Panel Discussion
What is "Team Teaching"?
-The role of the native speaker in the classroom-
Chaired by Lady Toshiko Marks, Professor at Shumei
University
On Tuesday, November 6, a panel discussion chaired by Professor
Toshiko Marks on the above theme was held at the International
House of Japan. At present, young people from abroad, who
have come to Japan under the JET programme as Assistant
Language Teachers (ALT), team teach with Japanese teachers
of English during English instruction in schools. The JET
programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) started
in 1987 as a joint project of the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs, Education, and Home Affairs. Today, 15 years later,
over 6,000 young people from around the world come to Japan
to participate as JETs each year. Although the programme
has already been declared a success according to surveys
of the related organizations, almost no concrete assessment
has been done. Prof. Marks started the discussion by explaining
the present status of the programme. After that, three panelists,
all active in English education in schools, spoke passionately
about their own experiences.
Kathryn Lloyd, presently working as an ALT in the
primary and junior high schools of Gunma Prefecture, said
she had heard that the standard for the JET Programme was
high and it was hard to get in, so she was disappointed
at the interview when there were no questions about her
interest in teaching. She spends about one month at each
of ten primary and junior high schools, and finds that the
Japanese teachers are good at English but afraid that they
will make a mistake when the speak in front of people. When
the students realize this, they too become afraid and unwilling
to speak.
Timothy Mark Witherow came to Japan on the JET Programme
in 1996 and worked as an ALT for three years. Presently
he is researching foreign language education. "The perception
of the JET Programme as a PR project on the part of the
Japanese in response to foreign pressure on Japan to internationalize
during the period of Japan-US trade friction is strong.
For real internationalization, it's not enough just to bring
people here from abroad; opportunities for Japanese English
teachers to go abroad to study should also be created
Ayako Honda, a high school English teacher in Saitama
Prefecture with twenty years of teaching experience, half
of it spent team teaching with an ALT, said, "I myself have
gained a lot from team teaching. Team teaching conveys to
the students the pleasure of communication. It also provides
a better incentive for Japanese teachers to use new teaching
methods emphasizing creative communication. However, on
the other hand, various considerations and tasks are also
associated with teaching with an ALT, which increases the
amount of work. For the ALTs as well, how they're to be
treated is unclear, and there are cases where the ALT loses
motivation through having too little responsibility.
During the second half of the discussion, there was active
questioning from the floor, and a lively exchange of views
with the panelists. Lady Marks concluded the very significant
discussion by saying it was important to continue the debate
that had been started at the meeting.
Lady Toshiko Marks
Born in Tokyo. BA for Politics from Waseda University.
MA for Law from Tokyo Metropolitan University. Lecturer
at the same university, followed by Research Fellow at the
London School of Economics (1971). Senior Lecturer of the
Centre for Study of the Contemporary Japan at Essex University.
Presently commuting between Japan and England in her role
of professor at Shumei University. Known for speaking out
about Japanese language education and family problems. Author
of many publications.
