Mie Prefecture has finalized plans to provide scholarships to nursing students from foreign countries, the first such scholarship program in Japan.
The plan, which will commence at the beginning of fiscal 2009, will provide scholarships for tuition at universities such as the Mie Prefectural College of Nursing, and over 10 nursing vocational schools in the prefecture. An initial budget of 3 million yen will be earmarked for the program, subject to the approval of the prefectural assembly.
The program was created to address the problem of communicating with members of Mie Prefecture's many foreign communities. Medical facilities currently lack sufficient numbers of interpreters to communicate with patients who cannot speak Japanese, and the program is designed to help train medical professionals who can provide those patients with technical explanations in their mother tongue.
At present, the prefectural international affairs office sends volunteer interpreters to medical facilities that cannot communicate with their foreign patients. Such volunteers have been dispatched 24 times in fiscal 2008, as of Jan. 27. "People who can do interpreting at medical institutions are essential," the international affairs office said. "We hope that this scholarship will be used to give nursing students a good career."
The scholarship program will provide up to 600,000 yen for tuition to foreigners wishing to study nursing. After completing the scholarship program, recipients will be required to take up fixed-period employment with medical facilities in the prefecture, with proficiency in their mother tongue as a prime requirement. The program has targeted seven languages, including Portuguese, Spanish and English.
At the moment, there are no foreign nursing students in the prefecture to enter the scholarship program. However, the prefecture aims to lure prospective students to Mie's schools with the new policy.
"It's a good idea to support foreigners who harbor hopes of becoming a nurse here, and there's also great value in training people who can do medical interpreting," said Shinobu Ogawa, executive director of the Japanese Nursing Association.
Some 2।7 percent of Mie Prefecture's population is made up of foreigners, the third highest rate in the country.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090129p2a00m0na005000c.html
Friday, January 30, 2009
Indonesian nurses to study Japanese before heading to Japan
Senior officials of Indonesia and Japan have "principally" agreed that Indonesian caregivers and nurses to work in Japan under an economic partnership agreement will study Japanese in Indonesia before leaving for Japan, a government official said Wednesday। Mohamad Jumhur Hidayat, chairman of the National Board for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers, told Kyodo News that "at the operational level, both countries have agreed" on the new arrangement। Under the proposed new arrangement, the Indonesian nurses and caregivers will study Japanese in Indonesia for four months and in Japan for two months। The first batch of 205 Indonesian caregivers and nurses, who left for Japan in August last year, has studied the language in Japan for a total of six months। Hidayat said that the "expensive training" in Japan is the reason behind the proposed new arrangement। "Currently, for a total of six months, Japan must pay about 100,000 yen for each nurse or caregiver during their language training, but under the new arrangement, the budget can be cut to half," he said। "Hopefully, the negotiations among the ministers will be completed by March," Hidayat said। Under the agreement, the Japanese government is to accept 200 nurses and 300 caregivers each year।
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/090128/kyodo/d9603ad00.html
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/090128/kyodo/d9603ad00.html
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Strong yen hitting foreign students' pockets
OSAKA--Many foreigners studying in Japan are finding it increasingly difficult to pay admission fees and tuition for schools and universities due to the appreciation of the yen during the global recession।
The number of foreigners studying in the nation peaked at about 124,000 this academic year, but 90 percent of them are self-funded।
Finances are a serious concern for an increasing number of foreign students, especially privately financed students from China, Southeast Asian nations and South Korea, which has seen its won drop sharply against the yen।
Of 80 students from 10 nations studying at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, 44 students from China and South Korea were unable to pay their tuition for the autumn semester before the original due date of Oct. 20. Although the university extended the deadline by two months, 17 students were still unable to pay the fee, leading the university to further postpone the due date.
Among the cash-strapped students was Lee Yon Suk, 30, a South Korean studying at the university's Japanese Studies Department।
"I've pushed myself to the limit, and I don't know what more I can do if the yen stays high। I can't ask my parents for financial support because I don't want to be a burden on them," she said.
She scraped the tuition fee together by working part-time as a translator and doing other jobs.
In July, the government launched a program at the initiative of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to increase the number of foreign students in the nation to 300,000, but it was not designed to provide urgent financial support। The program is overseen by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
Some universities and colleges are now working to help students in need, by extending due dates for tuition payments and offering financial support।
In January last year, 100 won was equivalent to about 11।2 yen but has since dropped dramatically, fetching just 6.61 yen on Friday. The value of other Asian currencies, such as the Indonesian rupiah and Thai baht, also has plunged against the yen.
