spot on with the current thinking. That is to say, our teaching methodology is very balanced. The presentations would probably offer insights even for those who have the background. I have to write a paper on it to get the certification so I'll probably tell you more about that when I process some of the ideas. To anybody who says that Eikaiwa teachers are hacks or that private language schools are a scam, well some of them may be, but there are good ones too, even among the "big 5". I like my job, and it's not McEnglish.
