News: Asian / International Articles...

Dec 02 2009 0 Comments by The ENB

While countries all over asia are striving to improve their English Education Programs there are cases in which a country's president may actually pledge to upgrade the establishment for example in the Korean English program a news article posted last year: "South Korea to improve English Education" by Kwang-Tae Kim, Associated Press Writer.

And in our own area of Japan I came across something more of an an editorial article than a news piece written by Kenji Tamaki, Editorial Writer over at Mainichi Shinbun. It makes for a very interesting point and references the origins of the Elementary School English Program in Japan and his thoughts on the matter. Yet, as he states "If the purpose of the government's action plan is only to make people fluent in English -- which, by the way, is a difficult thing to do -- it is of no use at all." Well. I really hate to burst his bubble, becuase he does make his point clear. But isn't the main point of MEXT's program for shogakko English to enjoy learning English first and gain some International Understanding. Why not forget about fluency for now and let's have some fun with the kids. In the meantime, we can also enjoy hearing them take on the challenge.

audio sample: Japanese kid's and fluency

And yes, such as his point may be, let's leave the matter of fluency to be later decided by the individual learner themselves. If young learners enjoy learning English as the years go by they will not feel that they have to abide by a ministry related (future) 'status quo' but actually be willing to communicate on their own free will and be proud of their English Speaking Skills. Thanks for the article Tamaki-san. It certainly raises a lot of deep issues on the matter, especially, the feelings of the teachers themselves.

Keep posted here for further comments.

The Japan Times: more articles/news about living in Japan

Dec 04 2009 0 Comments by The ENB

Kan, Ozawa wage verbal war in Osaka

OSAKA (Kyodo) The two candidates in the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election battered each other Sunday in street speeches in Osaka, with Prime Minister Naoto Kan emphasizing party management and transparent use of political funds, and rival Ichiro Ozawa vowing to put policymaking in the hands of politicians rather than bureaucrats.
"I want all of you to join (the electoral process) to determine whether you will entrust Mr. Ozawa (with the DPJ leadership) or continue to let me serve as leader," Kan told the crowd.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:25 pm

The Australian 'distance'

"Beauty of Distance" is the title of this year's Sydney Biennale of modern arts. The title is obviously an echo and ironic association with the famous book written about Australia titled "Tyranny of Distance," which depicted the dilemma of Australia associating mentally with Europe (England) yet being geographically remote from it.
One might say that the international perspective of Australia has changed a great deal due to Britain's entry into the European community, American supremacy and the increasing importance to Australia of Asian economic development.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:24 pm

Record budget request

Government ministries and agencies have submitted a record-high budget request of ¥96.75 trillion for fiscal 2011, topping by 1.8 percent the corresponding ¥95.04 trillion figure for fiscal 2010, which was also a record. Election pledges by the Democratic Party of Japan, automatic increases in social security costs, and debt-servicing costs have bloated the budget requests.
The government will have difficulty trimming these requests as it drafts the fiscal 2011 budget. The initial fiscal 2010 budget was slashed to ¥92.3 trillion, and still amounted to a record. If former DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa beats Prime Minister Naoto Kan in the party's presidential election and becomes prime minister, there will be more pressure to expand the budget because he appears to favor big spending.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:23 pm

Race on for Nago assembly hopefuls

NAHA (Kyodo) Official campaigning kicked off Sunday for the Nago assembly election next week, with interest focused on whether candidates supporting Mayor Susumu Inamine, a staunch opponent of hosting a contentious U.S. air base, can win a majority.
The local election board accepted 37 candidates — including 18 pro-Inamine candidates and 17 critical of the mayor — for the 27 seats up for grabs in the city of 60,000.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:22 pm

Hisahito celebrates fourth birthday

Prince Hisahito, the only son of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, celebrated his fourth birthday on Monday.
Prince Hisahito, third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after Crown Prince Naruhito, Emperor Akihito's eldest son, and Prince Akishino, the Emperor's second son, attends the kindergarten linked with Ochanomizu University in Tokyo.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:21 pm