Students receiving scholarships from the Japanese government obtain the money in yen, but half of the privately funded students do not receive any scholarships, according to a ministry estimate।
As the yen strengthens, the value of currency sent by students' parents and the money they saved before coming to Japan weakens, causing financial hardships for many students। Most students are already working the maximum 28 hours a week allowed on a student visa and therefore cannot earn some extra cash by working more.
Osaka University has received several inquiries from students who cannot afford to pay tuition and rent।
Oemry Ferensa, a 26-year-old Indonesian student who entered the university's Graduate School of Engineering last autumn, has not yet paid about 550,000 yen in entrance fees and tuition for the first semester। If he is still unable to pay by the end of February, he will have to leave the school.
The ministry provides 50,000 yen in monthly financial support to privately funded undergraduates and 70,000 yen to postgraduates। Although the budget for this support for fiscal 2009 has been expanded from the previous year to cover 12,470 students--an increase of 370 students--it is still not enough to support all the students in need.
The ministry's Office for International Student Exchange hopes the harsh financial climate will not discourage foreigners who want to study in Japan, nor the universities hoping to attract them।
The ministry hopes to expand its own financial support program for foreign students.
(Jan। 28, 2009)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20090128TDY03102.htm
The number of foreigners studying in the nation peaked at about 124,000 this academic year, but 90 percent of them are self-funded।
Finances are a serious concern for an increasing number of foreign students, especially privately financed students from China, Southeast Asian nations and South Korea, which has seen its won drop sharply against the yen।
Of 80 students from 10 nations studying at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, 44 students from China and South Korea were unable to pay their tuition for the autumn semester before the original due date of Oct. 20. Although the university extended the deadline by two months, 17 students were still unable to pay the fee, leading the university to further postpone the due date.
Among the cash-strapped students was Lee Yon Suk, 30, a South Korean studying at the university's Japanese Studies Department।
"I've pushed myself to the limit, and I don't know what more I can do if the yen stays high। I can't ask my parents for financial support because I don't want to be a burden on them," she said.
She scraped the tuition fee together by working part-time as a translator and doing other jobs.
In July, the government launched a program at the initiative of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to increase the number of foreign students in the nation to 300,000, but it was not designed to provide urgent financial support। The program is overseen by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
Some universities and colleges are now working to help students in need, by extending due dates for tuition payments and offering financial support।
In January last year, 100 won was equivalent to about 11।2 yen but has since dropped dramatically, fetching just 6.61 yen on Friday. The value of other Asian currencies, such as the Indonesian rupiah and Thai baht, also has plunged against the yen.
Students receiving scholarships from the Japanese government obtain the money in yen, but half of the privately funded students do not receive any scholarships, according to a ministry estimate।
As the yen strengthens, the value of currency sent by students' parents and the money they saved before coming to Japan weakens, causing financial hardships for many students। Most students are already working the maximum 28 hours a week allowed on a student visa and therefore cannot earn some extra cash by working more.
Osaka University has received several inquiries from students who cannot afford to pay tuition and rent।
Oemry Ferensa, a 26-year-old Indonesian student who entered the university's Graduate School of Engineering last autumn, has not yet paid about 550,000 yen in entrance fees and tuition for the first semester। If he is still unable to pay by the end of February, he will have to leave the school.
The ministry provides 50,000 yen in monthly financial support to privately funded undergraduates and 70,000 yen to postgraduates। Although the budget for this support for fiscal 2009 has been expanded from the previous year to cover 12,470 students--an increase of 370 students--it is still not enough to support all the students in need.
The ministry's Office for International Student Exchange hopes the harsh financial climate will not discourage foreigners who want to study in Japan, nor the universities hoping to attract them।
The ministry hopes to expand its own financial support program for foreign students.
(Jan। 28, 2009)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20090128TDY03102.htm
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
New teaching posts to be created to boost Japanese studies in U.K.+
The funding crisis affecting Japanese studies in Britain has been alleviated with the creation of 13 new teaching posts thanks to two charities।
The new lectureships and research positions, which are costing 2।5 million pounds ($3.25million) over a five-year period, will focus on the contemporary aspects of Japanese business and society in an effort to boost the subject's appeal and also cope with growing demand in that area.
The Nippon Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation decided to inject the funds after years of decline in Japanese studies।
Several Japanese courses have closed at Britain's universities over the last 10 years as it was a costly subject to teach relative to other languages। The Japanese courses also attract fewer students than more popular degrees, making the ratio of teachers to pupils higher and leading to a dearth in home-grown experts on Japan.
