Category Archives: Opinion Exchanges

Information about past and upcoming opinion exchangs meetings with CLIAR and other ministries.

Winter 2011 General Affairs Report, Discussion Summary

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Below, please see a summary of AJET’s meeting with The Council for Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), the Ministry of Education (MEXT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Ministry of Internal Communication (MIC). AJET’s questions are in italics, followed by summaries of the responses.

Winter General Activities Report – Written by Cailin Arena, Robert Maxwell, Theodore Genba Bigby, and Bryan Darr.


Presented by Donny Anderson and Cailin Arena

To read the report, click here.

1. AJET: AJET works very closely with CLAIR each year in order to assist JETs at their orientations in Tokyo. This work includes the joint-planning of workshops and opportunities to discover services offered by our affiliates. AJET incurs all the costs related to workshop print materials and travel to and from the orientation.

Currently, CLAIR does not send direct invitations to Tokyo Orientation for AJET council members. This results in a number of difficulties related to AJET members receiving time off to travel to Tokyo and assist with the event, in addition to great cost incurred because of AJETs participation in the event; specifically travel and workshop costs.

AJET does not see a distinction between the volunteer work that Tokyo Orientation Assistants do for CLAIR on behalf of JETs, and the work that AJET does on behalf of JETs, since CLAIR and AJET work in such close cooperation to ensure a proper presentation of this event, and since the planning of workshops is such a large undertaking, resulting in a day’s worth of information sessions for new JETs.

Furthermore, AJET does not see a distinction between the cooperative nature of our activities at T.O. and that of our activities at Opinion Exchange meetings (which qualify council members for formal invitation letters).

Our question is: Beginning in 2012, can CLAIR formally recognise AJET as a valued contributor of Tokyo Orientation, and provide invitation letters for AJET council members, in the same way as they are provided for Opinion Exchange meetings?

CLAIR responded by acknowedging that AJET as an organization does a lot to assist with providing support to new JET Programme participants at Tokyo Orientation every year. However they think it’s important to draw a distinction between the activities that AJET does that are purely on a voluntary basis, such as the Information Fair and the AJET Room, and the activities that fall within the scope of a TOA. Therefore, activities such as the Information Fair and the AJET Room are outside of the scope of the official orientation programme and as such they’ve been unable to provide official leave letters to individual AJET National Council members and would continue to be unable to do so. As for support that they do provide, they do send a letter to AJET as an organisation asking for assistance at Tokyo Orientation and then AJET can use that letter when they have discussions with individual contracting organisations about whether or not they would be able to have their JET attend Tokyo Orientation as an AJET member. CLAIR stressed that they do try to do a lot to alleviate this great burden and for AJET to understand that it is a burden. Some examples of the things CLAIR does include giving top priority to AJET staff who apply to be TOAs, and pay in full all their lodging expenses and their travel expenses. In addition to that, they also try to give AJET National Council members who are TOAs as light of a schedule as possible. Additionally, they asked for our understanding regarding those points.

2. AJET: We understand that CLAIR isn’t able to formally invite AJET to Tokyo Orientation to perform our current duties. What needs to change about AJET’s activities so that there is no longer a distinction which prohibits council members from receiving those invitations?

CLAIR reiterated that they send letters to AJET as an organisation that AJET can then attach to its official request letters to individual contracting organisations and upon receipt of that letter from AJET, but that it was up to the discretion of the individual contracting organisations whether or not they would like to send their employee to engage in those voluntary activities. In terms of the content of what AJET does purely as AJET at Tokyo Orientation, it wasn’t an issue of what AJET does so much but by it’s very nature of it being an independent organization, that makes it difficult to change anything about those activities that would put CLAIR in a position to send official leave letters.

3. AJET: We believe that the services and benefits we provide are an invaluable resource for JETs. These services make the JET Programme more viable and give JET participants the opportunity to gain more experience and credentials for their professional careers and development.

As such, it is imperative that all JETs are aware of the updates and new services provided each month. We are aware that JET Alumni have requested returning JETs contact emails via CLAIRs exit survey/questionnaire through the use of an “opt-out” box (if JETs don’t want their emails shared with JETAAi). AJET is requesting that CLAIR ask JETs to also “opt-out” of giving their emails to AJET, via a “check box”, if they don’t want their emails to be given to AJET when they are incoming JETs handing in their information.

