Saitama Pref. school underlines value of extensive reading
The Yomiuri Shimbun
On April 9, 1987, Saitama Prefecture established a new type of high school--the "kokusai koko," a Japanese version of an international high school. Located in Wako in the prefecture, Wako Kokusai High School has since sent 5,760 graduates into society, and celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.
The high school was established with the aim of cultivating students of independent spirit who are healthy in mind and body, and who can make a valuable contribution to international society. Since its opening, it has offered students the same number of classes: Four in general studies, two in foreign-languages, and two in computing.
Wako was the first high school with "kokusai" in its name, according to the Saitama Prefecture's Educational Bureau, though there are a number of high schools with "kokusai" in their school names around the country today. Among Saitama prefectural high schools, Wako Kokusai High School was the first to offer a foreign-language course, and also the first to adopt the two-term system instead of the conventional three terms.
The school is trying to improve all students English ability by offering speech and debate classes in the language. Featuring seven foreign teachers, the foreign-language course gives students four language options for their second language with the aim of cultivating "language experts."
Since its establishment, the school has conducted an educational program that requires all students to read a lot of picture books and stories written in foreign languages. "To acquire abilities in speaking and writing a foreign language, it is necessary to develop a wide vocabulary and to know how to use it. Reading many books is an effective way to achieve that," said Satoshi Setoyama, 44, a teacher on the foreign-language course.
In the beginning, students were required to read from eight to 10 books a year and were tested on them later. The test results were included in their assessments. Students who could not meet the target had to take after-school lessons to make up. However, teachers found that it was difficult for all students to read the same books as their English ability and reading speeds were different.
"We started the project to give students a chance to enjoy reading a lot of books. But it turned out that students were more interested in targeting their reading at getting good scores in the tests," recalled Masako Gono, 44, who taught the foreign-language course at the school until March.
Setoyama and Gono spent some time groping for a way to get back the original aim--letting students read books in a fun way--before finally introducing a new method in April 2000. At that time they started dividing students' reading ability into nine ranks. Reading test results were no longer included in assessments, and each class was given 100 to 120 books to choose from, allowing books to be better matched to students' abilities. They also prepared a special selection of about 160 books for students who were particularly strong in English.
The new method allowed students to read a lot of books at their own level without worrying about their performance in tests. However, it also brought new problems.
Some teachers wondered how they should respond when students wanted to read their favorite books despite the fact that the material was not of a suitable level. In response, they abolished the nine-rank system in the 2006 school year. Students today can read their favorite books on their own initiative, and present reports to teachers on the books they read, and the number of days it took to read them.
Extensive reading has been the backbone of English education at Wako Kokusai High School, but the gradual move to the current system, with its focus on student initiative, remains the subject of debate. "It needs real perseverance for students to read a book right through and I think it's time to reconsider the extent of teacher involvement in the program," said Atsushi Kikuchi, 42, a teacher in the foreign-language course.
School principal Atsushi Iida, 46, expects the extensive reading to cultivate practical English ability can be utilized in the future. But he admits to conflicted feelings over requiring teachers to put so much emphasis on reading when they are also expected to deliver good results for students in college entrance examinations.
(May. 4, 2007)