The creation of the new teaching posts, which were unveiled on Monday, means 11 universities can provide new courses spanning Japan's economy and management, modern and post-war history and the Japanese visual media।
Stephen McEnally, chief executive of the Sasakawa foundation, said in a statement, "All incumbents possess impeccable qualifications and this timely injection of young Japanese studies scholars into our universities will serve to guarantee a greater depth and diversity of scholarship and research at a time when it is most needed।"
The earl of St. Andrews said, "Japan matters because it is the second most powerful economy in the world। It is a major overseas investment and trade partner of the U.K."
Britain's policy makers, business leaders, scholars and its future leaders "must all be given the tools to better understand Japan's culture, its society and its language," he said।
Perhaps as a reflection of the claim that Japanese studies have been underfunded over the last few years, only three of the new lecturers are British।
Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Nippon Foundation, said, "The many viewpoints that the Sasakawa lecturers will bring to their posts will be a major driving force behind research into Japan at universities in the U।K."
The Sasakawa foundation is a charity established in 1985 with an endowment from the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation, now the Nippon Foundation।
The Nippon Foundation is a private foundation funding three main areas of activity: overseas co-operative assistance, maritime development and domestic social welfare and volunteer support।
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95UUQBG0&show_article=1
The new lectureships and research positions, which are costing 2।5 million pounds ($3.25million) over a five-year period, will focus on the contemporary aspects of Japanese business and society in an effort to boost the subject's appeal and also cope with growing demand in that area.
The Nippon Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation decided to inject the funds after years of decline in Japanese studies।
Several Japanese courses have closed at Britain's universities over the last 10 years as it was a costly subject to teach relative to other languages। The Japanese courses also attract fewer students than more popular degrees, making the ratio of teachers to pupils higher and leading to a dearth in home-grown experts on Japan.
The creation of the new teaching posts, which were unveiled on Monday, means 11 universities can provide new courses spanning Japan's economy and management, modern and post-war history and the Japanese visual media।
Stephen McEnally, chief executive of the Sasakawa foundation, said in a statement, "All incumbents possess impeccable qualifications and this timely injection of young Japanese studies scholars into our universities will serve to guarantee a greater depth and diversity of scholarship and research at a time when it is most needed।"
The earl of St. Andrews said, "Japan matters because it is the second most powerful economy in the world। It is a major overseas investment and trade partner of the U.K."
Britain's policy makers, business leaders, scholars and its future leaders "must all be given the tools to better understand Japan's culture, its society and its language," he said।
Perhaps as a reflection of the claim that Japanese studies have been underfunded over the last few years, only three of the new lecturers are British।
Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Nippon Foundation, said, "The many viewpoints that the Sasakawa lecturers will bring to their posts will be a major driving force behind research into Japan at universities in the U।K."
The Sasakawa foundation is a charity established in 1985 with an endowment from the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation, now the Nippon Foundation।
The Nippon Foundation is a private foundation funding three main areas of activity: overseas co-operative assistance, maritime development and domestic social welfare and volunteer support।
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95UUQBG0&show_article=1
Monday, January 26, 2009
Rules to be eased for foreign students
The government plans to simplify immigration screening procedures and extend the duration of stay for foreign students from fiscal 2009, Justice Minister Eisuke Mori said Friday।
The measures are part of the government's plan to increase the number of foreign students here to 300,000 by 2020, compared to 123,800 as of May 2008।
The Justice Ministry will also unify two categories of study status: shugaku for language and high school students; and ryugaku for university students।
This will allow language school students to attend universities without a change in status।(IHT/Asahi: January 24,2009)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200901240052.html
The measures are part of the government's plan to increase the number of foreign students here to 300,000 by 2020, compared to 123,800 as of May 2008।
The Justice Ministry will also unify two categories of study status: shugaku for language and high school students; and ryugaku for university students।
This will allow language school students to attend universities without a change in status।(IHT/Asahi: January 24,2009)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200901240052.html
Thursday, January 22, 2009
University to offer free tuition to students feeling the pinch
A university in Chiba Prefecture will offer free tuition to students who are feeling the pinch from the flailing economy।
Shukutoku University will allocate about 100 million yen per academic year over four years from this April to cover all or half of the school fees of students who cannot afford to pay, officials announced।
"This is probably the first time in Japan for a university to offer free tuition," said an official of the Association of Private Universities of Japan।
Under the financial aid system, up to 60 new students can receive a maximum of 1।4 million yen each in the first year to cover their tuition fees.
Up to 50 students, who are already at the university, will also be eligible for the exemption depending on their economic status। Students can repeatedly apply during the four years if their economic situation hasn't improved.
At the university, inquiries about tuition payments from students and parents have been increasing sharply since around last September। The school also has received many inquiries about scholarships from the parents of potential students.