CLAIR responded that they would look into providing AJET with JETs information via the use of an “opt-out” system in a way that was acceptable to both AJET and CLAIR.

4. AJET: AJET operates with no budget sponsored by a government entity. As such it is extremely difficult to cover the cost of these internal communication reports. Can the ministries and AJET contribute jointly to the cost of these internal communication reports?

CLAIR responded that although they would be unable to provide the cost for professional printing, if the data was sent for the reports in advance, they would be able to print out the necessary number of copies in house, and distribute them at meetings.
5. AJET: AJET has made great advances this year in overall promotional efforts on behalf of the Programme’s current and former participants. Is there anything MOFA can do to help assist AJET with the immense tasks of information gathering, reporting, and spotlighting the value of the Programme? Specifically, how can MOFA help communicate the value of the JET Programme in cooperation with AJET’s efforts listed in this report?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by fully recognising the important role AJET plays in the promotion of the JET Programme, in combination with overseas embassies and consulates…along with the cooperation of local JETAA chapters work together on the promotion of the JET Programme through various means, such as Internet and newspaper advertisements, information stations at universities and participation at career fairs. They asked for a little more information about what kind of support we were envisioning

6. AJET: We would like to recognise that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our organisation have a shared goal, which is the mutual promotion of the JET Programme. To this end, we would like to begin freely sharing information about JETs’ achievements, JET related events, and appearances of JET’s in the news media.

MOFA responded by stating that they would like to cooperate, and consider what was possible for them to do.

7. AJET: Regarding our limitations regarding our publications. Can MEXT and the other ministries here today collaborate to find a way to fund and provide Planet Eigo as a resource for team-teaching for JETs, given at no cost to all JETs at Tokyo Orientation?

MEXT expressed their respect to AJET for independently putting together a team-teaching resource, such as Planet Eigo. However, they assumed that distributing Planet Eigo free of charge to all new JETs would require considerable expenses and they felt that AJET should continue to inform new JETs of Planet Eigo’s usefulness and encourage them to utilise it.

CLAIR’s response was that considering budgetary constraints, they felt at this time it would be quite difficult to purchase from AJET and to distribute to all new JETs copies of Planet Eigo.

8. AJET: Regarding the limitations section of the GA Report. Our question is: Can the ministries offer any solutions for the problems regarding AJET’s legal limitations as described in section 7, number 2?

CLAIR responded by stating that based on the conditions that listed in Section 7.2, the way that AJET is composed at this point, it would be difficult, or more accurate to say, impossible for AJET to qualify for the statuses described. However, should CLAIR find some kind of system or means by which AJET would be able to, they’d be sure to share this information with us.

English Activities in Elementary School; Discussion Summary

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Below, please see a summary of AJET’s meeting with The Council for Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), the Ministry of Education (MEXT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Ministry of Internal Communication (MIC). AJET’s questions are in italics, followed by summaries of the responses.

English Activities in Elementary School  - Written by Donny Anderson, and Adam Chludzinski and Matthew Cook.

Presented by Donny Anderson and Matthew Cook

1. AJET: AJET recognises that MEXT is in the process of introducing English language study to elementary schools this year, and that it will be expanded in the coming years. Phonics is recognised worldwide as an essential component of teaching English, which helps first-time learners grasp not only the basic sounds, but how letters can be combined to make sounds and words. The ability to read phonetically is vital as young learners begin to associate meaning and comprehension to the words they are learning, in tandem with basic communication skills.

2. AJET: Is MEXT prepared to introduce phonics in the coming years as one of the cornerstone skills of English education as it is recognised around the world?

MEXT responded by saying that the relationship between pronunciation and spelling is covered only at the junior high school level, and is not handled in elementary schools. They added that it was important to begin written language instruction only after students have become accustomed to the spoken foreign language, and therefore, that it was appropriate to limit exposure to written language to the alphabetand upper and lower case letters. MEXT reported that there are no plans to begin teaching phonics in elementary school at this time.

3. AJET: From the survey responses it is well understood, across the board, that there is a vast lack of communication and mutual participation regarding the coordination of lessons in the classroom, usually resulting in the ALT becoming the de-facto main teacher.
Based on this, we’d like to ask what MEXT currently does to facilitate and encourage cooperation in teaching, and planning, between Japanese teachers and ALTs.

