JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

AndyG2009's past comments

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  AndyG2009Jul. 23, 2009 - 12:35PM JST

  I grew up in Japan and moved to the US in my mid 20’s about 20 years ago. Now I’m a Japanese American who can speak fluent enough English to live and work. I started to go to language schools at the age of 16 and passed step test 1st class (Eiken ikkyu) at age 20.

  Previously, I didn’t believe what brain scientists say (they say that after puberty there is no way to be able to speak a foreign language as well as native speakers). Since I came to the US, I spoke in English at work and at home almost 100% of time. My wife studied in Japan for a while and she can speak Japanese, but at home we talk in English. After 3 decades of studying English, my listening skills in English are as good as in Japanese. I still have a bit of a Japanese accent, but it doesn’t get in a way of communication with others.

  Until recently, I strongly believed that one can be fluent in any language at any age. I met with people who came to America in their high school age and can speak English almost as well as native speakers. However, after I read this news article about “how children become bilingual”, I changed my mind.

  I remembered two things in my childhood that I had forgotten. When I was 7 years old, an American family lived near my house and I played with their son. Since I was 5, my big sister who was crazy about American music played American songs and American radio shows in a small room I shared with her (I tolerated FEN shows at age 5). If I believe the scientists, these conditions in my childhood were indeed the most important English learning in my life and my years of learning merely enhanced what my brain already learned. It may be that my early exposure to English made me feel like studying English hard. Come to think of it, the people I know who became exceptionally fluent in English have parents who do international business and seem to have early exposure to English. Now I think these scientists may be right.

  Posted in: Unraveling how children become bilingual so easily

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  AndyG2009Jul. 19, 2009 - 08:28AM JST

  -Klein2

  Japan is a good place FOR ME to raise children. I am an authority on myself, so there is no need for debate, really.

  If that’s the case, why did you post your messages here? I thought that you want to hear opinions from those whose experiences differ from your own. I grew up in Japan. From my experience, I don’t think Japan is a good place to raise kids. I don’t mean to say that my upbringing represents all the kinds of childhood experiences there, but my own experience has a lot in common with others there. Unfortunately, I didn’t live “among scientists and doctors and teachers, a Nobel prize winner, and a well known actress”. Such a privileged life was out of reach for a regular guy like me.

  First, the schools seem to be a place for an endurance contest. If you are good at math, you have to wait for other kids who cannot care less about numbers to grasp the concept of basic math. No merit base classes in most of the schools. There is no wonder the Japanese top universities (like Tokyo University) are no match for the American top universities in the list of top 100 world universities. Kids with talents in some areas will waste their time and be forced to do the same thing as others.
  Japanese teachers are authoritarian and sometimes physically abusive. I saw one of my friends beaten by a teacher simply because he questioned an accuracy of what the teacher said. There is no wonder why Japanese students are so timid and afraid of saying what is on their mind. Fear of telling their opinions is very common thing you see in Japan and is not a special situation at all.
  Second, Japanese education focuses on memorization and their teaching methods are impractical.
  I don’t think that people who only memorize a bunch of things can do well in the future competitions because people can simply use search engines. In many cases, teachers who cannot speak English teach students a special kind of English, “English for exams” (Jyuken Eigo). Because of this, many Americans who live there have to learn “Japanese English” otherwise it will be hard just to find “McDonald’s”.
  I don’t have a problem with demanding education. I have a problem with schools that are demanding in a wrong way. Third, kids don’t have enough space. Since most of the kids live in or near big cities, lack of space is a common issue. Fourth, Japan is aging rapidly and 40% of Japanese people will be senior citizens in 40 years. It will be way too optimistic to think that a country that is going to be a super aged nation with a mountain of public debt will give kids a bright future. I think that one reason why Japanese young people don’t want to have kids is that they believe that the future is worse.

  Posted in: Is Japan a good place to raise children?

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  AndyG2009Jul. 17, 2009 - 04:38PM JST

  -lordomni

  Japan is not a great environment for kids, it teaches them all the things they need to be unhappy the rest of their life.

  Japan is the best place to raise obedient slave workers. In my short experience of working in Japan, I was surprised to see frequent violations of labor laws. When I got sick I couldn’t even use my sick days. At that time I went to an emergency hospital at night and worked the next day. Others at work (luckier guys) used their vacation time when they got sick. What amazed me the most is that the Japanese managed to build the nation which is not only uncomfortable to non Japanese people, but also down right tough place to live for Japanese people.

  -bimpyschack

  When I think of places to raise my children, Japan is about the bottom of the list.

  In my case, Japan is at the bottom of the developed countries. USA is the best!

  Japan is a great place to raise your kids if you want them to be Japanese.

  I agree. If the kids will live in Japan for their entire life, raising them in Japan is OK. If the kids will live in others parts of the world, raising them in Japan will not help.

  Posted in: Is Japan a good place to raise children?

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  AndyG2009Jul. 16, 2009 - 04:41PM JST

  Cleo -

  Corporal punishment in schools is illegal.

  I know that, but I saw that regularly in schools in Japan. Sometimes when one kid in a group (we called “han” which means squad) did something wrong, the entire group members were slapped in their face. I remember that we developed the habit of watching each other for the fear of the group punishments. To my surprise, parents back then (in 70th and 80th) loved teachers who disciplined their kids with an iron fist. I don’t think there was any parent who complained, let alone sued these violent teachers.

  Posted in: Is Japan a good place to raise children?

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  AndyG2009Jul. 15, 2009 - 04:55PM JST

  I grew up in Japan and am a happily naturalized US citizen. My impression of Japanese schools is that they are like military schools. Everyone wears the uniform, rules are very strict (down to the color of your socks), junior students obey senior students, and teachers use corporal punishments. To me the question like “is Japan a good country to raise kids?” sounds similar to a question of “are military schools good for your child’s education?” Of course, everyone has a different opinion, but in my case I had no choice. To me personally, I have no plan to send my kid to any Japanese school. There are good things about Japanese school, but negative things are overwhelming. They don’t teach kids how to think as an individual. They want kids to memorize things. They don’t encourage kids to trust themselves and be assertive. They teach their kids to know their place. They don’t teach kids how to communicate in English. They value English teachers who cannot speak English (it’s like someone who cannot swim teaches kids how to swim). All in all, Japanese education enriches the lives of privileged few who can take advantage of the mass produced obedient hard workers.

  Posted in: Is Japan a good place to raise children?

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