Shukutoku University Admission Office: 043-265-6881 ।
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090121p2a00m0na021000c.हटमल
Shukutoku University will allocate about 100 million yen per academic year over four years from this April to cover all or half of the school fees of students who cannot afford to pay, officials announced।
"This is probably the first time in Japan for a university to offer free tuition," said an official of the Association of Private Universities of Japan।
Under the financial aid system, up to 60 new students can receive a maximum of 1।4 million yen each in the first year to cover their tuition fees.
Up to 50 students, who are already at the university, will also be eligible for the exemption depending on their economic status। Students can repeatedly apply during the four years if their economic situation hasn't improved.
At the university, inquiries about tuition payments from students and parents have been increasing sharply since around last September। The school also has received many inquiries about scholarships from the parents of potential students.
Shukutoku University Admission Office: 043-265-6881 ।
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090121p2a00m0na021000c.हटमल
Friday, January 16, 2009
Konnichiwa! Kolkatans line up to learn Japanese
Say "konnichiwa" - or hello - to the Japanese Language
Academy (JLA) which was set up 20 years ago at the Salt Lake suburb here by Kum Kum Nandy, who is also an Origami artist।The JLA has notched up a string of successes and has been among the few institutions at the forefront of this quiet linguistic boom sweeping the eastern part of India।
A California-based corporate house approached Nandy last month to teach 16 of its Indian employees Japanese twice a week, over the next six months।
All such institutes are meeting the demand for professionals familiar with Japanese। And the demand is high due to Japanese collaboration with India in making cars, electronic equipment and software।
Many of Nandy's students find regular placements in corporate and service sectors as interpreters, guides and translators, on a starting salary of about Rs।20,000 ($410) per month।
Now management trainees, software and IT professionals are also joining her courses along with school and college students, to master the nuances and the complexities of the Japanese language and enhancing their job prospects।
Corporates like the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Cognizant Technologies also prefer computer engineers who are well versed in Japanese। TCS reportedly gives generous waivers for the purpose and even reimburses fees।"One of the happiest and proudest moments of my life," recalls Nandy, "was when my student Jhimli Ghosh, a homemaker, cleared the first rung of the advanced level in a single attempt with only 380 hours of study, though a minimum of 600 hours are required।"Her oldest pupils include two retired professors, one of whom is a woman and is currently preparing for advanced level tests। The other had earlier completed a 10-month teachers' training programme in Japan on a scholarship।Recently, Nandy scripted and directed a skit, "Gakusei to Sensei" (Student and Teacher), entirely in Japanese, enacted by tiny tots in her summer classes। They conveyed the difficulties of mastering Japanese characters।The JLA, which has produced over 400 Japanese speakers since its inception, is recognised by the Japan Foundation for excellence, a distinction it shares with institutions like Viswa Bharati University, Jadavpur University, Rabindra Bharati University and the Ramakrishna Mission."Of course, without the support of the foundation it would have been difficult to conduct classes regularly," Nandy says.The Japan Foundation also provides books to the academy every year.The foundation has 20 overseas branches, including in India, to promote cultural, educational and academic activities on behalf of the Japanese government. It offers scholarships, teaching materials, student exchange programmes and guidance.Explaining the intricacies of learning Japanese, Nandy said it has three distinct scripts - Hiragana (traditional), Katakana, a repertoire of foreign words (in Japanese) and Kanji (pictogram), which denotes a single word with a single picture.The language has 46 syllables, each being made up of one consonant and one vowel. "There are a lot of similarities in sentence construction between Bengali, Hindi and Japanese," she says.The complete course comprises four levels, each lasting a year or more from the basic (easiest) through intermediate to advanced levels, making the students eligible for the Japanese language proficiency test (JLPT).The tests are conducted by the Japan Foundation.The highest level requires a through grasp of 2,000 Kanjis, 10,000 words and 900 hours of study, and the ability to read Japanese newspapers and novels like a native born।Initially 7,000 people took the JLPT, set up in 1984 in response to a growing demand for standardised Japanese language certification। In 2004, JLPT was offered in 40 countries, including Japan; 302,198 people took the test.In 2007, 430,137 candidates worldwide took the test - 110,937 for the highest level. Only about a quarter passed the highest level.In 2008, only eight out of 450 candidates who took the JLPT in eastern India sat for the highest level test; 86 appeared for the next level. Nandy said most candidates were between 19 and 25 years. The candidates included 16 from JLA."Very few are able to clear the two rungs of the advanced level in the first attempt," said Nandy. "They are meant for serious research, doctoral or technical work and require five to six years to complete."