MEXT responded by quoting the guidelines for foreign language education, “schools shall improve their instruction by making an effort to utilise native speakers for classroom instruction while, depending on the local situation, receiving cooperation from those in the community proficient in a foreign language.” Additionally, MEXT added that in order to smoothly implement the new course of study, prefectures throughout Japan have held training seminars for elementary school teachers on creating lesson plans and conducting classes for foreign language activities. MEXT also reported that they plan to put even more effort into encouraging cooperation between and effective utilization of ALTs by showcasing specific examples for schools.

MEXT also offered to allow AJET to provide examples, information, or suggestions regarding training seminars for JTEs, put them on their homepage and allow prefectures to use them as reference when planning and preparing for their training seminars. MEXT also encouraged ALTs to make suggestions directly to those in their areas with regard to training seminars.

4. AJET: Based on the survey results, over half of JETs who teach at elementary school have either less than 5 minutes of lesson planning time with their Japanese counterparts, or none at all. This places a large amount of stress upon the participants to provide quality classes to all the students. We understand that you recognize this as an issue, but would like to ask your advice and any recommendations on how JET participants can deal with this.

MEXT agreed that enhancing cooperative relationships between ALTs, homeroom teachers and foreign language activities instructors is vital to improving the implementation of foreign language activities. One of the things MEXT recommends is to, as much as possible, use those 5 minutes very effectively and also to find a way to regularly meet with homeroom teachers and the foreign language teachers. MEXT recognized that the circumstances of every school are different but advised ALTs to make the best of each situation.

5. AJET: AJET understands that MEXT prefers that the different respective Boards of Education set their own educational curricula for elementary school English education. However, when JETs were asked about said curricula, an excess of 70% responded that Eigo Noto was, by default, being used in place of a curriculum. We understand that Eigo Noto is not meant to be a stand-alone curriculum, but rather a teaching tool to supplement a curriculum set in place by the respective Board of Education; however, this is not what is happening in classrooms across the entire country. Does MEXT see this as a problem?

MEXT reiterated that the course of study states, “each school should set appropriate goals based on the students and particulars of the community, and work to achieve these goals during the two years of foreign language activities….” They explained that it is the role of the homeroom teacher and foreign language activities instructor to set study plans and conduct classes, and that Eigo Noto was created and distributed by MEXT as a common teaching tool to help ensure equal opportunities for foreign language activities and to maintain a certain standard throughout the country. Even though the percentage of schools using Eigo Noto as their primary curriculum was high, since each school modifies the curriculum based on their levels, they do not recognize the high usage of Eigo Noto in and of itself as a problem.

6. AJET: Of the many comments we received, many were from discouraged JETs voicing their opinions regarding the inconsistency of elementary English education between multiple schools. Many expressed discontent with the current system in place where JETs are forced to teach to different standards (or have different lessons entirely within the same school and sometimes even the same grade level), in the same city or area.
Recognising that this is a major issue that the majority of JETs face, does MEXT have advice for JETs on how to deal with these circumstances?

MEXT responded by stating that goals and study plans for each are up to the discretion of each school based on the level of their students, therefore it is fully conceivable that the classroom activities will vary according to school. In addition, for regions in which students will attend the same junior high school, elementary schools are expected to coordinate with the junior high school to ensure some uniformity in the study plan.

7. AJET: As JETs are being asked to help with lesson planning. AJETwould like to help alleviate this problem by helping the ministry establish a set of broad but realistic goals that would help relieve some of the extra pressure that JETs are facing by such constraints. Does MEXT have any plans to provide additional supplements besides Eigo Noto, which may aid in the standardization of this English and internationalization program?

Currently, MEXT is preparing new materials that will take the place of Eigo Noto beginning in April of next year, and they reported that they were in the process of preparing this and distributing it to the schools. They stated that they do not have plans for any other materials at this time.

8. AJET: In the free response section of our surveys which were used for these reports, many JETs voiced strong opinions that formalised English language education should begin from an earlier age and year in school. This is currently the trend in other East Asian countries. For example, Taiwan and China began elementary-level English study at the third grade level ten years ago, in 2001. Even earlier, South Korea had introduced English to the elementary curriculum in 1997 beginning at the third grade level. Based on this anecdotal evidence from neighbouring nations, we think that much more could be accomplished and achieved if English education was started at the third grade level instead of the fifth grade level. Is MEXT planning on doing this, or would you be open to instituting this policy in the near future?

