School evaluates its immersion experience

This is the 20th installment in a series on the government-designated Super English Language High School (SELHi) pilot project.

UJI, Kyoto--In a classroom in a red brick building at Ritsumeikan Uji High School in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, 19 students were deep in discussion in late September about Shusaku Endo's novel Deep River. What was a bit unusual was that the book was an English translation of Endo's novel, and the discussion was entirely in English.

"How does Endo show you that Isobe is important?" asked teacher Timothy Chanecka, walking around the classroom and looking at students' faces. "He appears first," one student replied.

Chanecka nodded and said, "That's right, he's the first character in the book. And why is he difficult?" "Regret," another student said. "Very good, he regrets. Then what does he regret?" To this question, various voices overlapped in the classroom, saying, "He didn't care for Keiko," and "He didn't show Keiko his love."

The discussion went on about the relationship of Isobe and Keiko, a married couple who are the central figures in the novel, and about Isobe's mental development after he loses his wife. In the meantime, the students did not hesitate to say, "Tim, I have a question," which enlivened the discussion.

The third-year students who participated in Chanecka's literature class were those taking the high school's Super English Language (SEL) course, which is also called the Immersion Program, a program that literally immerses students in English. All classes except for Japanese are conducted in English and taught mainly by native English speakers.

The high school has 11 classes in a grade, with about 40 students in each class. One class for each grade takes the SEL course, while the other 10 classes take the normal course. SEL course classes for most subjects and normal-course English classes are divided in two for small-group instruction.

The high school was first designated as a SELHi in fiscal 2002, and after the completion of the three-year pilot project, it received its second designation in a row in fiscal 2005.

"What is highly regarded is the Immersion Program, although our English classes of the normal course are also credited," said teacher Kunihide Okamoto, director of SEL courses at the school.
The Immersion Program started in fiscal 2000, long before the SELHi project. Several years before the launch of the program, the high school staff began discussing a change in their education policies, eyeing the 2000 opening of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture. That institution is run by the same school corporation, and has become known for its large number of foreign students and the international atmosphere of its education.

The discussion concluded that more emphasis should be put on language learning and information technology, with the high school setting itself the goal of fostering students who can hold their own while studying with international students at a university like APU, or even go to universities abroad if they wish to.

The Immersion Program has two major pillars: classes conducted in English and studying for a year in an English-speaking country. A year abroad is optional, but most students choose to do it.

The effect is visible. Students who score around 350 to 400 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) when starting high school can exceed 600 by the time they graduate, according to the school. "Of course, TOEFL is not the only way to evaluate their ability, but it's one assessment," said Okamoto. "And we can say for sure that there are almost no mental barriers to speaking English for SEL students--they can have discussions or give presentations at a satisfactory level."

However, one problem that teachers have noticed SEL students do have is that they can speak fluent English, but lack accuracy. They have no problem communicating in English, but their weakness is evident in their writing, as they often select the wrong words or use incorrect grammar.

"This is a dilemma for us," Okamoto said. "We basically follow the Japanese standard high school curriculum, so even though the classes are given in English, they are content-focused. We can't spend time on correcting students' grammatical mistakes every time, as we have to move on in content."

Immersion is a widely known way of learning a language. But it usually starts when learners are at a younger age, around the early primary school years. At such an age, content is not as important, and the method can be easily adopted.

However, there is a virtue in starting at an older age, according to Okamoto.

Despite being immersed in English every day, Okamoto said, there is little sign that the students' Japanese ability deteriorates. Children who go through immersion language learning often have problems in their mother language, but for high school students it does not become a threat, as they had already built up their native language skills.

"Actually, it could be a benefit for them to take another look at Japanese, because, after being immersed in a foreign language, their overall language ability is improved," he said.

One student who was in Chanecka's class was a good example. Eriko Hayashi, who entered the high school from a public middle school in Osaka Prefecture and has spent a year in New Zealand, wants to major in Japanese literature at university.

"I enjoy the class very much. Everyone takes part in it and we have frank discussions, which is unthinkable at the middle school I came from," she said. "Such discussions made me feel that I want to see Japan from various aspects. That's why I want to know about Japan more."
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Coordination between teachers


Although the Immersion Program often gets most of the attention, the English classes of the high school's normal course are also well regarded. They are part of the SELHi project as well.
Among about 50 normal-course English teachers, half of them are native English speakers, and the other half are Japanese.

For first- and second-year students, classes are mostly done in English even when the teachers are Japanese. The purpose is to get students feeling comfortable communicating in English.

One class The Daily Yomiuri visited was of first-year students, and teacher Kazunori Takeuchi spoke English throughout the class period except for several occasions when he gave translations of certain words that might be a little difficult for the students, such as "counterfeit" or "greed."

For third-year students, grammar and translation are emphasized, and Japanese is frequently used in classes, according to the school.

Just like SEL students, normal-course students get very good TOEFL scores in listening and reading but do not do very well in grammar--an unusual state of affairs for Japanese students.

Teacher Yumino Nakahara, who is in charge of English education for both courses, said, "It's very difficult to coordinate classes between Japanese and native English-speaking teachers."

Currently, Japanese teachers are responsible for "inputs"--reading and grammar--while native English-speaking teachers take care of "outputs"--writing and speaking. "But it's tough. Writing classes by native English speakers are sometimes too difficult for students, while Japanese teachers don't get the feedback on what they taught," Nakahara said.

Although Nakahara feels communicative English has been overly emphasized, she believes native English speakers are very important in language teaching. "We Japanese teachers may be as fluent in English as native English speakers, but the impression we make on students is totally different from what native English speakers can give to them. When students find themselves communicating with foreigners, it makes a great impact," she said. "We only have to find a way to leverage them in a more effective way."

Prof. Kenji Yamaoka of Ritsumeikan University, who acts as a language education adviser to the high school, said: "Ritsumeikan Uji High School students are very privileged in terms of the language learning environment. The largest challenge the school has is how to take advantage of the great environment and motivate the students."
(Oct. 19, 2006)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20061019TDY14001.htm