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-75130.html
Academy (JLA) which was set up 20 years ago at the Salt Lake suburb here by Kum Kum Nandy, who is also an Origami artist।The JLA has notched up a string of successes and has been among the few institutions at the forefront of this quiet linguistic boom sweeping the eastern part of India।
A California-based corporate house approached Nandy last month to teach 16 of its Indian employees Japanese twice a week, over the next six months।
All such institutes are meeting the demand for professionals familiar with Japanese। And the demand is high due to Japanese collaboration with India in making cars, electronic equipment and software।
Many of Nandy's students find regular placements in corporate and service sectors as interpreters, guides and translators, on a starting salary of about Rs।20,000 ($410) per month।
Now management trainees, software and IT professionals are also joining her courses along with school and college students, to master the nuances and the complexities of the Japanese language and enhancing their job prospects।
Corporates like the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Cognizant Technologies also prefer computer engineers who are well versed in Japanese। TCS reportedly gives generous waivers for the purpose and even reimburses fees।"One of the happiest and proudest moments of my life," recalls Nandy, "was when my student Jhimli Ghosh, a homemaker, cleared the first rung of the advanced level in a single attempt with only 380 hours of study, though a minimum of 600 hours are required।"Her oldest pupils include two retired professors, one of whom is a woman and is currently preparing for advanced level tests। The other had earlier completed a 10-month teachers' training programme in Japan on a scholarship।Recently, Nandy scripted and directed a skit, "Gakusei to Sensei" (Student and Teacher), entirely in Japanese, enacted by tiny tots in her summer classes। They conveyed the difficulties of mastering Japanese characters।The JLA, which has produced over 400 Japanese speakers since its inception, is recognised by the Japan Foundation for excellence, a distinction it shares with institutions like Viswa Bharati University, Jadavpur University, Rabindra Bharati University and the Ramakrishna Mission."Of course, without the support of the foundation it would have been difficult to conduct classes regularly," Nandy says.The Japan Foundation also provides books to the academy every year.The foundation has 20 overseas branches, including in India, to promote cultural, educational and academic activities on behalf of the Japanese government. It offers scholarships, teaching materials, student exchange programmes and guidance.Explaining the intricacies of learning Japanese, Nandy said it has three distinct scripts - Hiragana (traditional), Katakana, a repertoire of foreign words (in Japanese) and Kanji (pictogram), which denotes a single word with a single picture.The language has 46 syllables, each being made up of one consonant and one vowel. "There are a lot of similarities in sentence construction between Bengali, Hindi and Japanese," she says.The complete course comprises four levels, each lasting a year or more from the basic (easiest) through intermediate to advanced levels, making the students eligible for the Japanese language proficiency test (JLPT).The tests are conducted by the Japan Foundation.The highest level requires a through grasp of 2,000 Kanjis, 10,000 words and 900 hours of study, and the ability to read Japanese newspapers and novels like a native born।Initially 7,000 people took the JLPT, set up in 1984 in response to a growing demand for standardised Japanese language certification। In 2004, JLPT was offered in 40 countries, including Japan; 302,198 people took the test.In 2007, 430,137 candidates worldwide took the test - 110,937 for the highest level. Only about a quarter passed the highest level.In 2008, only eight out of 450 candidates who took the JLPT in eastern India sat for the highest level test; 86 appeared for the next level. Nandy said most candidates were between 19 and 25 years. The candidates included 16 from JLA."Very few are able to clear the two rungs of the advanced level in the first attempt," said Nandy. "They are meant for serious research, doctoral or technical work and require five to six years to complete."
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-75130.html
Students looking for stability in future employer
For university and post-graduate students expected to graduate in 2010, "stability" is now the most desirable trait in any potential employer, according to a poll conducted by Mainichi Communications।
The survey, which was released Wednesday, revealed company stability as the highest priority for the first time in the poll's six-year history, with 54।2 percent of respondents making it their top pick, a 7.1 point increase over last year's results. Respondents to this year's survey feel anxious over worsening corporate earnings stemming from the deepening economic downturn, and are becoming focused on stability and security as a result.
For the first five years that the survey was conducted, the main desirable trait in a potential employer was "a good company atmosphere," which this year fell 1।8 points to second spot. Coming in third was "a company with potential," which gained 1.1 points over last year's results.
The survey was conducted over the Internet from Dec। 26 to Jan. 4, and collected answers from 1,250 respondents.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090115p2a00m0na014000c.html
The survey, which was released Wednesday, revealed company stability as the highest priority for the first time in the poll's six-year history, with 54।2 percent of respondents making it their top pick, a 7.1 point increase over last year's results. Respondents to this year's survey feel anxious over worsening corporate earnings stemming from the deepening economic downturn, and are becoming focused on stability and security as a result.