MEXT responded by saying that they understand that there are many differing opinions regarding foreign language education in elementary schools. Nevertheless, the new course of study just came into effect this fiscal year, and they believe for the time being that Japan should concentrate on its stated goals for improving foreign language activities for fifth and sixth grade students.
But based on this performance, they would like to evaluate the results and problems of the current course of study and use those findings to improve the new course of study when it comes up for review again.

9. AJET: At the JET Alumni Association International Meeting in Tokyo in October, there was some discussion regarding standardisation of pre-departure orientations, so to avoid the overlap of pre-departure orientations, Tokyo Orientation, and prefectural orientation.
Considering this report’s data regarding the number of JETs who become the de-facto lead teacher in elementary school, what can MOFA do to provide more training for JETs in their home countries, after they have been accepted to the JET Programme, but prior to their departure?

MOFA responded by saying they believe it is important that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes pre-departure orientations as useful as possible, by avoiding overlap with other orientations.
To accomplish this, they convey to overseas embassies and consulates the content of Tokyo Orientation and prefectural orientations, while requesting that they avoid overlap. However, as it is a reality that the content of pre-departure orientations is largely up to the discretion of the respective embassies and consulates, they reminded us that it is difficult to uniformly implement training for English instruction.

10. AJET: Taking into account CLAIR’s efforts to provide TEFL scholarships and AJET’s actions for scholarships and partial grants for the entire JET community via TEFL, would it be possible for MOFA to provide the opportunities, not necessarily the grants themselves, but the opportunities and the information for pre-departure JETs to get teacher training in their home countries, such as through our website?

MOFA answered by explaining that the specific content of each embassy or consulate’s pre-departure orientation depends on their specific circumstances. However, they understand that with the cooperation of local JETAA chapters and other parties, pre-departure orientations include Q&A sessions, seminars, and lectures concerning language instruction. They would like to consider what they can do while taking into account limitations on human and financial resources. And they would like to consider as well the ideas AJET gave and see how applicable they are.

11. AJET: We believe that one of the most significant hurdles to overcome in Japanese elementary schools is that the course of study (and thereby, English language acquisition) is not taken as seriously as it should be by the faculties in schools. Considering that there are no tests or grades for elementary school English, this leaves educators with no quantifiable standards by which students’ English language abilities and progress can be measured.
Does MEXT believe this to be a problem? Is there a reason that there are no ways to measure progress for the current course of study, other than the fact that that it is not an “official” subject?

To answer this question, MEXT stated that the main goal of foreign language activities is to develop an attitude among students in which they are proactively seeking to communicate in a foreign language, not so much to actually memorize specific expressions in a foreign language or to improve measurable skills. In the same vein, the foreign language activities do not call for numeric evaluations. However, this should not be interpreted to mean that there are no evaluations done whatsoever.

The three criteria to be taken into consideration for the foreign language activities are as follows:

1. To develop interest in proactive communication.
2. To become accustomed to the pronunciation and expressions of a foreign language.
3. To take interest in the depth of the language and to realize that there are diverse ways of seeing the world.

Instructors are to evaluate based upon these three criteria. Also, these evaluations are conveyed to students and their guardians on a semesterly basis.

End of Discussion

Peer Review of the PA System; Discussion Summary

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Below, please see a summary of AJET’s meeting with The Council for Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), the Ministry of Education (MEXT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Ministry of Internal Communication (MIC). AJET’s questions are in italics, followed by summaries of the responses.

Peer Review of the PA System – Written by Erica Nakanishi Stanis, Rory Conaty, and Denise Schlikbernd

Presented and Interpreted by Erica Nakanishi Stanis.

 

To view the Presentation notes, click here. To view the PA report, click here

Before AJET began their questions, CLAIR offered this statement to the collaborators on the PA Report:

“Thank you very much for the report about the dilemmas that first year PAs face and also the response after the 311 disaster. We have a system in place for when accidents take place, whether it’s injuries or traffic accidents, things like that. It was difficult to anticipate a disaster of this magnitude, and I think it’s left us with a lot of food for thought. I think we need to put together the lessons we learned from the disaster this year. Even though we, of course, don’t want something like this to happen again, I think we need to take the lessons learned in a case study and use that for the future.”

AJET: What kind of preparation or assistance is currently offered to short-listed FYA PAs before their arrival in Japan? Are there any steps, such as the recommendation AJET made to include information and on “opt out” box for the PA position on the application form that CLAIR, MOFA, or any of the other ministries can take to offer FYA PAs-to-be advance knowledge of the position?