Japan-linked firms sweat new labor laws in China

HONG KONG (Kyodo) A raft of new labor regulations that would grant collective bargaining rights to Chinese workers in Shenzhen is worrying Japan-affiliated companies in the special economic zone.
The rules, which could trigger demand for massive wage increases of more than 70 percent, have prompted the Guangzhou office of the Japan External Trade Organization, which is dedicated to promoting trade, to file a petition with local authorities to reconsider the plan.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:20 pm

Car dealers laud Russia for easing VIN rules

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Kyodo) Used car dealers in the Russian Far East and coastal areas of Japan near them praised a Russian decision to rescind new rules that would have dealt a potentially fatal blow to business in the region.
At issue is a new Russian government technical standard, that makes it impossible to register a motor vehicle in Russia without a 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number. The rule was to take effect on Sept. 23,

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:19 pm

Woman held in fatal subway knifing

NAGOYA (Kyodo) A 23-year-old woman was arrested in Nagoya on Sunday morning after allegedly stabbing an 81-year-old woman to death at a subway station in the city, local police said.
The victim was identified as Toshi Okuda, a Nagoya resident. Although her condition was initially reported as not life-threatening, she died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:18 pm

Japanese journalist released in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (Kyodo) A Japanese freelance journalist who went missing in Afghanistan after apparently being detained by Afghan militants has been released and is under the protection of the Japanese Embassy in Kabul, Japanese government sources said Sunday.
Kosuke Tsuneoka, 41, was released Saturday and was in good health, the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency said, quoting a person who met Tsuneoka Saturday night shortly after his arrival in the Afghan capital.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:17 pm

Pirates rob tanker off Indonesia

A chemical tanker run a Japanese firm was robbed while sailing off Indonesia's Anambas Islands, information from the transport ministry said Sunday.
The incident involving the tanker, operated by Tokyo-based Iino Kaiun Kaisha Ltd., occurred shortly after 4 a.m. Japan time the same day. No one was injured and there was no damage to the tanker.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:16 pm

Risks of a more active defense

A private advisory panel to Prime Minister Naoto Kan submitted a report Aug. 27 calling for changing Japan from a "passive peace-loving nation" to a "proactive peace-loving nation." The panel was formed in view of a planned revision of the defense program outline — a guideline for building up defense capabilities.
The panel says that while the current situation does not warrant relaxation of Japan's nonnuclear principle, it would not be wise to bind the hands of the United States with the principle. It also calls for relaxing Japan's arms export ban to let Japanese firms take part in international weapons development projects.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:15 pm

Government to buy submersible vehicle to tap ocean resources

The land ministry plans to acquire an unmanned submersible craft so it can gather data that will help it search for natural resources in its exclusive economic zone, ministry sources said Saturday.
The ministry intends to request ¥1.1 billion from the 2011 budget to buy the submersible, which would be put into use in fiscal 2012.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:14 pm

Battle for Turkey's constitution

ISTANBUL — On Sept. 12, Turks will vote on a set of constitutional amendments proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been in power for eight years. Since the vote falls on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 military coup, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is portraying the referendum as an opportunity to reject the military regime's legacy.
Turkey's constitution has been amended repeatedly since the coup. But its antidemocratic core remains intact — and, unfortunately, the current proposals do not dramatically alter that.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:13 pm

A-bomb museum gets 60 millionth

HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum welcomed its 60 millionth visitor Sunday.
"It's a large number equivalent to nearly half the population of Japan. We feel its significance," said Koichiro Maeda, the director of the museum.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:12 pm

Suzuki bets big on India

HAMAMATSU (Kyodo) Suzuki Motor Corp. is planning to build a third car manufacturing plant in India that could go onstream as early as 2013, a move that will make India the company's biggest production base, even outstripping Japan, sources familiar with the plan said Sunday.
Suzuki, based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, is expected to focus chiefly on producing small automobiles at the new plant, which will join a rapidly growing market where Suzuki is already the biggest player, with a roughly 50 percent share. However, it will likely face stiff competifrom other major automakers that are making inroads into India.

Posted on 5 September 2010 | 2:11 pm

Kyoto bakes as thermometer climbs to 39.9

The mercury on Sunday soared to a temple-scorching 39.9 degrees (104 F) in Kyotanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, resetting the record for highest temperature this summer, the Meteorological Agency said.
It was also the highest temperature ever recorded in the month of September. The previous record, 39.7, was logged in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 2, 2000, the agency said.