For the first five years that the survey was conducted, the main desirable trait in a potential employer was "a good company atmosphere," which this year fell 1।8 points to second spot. Coming in third was "a company with potential," which gained 1.1 points over last year's results.
The survey was conducted over the Internet from Dec। 26 to Jan. 4, and collected answers from 1,250 respondents.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090115p2a00m0na014000c.html
Monday, January 05, 2009
Japan to raise English fluency
The Japanese government has set an ambitious goal of making the Japanese fluent in English, by recommending that all English classes for those aged 16 to 18 are taught mainly in that language from 2013।
The inability of most Japanese to speak English, despite compulsory classes from the age of 13, is well known and a source of embarrassment for Japan।
In Stockholm last month, Professor Toshihide Masukawa, a co-winner of this year's Nobel Prize in physics, insisted on delivering his lecture in Japanese।
Despite being able to read scientific literature in English, the 68-year-old academic cannot communicate in English and is known to dislike the language। But one thing he regretted was not being able to converse with other Nobel laureates.
The revised curriculum guideline recently announced by the Education Ministry is aimed at avoiding such situations।
English teachers at senior high schools in Japan will teach their classes in English and limit the use of Japanese only to the explanation of complicated grammar।
Senior high school students will also be required to master 1,800 new English words, up from the present quota of 1,300, while those aged 13 to 15 at junior high school will have to learn 3,000 new words, an increase of 800।
The new quotas will put the Japanese on a par with the level of English taught at schools in China and South Korea।
Mr Tsutomu Shiozaki, head of a national federation of English teachers, welcomed the new guidelines।
'People say that if we teach entirely in English, students will not be able to follow the lessons। That's not true. Language is to be used. If we use it often, students' awareness will change,' he was quoted as saying by the Asahi Shimbun.
Mr Shiozaki is the headmaster of a senior high school which was one of several chosen by the ministry a few years ago to teach English classes entirely in English।
But for most of Japan's English teachers, the new curriculum guideline is bad news, especially for those in their 40s and 50s who generally do not speak English well and are often terribly embarrassed by their pronunciation।
Mr Yo Hamada, 26, an English teacher at a school in Yokote city, Akita prefecture in northern Japan, feels it is pointless to teach in English if the format of university entrance examinations remains unchanged।
At present, English classes at high school focus on helping students to pass these examinations, which test only reading and comprehension and include a listening section। This is why, while most Japanese leave school able to read and write English to some extent, few end up being able to speak the language.
'Unless the requirements of entrance exams are changed, in fact unless the whole system of English education is changed, I do not see the point of trying to teach in English। I myself am reluctant to do so,' said Mr Yo.
He is proficient in English, having attended graduate school at the Tokyo campus of an American university।
Professor Matsuo Kimura, an English language education expert at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, believes that with the right training, it is feasible to teach in English। But he stressed that an integrated English curriculum from primary to senior high school is necessary to produce students who can speak English.
'At present, such a curriculum does not exist,' he said।
From 2011, 11- and 12-year-old Japanese children in primary schools will spend an hour a week using simple English for 'international understanding'।
But many think that is not enough।
Getting the pronunciation right is a problem for most Japanese and when the typical Japanese speaks English, it is often barely intelligible to a foreigner।
Most Japanese learners use the Japanese script to notate English sounds - something which virtually guarantees that what comes out of their mouths resembles Japanese more than English।
'Unless the requirements of entrance exams are changed, in fact unless the whole system of English education is changed, I do not see the point of trying to teach in English। I myself am reluctant to do so.'
Mr Yo Hamada, an English teacher। Japan's high schools focus on helping students pass university entrance exams, which test reading and listening skills, but not speaking skills.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Asia/Story/STIStory_321075.html
The inability of most Japanese to speak English, despite compulsory classes from the age of 13, is well known and a source of embarrassment for Japan।
In Stockholm last month, Professor Toshihide Masukawa, a co-winner of this year's Nobel Prize in physics, insisted on delivering his lecture in Japanese।
Despite being able to read scientific literature in English, the 68-year-old academic cannot communicate in English and is known to dislike the language। But one thing he regretted was not being able to converse with other Nobel laureates.
The revised curriculum guideline recently announced by the Education Ministry is aimed at avoiding such situations।
English teachers at senior high schools in Japan will teach their classes in English and limit the use of Japanese only to the explanation of complicated grammar।
Senior high school students will also be required to master 1,800 new English words, up from the present quota of 1,300, while those aged 13 to 15 at junior high school will have to learn 3,000 new words, an increase of 800।
The new quotas will put the Japanese on a par with the level of English taught at schools in China and South Korea।
Mr Tsutomu Shiozaki, head of a national federation of English teachers, welcomed the new guidelines।
'People say that if we teach entirely in English, students will not be able to follow the lessons। That's not true. Language is to be used. If we use it often, students' awareness will change,' he was quoted as saying by the Asahi Shimbun.