Regarding the first question about the preparation that is provided for first year pas, CLAIR stated that one thing they do is put effort into the workshops for FYA PAs in Tokyo orientation. They have 2 workshops slots devoted for FYA PAs on the first day of Tokyo Orientation. They have been working on making these as useful as possible in recent years and it’s something that they would like to continue to work on.

Regarding the second point, for the application form, CLAIR agreed that it was a good idea, but there were several things to take into consideration. For one, if, for example, not enough people checked that they would be willing to be first year PAs, this would make the placement of those new JETs very difficult. Second, when people are applying for the JET Programme, the biggest thing on their mind is, of course, being accepted to the JET Programme. Even if there is an explanation on the application form that says “checking this box or not checking the box won’t work against you in any way,” just judging by how people think, most people would be likely to check yes, just because they wouldn’t want to put themselves at a disadvantage in the selection process. So, because of those issues, CLAIR thinks it would be difficult to implement something like that.

AJET: Thank you very much. In response to the survey question, our data shows that thirteen out of eighteen people who were appointed as FYA PAs said they would have still accepted their position.
As a way to sort of work around that issue, perhaps it would be possible to say: You can check this box, it won’t affect your application, but you may still be appointed as PA in the event that there are not enough PAs who respond, or however you would phrase it, in such a way that it shows them that it might still happen, but at least they know what the job is. Is there any way we could consider this sort of option by using this sort of method?

CLAIR suggested that when people are applying to the Programme, one thing they could possibly consider doing is not providing a choice or whether or not JETs would like to be a PA, but as PA duties are one aspect of job duties, they could ask “are you interested in translating/interpreting,” “Are you interested in economic exchange,” in the same way, they could ask “Are you interested in counseling/PA duties?” They could consult with MOFA about whether or not something like that would be possible. But regardless, placement would depend on the needs of the COs, and whether or not CLAIR would be able to meet those preferences.

AJET: Two part follow-up question. Would that explanation include a description including a list of the benefits and drawbacks of being a PA? Would CLAIR be able to take into account that person’s background, whether or not they had any counseling experience, or working in leadership rules when providing candidates to COs?

CLAIR responded that the first question would, of course, be up to MOFA and the overseas embassies and consulates, considering their time restraints. Regarding the second point, CLAIR does its best to meet the wishes of COs, along with the wishes of JETs, and tries to make placements that are best as possible for both parties. Of course when placements are made now, it’s already the case that COs take into consideration things like leadership experience, counseling experience, etc. In the future, CLAIR could see if they could make this even clearer when asking COs about whether or not they want someone with counseling experience, or a psychology background.

AJET: [Skip question 2 due to time, go to question 3] Has CLAIR considered, given that there has not been a significant decrease in first year PA numbers since 2008, and considering the concern that PAs voiced about the gap between August and October PA conference as well as the gap between the October conference and the June/July conference, returning to a PA conference schedule similar to the one used until 2008-2009?

CLAIR responded that based on AJET’s report, they understand very well that the current schedule imposes some difficulties for JET PAs. They also think it’s also important to take into consideration the schedule of Japanese PAs, whose fiscal year starts in April. Because of taking that into consideration, they are not at present considering changing the schedule back to what it was before. In terms of what they can do to support first year PAs as best as possible, they think we should continue putting efforts into the FYA PA workshops at Tokyo Orientation, and providing any individual support possible in the month between when they first arrive and the first PA conference.

AJET: In response to that, have you seen an increase or change in number of Japanese PAs participating in PA conferences since that change in 2008?

CLAIR stated that they don’t know whether it has changed significantly, but any decrease might have been due to the budgets of contracting organizations.

AJET: Will CLAIR be revising PA guidelines to describe some of the duties PAs are expected to take on in the event of a disaster or another emergency. If so, what revisions are intended; are there steps that CLAIR and PAs can take to increase COs’ and JETs’ awareness during such circumstances? We will be doing Question 4 and 5 together, Question 5 asks about amendments to the PA handbook, whether or not case studies would be added.

CLAIR responded that they are anticipating that it’s still going to be a couple of years before there is a major overhaul done on the PA handbook. However, in the meantime, until that overhaul happens, it would be possible to put together some supplementary materials about the kinds of duties that PAs have taken on, and could expect to take on during disasters, whether its concerning safety of JETs, translating websites, putting information into foreign languages, and that they could consider distributing it.

