W Japanese University Students'
Attitudes in Class (2) by YAMAGISHI, K.
I have seen or heard too many "native"
English teachers complaining about their
Japanese students. Many of them said that
Japanese university students were spoiled
and undisciplined. Others said that Japanese
students didn't respond, speak up, or even
raise their hands in class. As I wrote in
the previous article, nearly all foreign
teachers complain about this sort of thing.
How to Captivate Japanese Students
A most important thing for non-Japanese teachers' successful teaching
(as well as for Japanese teachers) is, I think, good relations with their
students. Good human relations are really important in class. The reader
might say that it doesn't need any explanation and everyone knows that.
Certainly, there seems to be no point in mentioning it here. Then,
are all the teachers doing well in their classes without any trouble or
problem? I don't think so.
For the last 30 years of teaching at the university (and several
more years of teaching at junior and senior high schools), I have seen
too many "native" English speakers ending up talking badly of
their Japanese students and hating them. Through my long teaching experience
as a Japanese university (and a high school) teacher, I clearly say that
those people who haven't succeeded in teaching Japanese students haven't
succeeded in forming good relations with them.
Some of them talked down to their students in class, not trying to speak
with them as equals. Other teachers were habitually late for class. And
some other teachers made a bad impression on their students by sitting
on the teacher's desk or students' desks while talking to the class (which
may be a common thing in, say, American universities; however that's not
part of Japanese custom). Others made a negative impression by taking their
coffee to the class every week and drinking it while teaching (that's not
part of Japanese custom, either). And some of them were shunned by their
students after bawling them out in class, saying like "Why don't you
look at me when I'm talking to you!" (There seems to be two problems:
one is that the student might have felt he or she was put to shame in class,
and the other is that he or she must have felt quite uneasy when the teacher
gave him or her a reprimand by saying "Why don't you look at me when
I'm talking to you!" Japanese students aren't good at maintaining
eye contact with the person scolding or reprimanding them, so they would
probably drop their eyes or cast their eyes downward. That's the way they
are supposed to do when being scolded or reprimanded.
Importance of Understanding Each Other
Who is to blame, then? The non-Japanese
or the Japanese? Both have been to blame,
I think. In most cases the actions and attitudes
of the non-Japanese were misinterpreted by
the Japanese students. To put it another
way, "native" speakers' cultural
point of view, values, and communication
styles weren't properly understood.
Although there is individual difference,
each culture has a shared framework of ideas
and expectations about how to act or what
to say. So, both sides should have studied
more about differences of communication style.
James Kirkup, in his Essays on Japanese Culture (Kirihara Shoten, 1991) writes:
Every class is different. But remember that every student is different,
too, everyone is an individual. Some are shy, some are bold, some behave
well, others behave badly. So you must first of all learn to accept each
pupil as he or she is. Only then can you understand that student, and perhaps
help him or her to change for the better. Simple human psychology is necessary
here. But always try to remember your own childhood, and what it was like
to have a good teacher. Your attitude in class influences the attitudes
of the pupils, so show interest in all they do or say. (Chapter 6, p.41)
Kirkup correctly points out. Although
Japanese values, actions, and attitudes are
different from those of the people from the
Western culture, if non-Japanese teachers
gain cultural flexibilities and adjustabilities,
they probably would succeed in gaining Japanese
students' attention and succeed in teaching.
Successful Non-Japanese Teachers
I have found that "native" English teachers who have been
so successful at teaching Japanese students have some things in common.
For instance, they are very skillful at encouraging Japanese students to
speak up in class, study and pride themselves on their own language and
culture. They tell Japanese students, for example, that foreigners don't
come to Japan to learn something about Chaucer, Shakespeare, or Hemingway;
they come to Japan because they want to know about Izumi Shikibu, Natsume
Soseki or Mori Ogai; they come here to see things, visit places they can't
see or visit in their own country, and they come here to know more about
Japan; so Japanese students should study more about Japan and show them
as many wonderful things as possible; English is a useful language to carry
out that task now or in the future.
Also, they don't overlook students'
tardiness; they tell latecomers that they
mustn't be late and miss class, because coming
in late disrupts the class and robs other
students of valuable class time and if they
miss too many classes, they might find it
difficult or impossible to catch up.
Lastly, I have to add, hesitantly,
that Japanese students sometimes complain
about non-Japanese teachers' going home too
soon after class. I know very well that when
the job is done, it's O.K.. for them to go
home; they would most probably say that if
Japanese students had questions they should
have raised their hands during class; it's
strange that Japanese students want to see
teachers after class. The problem here is
the difference of teaching style and custom
in class. As long as it is an English class,
Japanese students should follow the English
style, and "native" English teachers
should encourage them to follow the English
style. Here also, however, we badly need
patience and cultural flexibility.