SELHi in action / Using English everywhere
This is the 21st installment in a series on the government-designated Super English Language High School (SELHi) pilot project.
TORIDE, Ibaraki--Fujishiro High School here is one example showing that English classes do not necessarily have to be the focus of a Super English Language High School program. Hiroshi Ogata, who leads the SELHi program at the school, is a social studies teacher.
"This is part of our strategy--to involve all members of the school," said Principal Koshi Hosota. The school's SELHi Promoting Committee comprises 16 teachers, and six of them are not English teachers.
One of the school-wide activities of the program is "English Day." Every Thursday, students are given handouts titled: "English Day! Use your English as much as possible!" The handout includes several questions and answers that could be useful in everyday conversation.
The day starts with an internal school announcement hosted by a disc jockey--really a Japanese history teacher--while a music teacher chooses and plays the music.
After the DJ's "Good morning everyone; today's English Day," a native-English speaking teacher and a student perform the English conversation in the handout, and urge students to use the questions and answers during the day. The same exchanges are again broadcast during lunch time.
English Day is one of the efforts to create an English atmosphere in the school.
"Fujishiro is very different from other schools," said Glenn Serviss, a Canadian teacher who is assigned to the school for the program and has visited several other high schools on SELHi project.
"[Fujishiro High School's program involves] not only English teachers--there's cooperation between all teachers, and that motivates students," he said. one time I was talking to two girls in the hall when a music teacher came in and started a question-and-answer session in English. It's great."
According to Hosota, the prefectural school's SELHi program is based on international understanding, on which the school has placed great emphasis for about a quarter of a century.
"Shortly after the school was founded 34 years ago, things became very rough. Sometimes a motorcycle gang would come through the school's gate and drive around, and the students would flock to the windows to cheer--of course no teacher can continue a class in that kind of a situation," said Hosota. "That was the reason why the school started classes for international understanding. The teachers hoped it would cultivate understanding for others and also love for our own culture and homeland."
It apparently worked. No sign of roughness is seen around the school now.
"We make much of that history. English classes are important, but the focus is definitely on international understanding," Hosota added.
As for English classes, the program is adopted in all 12 classes of the first- and second-year students. Each class, with about 40 members, is divided into two groups according to their level of English skills. In the first year, this is based on oral communication, and in the second year it is based on writing. Both subjects are allocated two hours a week, with one of the hours led by a native English speaker and conducted almost entirely in English.
When The Daily Yomiuri visited Serviss' oral communication class in late January, the topic was bullying. "Bullies should be expelled from school'...Do you agree or disagree?"
Called by their first names, the students responded. "I disagree. I think the bully has a right to study," said one student.
Another said, "I agree [with the statement] because bullies are bad."
Although their pronunciation was not as good and their command of English was not as fluent as those of students at other high schools with intensive English courses, the students in the classroom looked confident in speaking English.
Dividing one class into two was possible for the school only after it was designated as a SELHi, as Serviss came to the school in addition to one assistant language teacher (ALT) who was already there.
Etsuko Nakaigawa, an English teacher on the SELHi committee, said: "With the smaller classes, students have more chances to speak English. The classes also develop their skills in making speeches and presentations, and I think those kinds of skills will be useful for students in the future."
But Serviss will be gone in April when the three-year program is over. The classes likely will go back to the normal size.
Ogata said: "It's clear that students became much more confident in speaking English. I wish the program could be developed further."
But native-English speaking teachers are more optimistic. Serviss said, "I think it's important to maintain the momentum--trying new things, something experimental, and taking chances--and we should keep our focus on communicative English."
Ramy Phillippose, an ALT from the United States, said: "Even if the class size goes back to the regular size, we have to make sure students are talking and interacting just as much. And it'll be a new, fun, exciting process."
The school's strategy to involve everyone may prove advantageous. As speaking in English has become quite a natural phenomenon in the school, for both teachers and students, maintaining the momentum may not be as difficult as it seems.
Hosota said: "I don't expect dramatic changes. Each step may be slow, but it's good enough if it helps students improve their inner strength."