AJET: Question number six: What information did MOFA provide to incoming JETs regarding the March 11 disasters prior to their arrival in Japan? Did CLAIR provide any additional information to JETs whose placement was in areas affected by the disasters? What challenges did CLAIR and MOFA face when providing that information?

MOFA responded by stating that following the March 11th disaster, there was a great deal of concern among outgoing participants regarding the safety of Japan. In response to this, they provided information through the overseas embassies and consulates explaining why Japan is safe. They believe firmly in the importance of providing safety related information after a disaster in a timely and accurate fashion, and along with other related organizations, they put every effort into providing useful information through the internet and other means during that time.

CLAIR responded by stating that JETs are given a number of different documents from CLAIR and the three ministries in the months before their departure. To all new JET Programme participants, there were two documents that were provided. One was created by the three ministries and CLAIR together, and one just by CLAIR, and this was in Q&A format about the situation in Japan, the Japanese government, safety concerns, etc. In addition to that, for new JETs that were going to be placed in heavily affected prefectures, if the COs or host/designated cities had additional materials they would like to provide to those JET participants, that was also provided through the overseas embassies and consulates.

AJET: CLAIR has a variety of responsibilities in the aftermath of major disasters. What direction and support can PAs reasonably expect to receive from CLAIR? What limitations do CLAIR, MIC, MOFA, and MEXT face that PAs should know about in advance?

CLAIR answered in regards to both question seven and eight. Eight referred to the timeliness of information provided to PAs and JETs, and whether or not there is anything that can be done to speed up that information.
CLAIR believes it’s important to divide the type of information provided into two different categories, one is simply objective information about the information, and the other is stance or position of the JET Programme as whole. In regards to factual, objective information about the disaster situation, CLAIR has been reflecting, and needs to continue to reflect on how they can continue to provide that information to PAs and JETs in general. That’s something they will try to do faster. However, if it is something regarding the stance, or the position of the JET Programme as whole, because it requires coordination with the other three ministries, inevitably there is going to be a time lag that occurs there, so hopefully PAs and JETs know that time lag exists.

AJET: Is it possible then for CLAIR to include something in PA handbook, along with the other editions that says something to the effect of “That because of x or y considerations, it will take x amount of time to respond in such a way. In the last case, we had this time frame for response and we had this kind of info we gave. Would that be possible to add?”

CLAIR responded that they felt during the earthquake and nuclear disaster, the information provided in the PA handbook might really be sufficient in all cases. Something they would like to do while the JET PAs and Japanese PAs in the affected prefectures are still here, would be to get case studies and information from them, in addition to all other useful info regarding disaster that they would like to add to the PA handbook. Regarding time lag on the part of the three ministries and CLAIR, it’s not necessarily a good example, so how they would put that in writing, is something that they would have to think about.

MIC stated that PAs do play a very important role, especially in situations such as a disaster. So MIC’s position on the matter would be that they would have to consult this with CLAIR.

MOFA stated that there are aspects of disaster response that could be seen as inadequate. If a similar situation were to arise in the future, they would cooperate with CLAIR and other related ministries to provide the best response possible.

MEXT stated that, as they deal mainly with education matters, but two JET ALTs lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami, and many other ALTs following the tsunami took refuge to other areas, so this is also an issue that they need to think about and keep a record of what happened, and decide how to handle issues like this in the future.

AJET: At a press conference on March 13, then Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano Yukio stated that there would be more news released in foreign languages to assist foreign residents, many of whom faced language barriers that prevented them from accessing the same resources as Japanese people. However, to the best of AJET’s knowledge, very little multi-lingual information was released in the days and weeks following this statement. In light of the continually growing numbers of foreign residents, have MOFA, MIC, or CLAIR considered how they will provide foreign language information to non-Japanese residents (including JETs and PAs) in the immediate aftermath of future disasters?

CLAIR explained that it was their position that all JET Programme participants understand either English or Japanese, so they feel that providing information in those two languages is sufficient on the part of CLAIR. Also, providing information in other languages, due to their resources and abilities, would not be realistic. Also there is some other information they provide via the internet. One is the multilingual living website which is run by CLAIR. Also they provide information for the foreign resident disaster information site, which was originally established by the multilingual support center for the Tohoku Center, and they recently took over operation of. These websites both provide disaster related information in eleven different languages, and as this is a good resource available, JETs are encouraged to make use of them.

AJET; Is it possible for CLAIR to provide that information in the materials distributed to PAs?

