Are English conversation skills really necessary for Japanese Junior High School students? As a mother of 14 years old boy, who doesn't like studying any subject, I have tried lots of things to make h

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Are English conversation skills really necessary for Japanese Junior High School students? As a mother of 14 years old boy, who doesn't like studying any subject, I have tried lots of things to make him study. Since he doesn't study regularly, it is difficult for him to catch up with the class. I always ask him to study with me, but he refuses my offer every time. I know he is in the middle of puberty so it is natural for him to feel not to study with his mother. I just want to help him. That's all. He is not good at memorizing things especially English words, and Kanji. But you must memorize words in order to understand English, aren't you? It's kind of vicious circle. He can't memorize words, so he can't understand the sentences, and it makes English more difficult for him. Oh, the title I've written above was "Are English conversation skills really necessary for Japanese Junior high school students?". The reason why I wrote the title was because there are teaching guidelines for Junior high school students by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. According to the guidelines, teachers must put emphasis on communication skills during three years of school English education period. I agree on the importance of communication skills, but is English really necessary to improve communication skills? For some teenagers, to speak something in front of their peers might be embarrassing experience, let alone a foreign language. So if she or he isn't good at communicate in English does mean she or he won't get a good grade? If we want to improve students' communication skills, we can improve the skills not only in English classes alone but also in Japanese classes and in other classes, such as social study classes, I think. In the real life, do I use English conversation? I say no. At least in my neighborhood there is almost no opportunity using English conversation. If there is no opportunity using English conversation for the time being, why they should study conversational English at the first place? If someone need to learn conversational English, learn personally then. In my opinion, the ability to tell or transmit information about Japan and the local place for foreign people is much more meaningful than just making a short speech about "My favorite food." What do you think?

Jul 1, 2013 6:51 AM

Corrections · 5

Are English conversation skills really necessary for Japanese Junior High School students?

As a mother of a 14 year(s) old boy, who doesn't like studying any subject, I have tried lots of things to make him study. Since he doesn't study regularly, it is difficult for him to catch up with the class.
I always ask him to study with me, but he refuses my offer every time. I know he is in the middle of puberty so it is natural for him to (feel) not want to study with his mother.

I just want to help him. That's all.

He is not good at memorizing things especially English words, and Kanji.
But you must memorize words in order to understand English, aren't you? right? or mustn't you?
It's kind of a vicious circle. He can't memorize words, so he can't understand the sentences, and it makes English more difficult for him.

Oh, the title I've written above was "Are English conversation skills really necessary for Japanese Junior high school students?".
The reason why I wrote the title was because there are teaching guidelines for Junior high school students by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
According to the guidelines, teachers must put emphasis on communication skills during the three years of school English education period.

I agree on the importance of communication skills, but is English really necessary to improve communication skills? For some teenagers, to speak something in front of their peers might be an embarrassing experience, let alone a foreign language. So if she or he isn't good at communicate communicating in English does that mean she or he won't get a good grade?

If we want to improve students' communication skills, we can improve the skills not only in English classes alone but also in Japanese classes and in other classes, such as social study classes, I think.

In the real life, do I use English conversation?
I say no. At least in my neighborhood there is almost no opportunity using to use English conversation.
If there is no opportunity using to use English conversation for the time being, why they should study conversational English at in the first place?

If someone needs to learn conversational English, learn personally then.

In my opinion, the ability to tell or transmit information about Japan and the local place for foreign people is much more meaningful than just making a short speech about "My favorite food."

What do you think?

July 1, 2013

Hi Wary, It's nice to meet you and thank you so much for your comment. I agree with English is very useful language because it used by many people all over the world. I'm not against learning English at all. Maybe my English made confused you. I must apologize. I just wanted to say that Japanese Junior High School students should learn how to express or describe themselves not orally but in written form. In other words, I think learning how to write English sentences are more important than learning how to converse each other in English in the English class room.

July 1, 2013

Your country is being well-known for being patriotic in terms of loving your own language and for being so courteous. Others say, like my teacher in history "Japan is a rich country, because they know how communicate well using their own language and why should we need to imitate or learn other language if we have our own? for what? for business industry? for work? no! Learning language is to express ideas, but not to impress people around you. I'm not against to learn other foreign language. I'm a filipino and a filipino should speak in tagalog should write things in tagalog, but why should I need to compose words or construct words in English? because again this is just for me to be understood by other culture/people from different countries; since English is considered as widely used language.

July 1, 2013

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