Mr Shiozaki is the headmaster of a senior high school which was one of several chosen by the ministry a few years ago to teach English classes entirely in English।
But for most of Japan's English teachers, the new curriculum guideline is bad news, especially for those in their 40s and 50s who generally do not speak English well and are often terribly embarrassed by their pronunciation।
Mr Yo Hamada, 26, an English teacher at a school in Yokote city, Akita prefecture in northern Japan, feels it is pointless to teach in English if the format of university entrance examinations remains unchanged।
At present, English classes at high school focus on helping students to pass these examinations, which test only reading and comprehension and include a listening section। This is why, while most Japanese leave school able to read and write English to some extent, few end up being able to speak the language.
'Unless the requirements of entrance exams are changed, in fact unless the whole system of English education is changed, I do not see the point of trying to teach in English। I myself am reluctant to do so,' said Mr Yo.
He is proficient in English, having attended graduate school at the Tokyo campus of an American university।
Professor Matsuo Kimura, an English language education expert at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, believes that with the right training, it is feasible to teach in English। But he stressed that an integrated English curriculum from primary to senior high school is necessary to produce students who can speak English.
'At present, such a curriculum does not exist,' he said।
From 2011, 11- and 12-year-old Japanese children in primary schools will spend an hour a week using simple English for 'international understanding'।
But many think that is not enough।
Getting the pronunciation right is a problem for most Japanese and when the typical Japanese speaks English, it is often barely intelligible to a foreigner।
Most Japanese learners use the Japanese script to notate English sounds - something which virtually guarantees that what comes out of their mouths resembles Japanese more than English।
'Unless the requirements of entrance exams are changed, in fact unless the whole system of English education is changed, I do not see the point of trying to teach in English। I myself am reluctant to do so.'
Mr Yo Hamada, an English teacher। Japan's high schools focus on helping students pass university entrance exams, which test reading and listening skills, but not speaking skills.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Asia/Story/STIStory_321075.html
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Workforce welcomes skilled foreigners
An increasing number of foreign university students are staying in Japan to work after they graduate, with Japanese firms regarding such hires as potential assets in their efforts to expand operations overseas।
While the current economic recession may slow the hiring of foreign graduates, observers believe the trend is likely to increase in the long run।
Siyana Samsudeen joined Fujitsu Ltd। in 2007 after graduating from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Oita Prefecture. The 26-year-old Sri Lankan holds the title of Bridge System Engineer, and liaises with Fujitsu's software development partners in China, India and other countries to ensure clients' requests are properly communicated.
"Bridge SEs will be needed more and more, so I think this job has good prospects for the future," she said।
Eugene Aksenov joined Fujitsu in 2007 after completing Tohoku University graduate school। Aksenov, a 26-year-old Australian national born in the former Soviet Union, works in the firm's Global Human Resources Management Division, providing clerical support for overseas branches.
"I hope to use my multilingual abilities to send messages abroad। One day, I want to work in an overseas branch myself," he said.
Kizo Tagomori, head of the firm's human resources recruitment center, said, "There's very little need for foreign staffers on the ground right now, but in five to 10 years there'll definitely be areas where they'll be useful।"
Such positions could include working in overseas branches to act as mediators with offices in Japan।
The number of foreign students who changed their resident status after receiving a job offer from a Japanese firm--as Justice Ministry Immigration Bureau regulations allow in certain cases--numbered 10,262 in 2007, up 24 percent from the previous year। The 2007 figure was double that of 2004, and triple that of 2002.
Prof। Mitsuhide Shiraki, the dean of Waseda University's Center for International Education, said: "The number of Japanese people in the workforce will soon be decreasing by 300,000 to 400,000 per year. For firms to secure skilled personnel, employing foreign graduates will be more and more important."
The government hopes to increase the number of foreigners studying at tertiary level in Japan from the current 120,000 to 300,000 by around 2020। A plan drawn up in July calls for improved housing and job seeking support services for foreign students, to be mainly provided via a designated group of 30 universities.
Major staffing agency Pasona Inc। this year launched a Web site designed specifically for foreign students, a further indication of the private sector's interest in foreign graduates.
However, some outstanding issues are yet to be addressed।
Tagomori noted the dissonance between firms' recruiting priorities and the admissions policies of Japanese universities। While firms seek graduates with math and science majors, most foreign students accepted by universities here are liberal arts students.