CLAIR stated that they would provide that information to PAs.

MIC recognized the importance of providing information to people irrespective of their nationality in a smooth and effective manner, and that they would continue to discuss this issue of providing information in times of a disaster. Although when it comes to providing information to the foreigners in Japan language can be a problem. They mentioned that the Fire Disaster and Management Agency (FDMA) is actually considering providing information in Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese, in addition to the existing English website. Their website should be updated before the end of this fiscal year. He also mentioned that the cabinet office has been offering information on Twitter since March 14th of this year. CLAIR also explained about the multilingual support center at JIAM. It may not have been enough information for foreigners, but it may have been that the problem was not just enough information, but the problem was that foreigners were not really aware that this information was available. However, MIC does recognize the importance of information provision after a disaster, and they will continue discussing this with CLAIR.

AJET: An additional suggestion, we understand you have many languages to provide information, but if you could also consider adding simple Japanese, for people who don’t speak the languages that can be provided, but who speak some Japanese?

The representative from MIC stated that he would make sure that the Disaster and Management agency gets AJET’s message.

MOFA stated that they make efforts into providing some information in foreign languages; however, MOFA is not responsible for the domestic distribution of news in foreign languages. They actually work to provide objective information tailored to the interests of non-Japanese people in an easy to understand fashion in multiple languages. As a specific example, they created a special section of their homepage, devoted to continually providing disaster related information in four languages: Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese. In addition, their embassies and consulates overseas provide disaster related information in English and 39 other languages.

End of Discussion

Winter 2011 AJET Opinion Exchange

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The AJET team at the Winter 2011 Opinion Exchange

The AJET team at the December 2011 Opinion Exchange

The JET Programme is administered by a complex team of several different branches of the Japanese government, CLAIR, MEXT, MOFA, and MIC, all of whom have a specific role in its administration and management. Twice a year, AJET has the opportunity to participate in an open discussion with representatives from each of these ministries in order to shed light on a variety of topics, ranging from issues that JETs face in their day to day lives, to ways to improve the operations of the Programme itself.

On December 12th and 13th, the Winter 2011 Opinion Exchange meeting was held in Tokyo. This years discussion topics included an analysis of the PA system, a report on limitations in elementary school English education, and a report on ways that the ministries can support what AJET does for JETs on a volunteer basis. The discussions were very productive and shed light on the importance of AJET and the ministries’s collaboration on issues that affect one of the largest international exchange initiatives in the world.

Donny Anderson, (Translator) Matthew Cook (Chair) and Adam Chludzinski (Block 11 Rep)

Donny Anderson, (Translator) Matthew Cook (Chair) and Adam Chludzinski (Block 11 Rep)

 

Peer Review of the PA System – AJET surveyed and interviewed Prefectural Advisors from all over Japan in order to better understand the working conditions and challenges that PAs encounter. Based on the results of our survey, AJET identified four main themes to discuss with CLAIR, MEXT, MOFA, and MIC at our biannual opinion exchange meeting in December. The themes discussed included the selection and training of JETs appointed as PAs in their first year on the program, delineating PA roles during disaster situations (particularly in the aftermath of March 11th), and more.

To view the report click here.   

To read the discussion click here. 

To download the presentation notes, click here. 

Foreign Language Activities at the Elementary School Level – The findings in this report were directed at the Ministry of Education, and included recommendations about how AJET could assist them in providing large scale solutions to problems within a system that is dependent on localities for its policy changes. This report was entirely fueled by the responses and views of elementary school JETs working in the field, and highlights many trends within English teaching.

To view the report, click here.

To read the discussion, click here. 

2011-2012 AJET Council

2011-2012 AJET Council

General Activities Report – This year, AJET presented a detailed breakdown of all the recent changes to our organizational structure via the General Activities report. The purpose of this report was to make our operations more understandable for the ministries who support us, and reach out for financial and logistical assistance. Since AJET functions on a 100% not for profit basis, with no government budget, we rely on support from the Programme’s coordinators in many ways. Ultimately, we were all reminded of our organizations’ common goals, and received new support as well as the promise of continued cooperative assistance.
To view the report click here.

To view the AJET Brand Guide click here.

To read the discussion click here. 

The Winter 2011 Opinion Exchange Meetings were interpreted by Donny Anderson, Erica Nakanishi-Stanis, and Denise Schlickbernd.

