Honest Abe

Abe Shinzo gave a speech to congress a couple of days ago, and now I am conflicted.

English in Japan in the Era of Globalization

Philip Seargeant (ed), 2011

(July 2014)

  

Yep. Interesting, as you’d expect. I’ll get something more scholarly and substantial written up over at the other place eventually (maybe).

  

Lyra’s Oxford / Once Upon a Time in the North

Philip Pullman, 2003/2008

(March 2014)

  

I read His Dark Materials about 13 years ago now, and I absolutely adored them, and I will never read them again.

Excuses Excuses

So I’ve been quite slack at responding to comments here of late. Apologies. I’ve been incredibly busy recently and this has come as a bit of a surprise. Normally this time of year is relatively relaxed, what with the end of term and all. This year though I’ve had a perfect storm of visiting relatives, academic deadlines, and increased training responsibilities that’s made it pretty difficult to carve out blogging time.

So this is a slightly regretful announcement that there’ll be reduced operations here for the next few weeks. I enjoy this too much to give it up, but it’s a means to an end and in the short term I need to prioritize those ends a bit more judiciously. I’ll probably slap up a couple of book posts, as I need to read to stay sane and reading and writing about it have become inextricably linked in the last couple of years, but there’s unlikely to be anything more substantive until mid-April(ish). I need to replenish and restock and there are only so many ways I can write (or desperately try to avoid writing) “Abe’s a loon,” before repetitious tedium really kicks in.

In the meantime though I’m trying to get my retaliation in first with the inevitable newbie questions about Japanese use in class. If this seems relevant to you and you fancy a trip over to my other joint to let me know when I’m going wrong, it’d be much appreciated –

The Objectification of English and L1 Use in the Japanese Classroom

Enjoy your spring break, those of you who get one.

Whose Bloody Valentine?

So, as something of an antidote to the last couple of weeks of ill-judged whimsy, I’m going to bang on about gender politics in Japan. Again.

Subtle Hint

About as subtle as Google+ (Available options: 'sign up now', or 'learn more'. Conspicious by its absence: 'do fuck off'), for which apologies, but at least I'm not depriving you of the unmitigated torrent of wisdom and human compassion that is the youtube comments section.

Meanwhile, in my other life as a mild-mannered linguistics student (I wear glasses don't you know. As alter ego disguises go it's utterly foolproof) I've written a couple of longer posts, trying to thrash out some ideas regarding Teacher Talk in the ELT classroom.

This may or (more likely) may not be your thing, but if any of you fancy having a look and offering suggestions or criticism (or even abuse as long as it's funny) I'd be much obliged -

Efficiency and Redundancy in the L2 Classroom

Part One

Part Two

Conversation Contest 3

Part Three - Execution

This is where we got to last time. The key thing to remember is that we’re trying to place as few constraints on the students as possible. Everything we give them ourselves is something they don’t have to work out for themselves and real communication can't be atomised like that. There is no such thing as ‘context-free’; if it looks like something really doesn’t have context, than you just need to work harder at finding it.

Conversation Contest 2

Part Two - Planning Considerations

So finally we come to the meat of it. Once more, this is tailored to my specific situation; your mileage will definitely vary, and that is as it should be.

Conversation Contest

Wherein I riff gratefully and unashamedly on Chris’ outstanding concept of a Conversation Contest. This is the first iteration. It will not be perfect and there will be flaws, but given the source of the idea going through the process out loud and in public seems like the right thing to do; it might be useful, or at least interesting (or at least amusing), for people to see exactly what kind of considerations can go into a lesson before its actual execution. Putting my money where my mouth is, that kind of thing...

Because money talks etc etc and other cliches.

The Idea of English in Japan

Ideology and the Evolution of a Global Language
Philip Seargeant, 2009
(August 2013)

[B]y absorbing English into the Japanese language, by managing shifts in semantics and co-opting it for purely ornamental purposes, the language is, in effect, made foreign to the global community, and could thus be said to act as a further boundary between Japan and the outside world.

Yeah. ‘S well fucked up.

All Things Must Pass

I’m a straight, white, middle-class Englishman, and as such have absolutely no interest in fashion. I’ve nothing against it in principle; if it floats your boat then good luck to you, everybody needs a hobby, but it’s not something I can force myself to worry about all that much.

Fashion forward.

The Geography of Thought

How Asians and Westerners Think Differently…and Why

Richard E. Nisbett, 2003

(June 2013)

  

God, I hate this book so much.

Balance of Trade

I was a judge at a speech contest a few months back. The day started well enough; cup of coffee and a sit down with the organizers and other judges to go over the grading criteria. One of the organizers said that he’d introduce us to the contestants and audience at the start, and asked us how we’d each like to be described. My initial suggestion of, ‘Sage, Polymath, and Renaissance Man for the Coming Millennium’ was rejected as ‘factually inaccurate’ so I had to settle for ‘ALT at school X’. I then asked if he could at least do it in the manner of a wrestling ringside announcer, but this too was deemed ‘inappropriate’. Some days you just can’t win, eh?

More Weight

“The number of teachers hired for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program would be doubled in three years...”

As the old saying goes, “Quality not something something I forget the rest fuck it let’s just throw money at the problem.”

Doing Applied Linguistics

A Guide for Students

Nicholas Groom and Jeanette Littlemore, 2011

(April 2013)

  

In which I announce a new project.

  

A Leisurely Stroke

This Year’s Hot New Metaphor

I am slightly too fond of the occasional high-falutin’ metaphor. I could, and probably have, go(ne) on about how they’re an essential function of how we explain – and maybe even perceive – the world around us, but more than anything else they’re useful. This is especially true in my position as a teacher and a trainer of teachers. We’re into that time of year when it’s all a little more hands-on, so if you’ll forgive me I’d like to give another one a test-run here. Thank you for your continued patience.

Kind of a Big Deal

Woop. Back in school, back in the classroom. For all that I go on about the annoyances of work and life in Japan, they are no more or less prevalent than they would be anywhere else, doing almost anything else. Truth is I love the important parts of my job and life in general is pretty good.

  

Guest Post

Today we have a Special Guest! Say ‘good morning’ to Kamo-sensei!

*Hysterical cheers from live studio audience*

I ♥ Kimigayo

I mean it. I love Kimigayo. I know I may have spoken about it before with a certain degree of cynicism, but I take it all back. Kimigayo is great and the politicians who advocate its inclusion in school events - and the compulsory standing of all present during its playing - are benevolent, wonderful people whose insight and wisdom we can all learn from.

Bully

So another Japanese kid has committed suicide because of issues at school. Like Japanese prime ministerial resignations or American gun massacres, it’s yet another of those events that seem to roll around so regularly that, while on an intellectual level you know you should care to some degree, in actuality it’s hard to summon up more than a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders. Even a real shrug feels like too much effort.