Shiraki said firms also need to work on their approach to potential foreign recruits, saying: "Japanese firms don't map out the possible career course of a potential employee। This doesn't suit the thinking of foreign graduates, who tend to have clear career goals such as focusing on research or developing their management skills."
Japanese firms engaging greater numbers of skilled foreign workers is a recent development, and the success of such partnerships can not yet be fully assessed।
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081229TDY07301.htm
While the current economic recession may slow the hiring of foreign graduates, observers believe the trend is likely to increase in the long run।
Siyana Samsudeen joined Fujitsu Ltd। in 2007 after graduating from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Oita Prefecture. The 26-year-old Sri Lankan holds the title of Bridge System Engineer, and liaises with Fujitsu's software development partners in China, India and other countries to ensure clients' requests are properly communicated.
"Bridge SEs will be needed more and more, so I think this job has good prospects for the future," she said।
Eugene Aksenov joined Fujitsu in 2007 after completing Tohoku University graduate school। Aksenov, a 26-year-old Australian national born in the former Soviet Union, works in the firm's Global Human Resources Management Division, providing clerical support for overseas branches.
"I hope to use my multilingual abilities to send messages abroad। One day, I want to work in an overseas branch myself," he said.
Kizo Tagomori, head of the firm's human resources recruitment center, said, "There's very little need for foreign staffers on the ground right now, but in five to 10 years there'll definitely be areas where they'll be useful।"
Such positions could include working in overseas branches to act as mediators with offices in Japan।
The number of foreign students who changed their resident status after receiving a job offer from a Japanese firm--as Justice Ministry Immigration Bureau regulations allow in certain cases--numbered 10,262 in 2007, up 24 percent from the previous year। The 2007 figure was double that of 2004, and triple that of 2002.
Prof। Mitsuhide Shiraki, the dean of Waseda University's Center for International Education, said: "The number of Japanese people in the workforce will soon be decreasing by 300,000 to 400,000 per year. For firms to secure skilled personnel, employing foreign graduates will be more and more important."
The government hopes to increase the number of foreigners studying at tertiary level in Japan from the current 120,000 to 300,000 by around 2020। A plan drawn up in July calls for improved housing and job seeking support services for foreign students, to be mainly provided via a designated group of 30 universities.
Major staffing agency Pasona Inc। this year launched a Web site designed specifically for foreign students, a further indication of the private sector's interest in foreign graduates.
However, some outstanding issues are yet to be addressed।
Tagomori noted the dissonance between firms' recruiting priorities and the admissions policies of Japanese universities। While firms seek graduates with math and science majors, most foreign students accepted by universities here are liberal arts students.
Shiraki said firms also need to work on their approach to potential foreign recruits, saying: "Japanese firms don't map out the possible career course of a potential employee। This doesn't suit the thinking of foreign graduates, who tend to have clear career goals such as focusing on research or developing their management skills."
Japanese firms engaging greater numbers of skilled foreign workers is a recent development, and the success of such partnerships can not yet be fully assessed।
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081229TDY07301.htm
No. of foreign students reaches record 124,000+
The number of foreign students studying in Japan reached a record 123,829 in the current fiscal year, up 5,331 from fiscal 2007, a student support organization announced Thursday।
It is notable that the number of students studying at institutions to acquire language skills and professional techniques increased 3,354 from a year earlier, the Japan Student Services Organization said।
It said foreign students think such schools will lead them to good jobs।
Students from China led the wave of foreign students with 72,766, followed by South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, while Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Oita Prefecture accepted the largest number of foreign students at 2,644, the organization said।
Among the foreign students in Japan, 32,666 were enrolled in graduate schools, 63,175 in university undergraduate programs, junior colleges or higher professional schools and 25,753 in professional schools, according to the organization।
The government aims to accept 300,000 foreign students, earmarking about 43 billion yen in the fiscal 2009 budget to achieve the goal by enhancing the scholarship system for foreign students and other measures।
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D959OMAO0&show_article=1
It is notable that the number of students studying at institutions to acquire language skills and professional techniques increased 3,354 from a year earlier, the Japan Student Services Organization said।
It said foreign students think such schools will lead them to good jobs।
Students from China led the wave of foreign students with 72,766, followed by South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, while Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Oita Prefecture accepted the largest number of foreign students at 2,644, the organization said।
Among the foreign students in Japan, 32,666 were enrolled in graduate schools, 63,175 in university undergraduate programs, junior colleges or higher professional schools and 25,753 in professional schools, according to the organization।
The government aims to accept 300,000 foreign students, earmarking about 43 billion yen in the fiscal 2009 budget to achieve the goal by enhancing the scholarship system for foreign students and other measures।
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D959OMAO0&show_article=1
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