AJET-CLAIR-MEXT-MOFA-MIC Opinion Exchange Meeting

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The AJET team at the May 2011 Opinion Exchange

The AJET team at the May 2011 Opinion Exchange

On May 23-24, 2011, the National AJET Council met with CLAIR, the Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) to discuss the MEXT 2013 High School English Policy, JET Mental Health Resources and National AJET Activities. It was a very productive meeting, and we look forward to continued work with CLAIR and the three ministries to implement the ideas that we discussed at the meeting.

English in English: A Survey on the Senior High School 2013 MEXT Policy
According to the AJET survey, many ALTs believe that the new High School English policy requires that English classes be taught entirely in English. However, there is another important component to the policy — classes should also shift from teacher-focused lectures to student-focused, activity-based lessons. You can find a partial translation of the policy on the AJET website.

AJET presents JET-opinions about the -2013 MEXT English Policy for SHS

AJET presents JET-opinions about the -2013 MEXT English Policy for SHS

CLAIR and the ministries hope that ALTs will play an active role in the implementation of this policy, especially by continuing to adapt the English they use to the level of understanding of their students, striving to maintain a healthy team-teaching relationship, contributing ideas for relevant communicative activities, and facilitating more opportunities to interact with their students in English both in and outside of class. MEXT has made a number of resources available to ALTs and their counterparts to help them prepare for the change coming in fiscal year 2013, including:

  • An explanation of the new policy in the next edition of the MEXT Handbook for Team-Teaching
  • A modification of Tokyo Orientation content to include a MEXT workshop dedicated to the Handbook for Team-Teaching and a CLAIR workshop entitled Trouble Shooting in the Classroom
  • Changes to ALT Mid-Year Conferences, now renamed the ALT Skill Development Conference, including an extension of the recommended length of the conference
  • An instructional DVD with demonstration lessons and advice available to boards of education (The advice is in Japanese, but the demonstration lessons are taught in English. Note: these are not team-teaching classes.)

AJET will be making a concerted effort to provide additional teaching resources in the coming year, such as more regular education-related Facebook updates and new teaching resources on our website (e.g. JET-created clipart, an English activity of the month, information on professional development for teachers, etc.). AJET will also attempt to keep you up-to-date about changes in English Language Education Policy.

Mental Health
JET participants face an entirely new environment and culture in Japan that is dissimilar to their own, which can sometimes lead to physical, mental or other stress. AJET would like to work together with CLAIR and the other ministries to help contribute to the improved general well-being and mental health of current JETs.

As a result of this survey, report and opinion exchange, some goals of AJET include:

  • Compiling a list of tips for “maintaining good health and well-being in Japan” to distribute to CLAIR, MOFA and MEXT, who also work to promote general JET well-being, and to be made available on the AJET website
  • Promoting local AJET programs which help JETs connect with other JETs and their local communities, such as peer mentor or homestay programs
  • Collaborating with CLAIR to expand the section of the JET Programme website related to culture shock to include other information relevant to maintaining good mental health and well-being while on the JET Programme and working with CLAIR to find a way to effectively include such information at Tokyo Orientation.
AJET answers CLAIR and the ministries questions at the Spring 2011 Opinion Exchange

AJET answers CLAIR and the ministries questions at the Spring 2011 Opinion Exchange

General Activities Report
In the AJET Self-Evaluation Survey, we asked JETs to evaluate AJET strengths and weaknesses. As AJET understands it, JET participants appreciate that AJET shares valuable information about living and working in Japan, serves as a link to CLAIR and the three ministries, and supports JETs by creating a greater sense of JET community. However, the survey also highlighted some key areas where AJET can improve our services, including:

  • Making AJET more accessible to JETs, both by improving ties with Prefectural AJET Chapters and by taking steps to ensure that our mission is more adequately and effectively communicated to JETs
  • Providing more teaching resources for JETs
  • Expanding our career development resources, including providing CLAIR with more details about JET needs in relation to the Conference for Returning JETs (e.g. information JETs would want about working with Japanese companies)
  • Contributing to general PR of the JET Programme

The presentation also highlighted JET-related relief efforts for the Tohoku region, and goals for future initiatives. This segment was well-received by the three ministries and CLAIR, and portions of it will be used to further promote relief efforts and the work that JETs do.

If you have suggestions or questions about any AJET activities, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The full Spring 2011 National AJET Reports and additional information about the reports will be available soon via the AJET website and Facebook page.