Teaching in Japan - Interview test at my Japanese university

[Snea]

I like G2 Pilot pens, so I pull out the crazy turquoise or pink pens more than the other colors. :D

[HarbFamily]

RED !

Why their oral skill is poor in your opinion ?

[myargonauts]

@HarbFamily lack of practice. Most students only get a chance to speak English maybe 20 minutes a day in class, which is usually 2 or 3 times a week. Most don't speak outside of class, and in rural Japan there are hardly any native speakers of English around.

[skulduggerous]

Seriously, ignore the haters. You have to grow a thick skin on Youtube, there's so much baseless hate. I bet the one who left that "DON'T YOU SPEAK JAPANESE AT ALL" comment is barely able to form a sentence himself. I love your videos! I'm not even interested in anything related to teaching and I watched this whole thing, along with a whole bunch of your other videos :)

[myargonauts]

@skulduggerous cool! thanks for the support.  :)

[nicolejudy]

is Asian thing .. most if them like that

[Forbzyful]

Skittles bowling? I've never heard that before. We call it ten-pin bowling here, just like in the states.

[Timoshka12]

kyuushyoku. Not kishyoku. Don't you speak Japanese at all?

rural place, small and unknown university-a level of the students is low as well.

[myargonauts]

@Timoshka12 a 30 minute vlog and this is the comment you leave?? Comments like this make me not want to start making videos again.

[mylife0513]

@myargonauts

Just ignor those assholeish people.

You can do whatever you think relevant to show.

I am Japanese, and I can say just a one thing to this guy.

"kyuushyoku" is supposed to be "Kyuushoku", or "Kyuusyoku".

That's better. By the way, I've been learning English seriously for a year and I know

language learning is really tough, so I think your Japanese is pretty good actually.

Don't listen an offensive comment. Keep it up, and make your students amazed.

That become a motivation for them

[myargonauts]

@mylife0513 thanks for the nice comment - I will continue to learn Japanese and hope my pronunciation improves.

[noirlemon]

@myargonauts oh yeah don't give up! We all have to make a lot of efforts. I'm a french-canadian still learning a lot about english, even if I'm at university level, and I'm also learning japanese at university. I've been DREAMING of being a Jet ALT as soon as I finish my degree since I went in Japan and helped an ALT and a japanese english teacher in an high school while on an exchange program. It was amazing, you guys are doing a great job! :)

[Britishdude1]

red pen

[CelestiaMoon]

:) This was a very entertaining video; you're so lucky to be able to interact with such students!

And Black pen. Red is too intimidating and blue makes me sleepy after a few pages of note-taking.

[SquanchWorks]

It's funny what you said about their wanting to be honest about their answers rather than just blurt one out. I took a few classes in Japanese and always made up answers on the spot because that's completely acceptable in American education. But when my answers were unexpected, my Japanese professors were always greatly surprised to learn that I made them up. Being the only American student (and the only one answering that way), I was quickly labeled as less than honest. XD

[fepenico]

Red. I actually watched the ENTIRE video without a problem, so I think that deserves a sub. I'm going to apply to JET at the end of this year, so any more videos about the interview process would be awesome. I'm gonna go catch up on the rest of your videos now.

[Marnox]

blueblack!

[NostalgiaKing]

I want to say blue pens, but black is the standard xD Excellent video!

[Drizzt405]

I prefer Black because it seems more clear and neat then a blue pen (though blue is my favorite colour)

[drhikarisan]

i like blue best

[MagegirlNino]

Thanks for this video! I want to teach English in Japan too. I'm only in community college right now trying to get my two year... and hoping it will all transfer to university. I know I'll need a BA to make use of the JET program, so I am hoping to get the Japanese studies program at ASU. Oh and I like black pens~!

[ephemeross]

I prefer black, but if I'm marking work or something similar, I would use red.

[heats1]

Blue pen all the wayyyyyyyyy

[rysta]

i prefer red pens beacuse im epic looolz

[OddRosePixie]

I'm a blue pen kind of person!

[WhiteMatrix2006]

I never really thought about teaching at the university level, but I guess I was just assuming that when they were in college you would get better answers. However, I understand why it would be hard. When I was taking Japanese at my university I know during the interviewing parts of my exams I was very nervous. This is definitely something to think about after the JET Programme.

I use black and blue pens all the time at work, but I would say I like the black pens more. =)

-Billy-

[FFMarca]

Blue for me =)

Great vlog, yet again ^^

Thanks!

[hunter35]

I like green pens, black and blue are boring colors :P

[akira117]

Black pens

[idkmybffdbsk]

Also, this was a very interesting video. I wonder if it will be the same for Korean students?

[idkmybffdbsk]

I like black pens, blue as a second favourite, red I like the least XD

[asdas13]

I for one like blue pens. Also I would be interested in what university level Japanese students are taught in regards to English. One more thing what qualifications do you need to teach English at a university in Japan?

[myargonauts]

@asdas13 experience, at least a BA, and if you want to become a full time professor, than you have to be published in academic journals and have an MA

[asdas13]

@myargonauts Thanks a lot for the response Jason i appreciate it.

[JakeintheBox17]

@myargonauts

So if I just have a BA, I can still teach at the university level? I am most interested in college level, but you have sold me on giving middle school a chance. I am also fine with just being a English ALT. Therefore all I need is just a degree???

[myargonauts]

@JakeintheBox17 well my current situation is somewhat unique in that I didn't just apply out of the blue - I was recommended by an aquantince - so I got in as a "part-time" professor. And a BA and one professional publication was good enough for now - but it's certainly not the norm. If you're serious about teaching at the college level and want a good pick of schools, then my guess is you need at least a Masters degree.

[morinjeanette]

I really like blue pens, they're not as dark as black pens and not as harsh on the eyes as red pens. They make me feel less stressed when taking a test. :)

[7149746]

I would say I like black pens, but I like blue ones too. Very interesting vid.

[kcazzo69]

I like mechanical pencils.

[Tekkon123]

Do you have any jokers or funny students in your classes?

[myargonauts]

@Tekkon123 yeah - this year I had one male student who enjoyed repeating the English very loudly when the whole class was asked to repeat and enjoyed poking fun at me when he had the chance, but in a fun way, not a mean way.

[ItchyKneeSon]

@myargonauts Those kind of students are great if they're friendly about it.

[42317]

I can't say what pen I like most because, well, I was just listening to your video in the background while doing other stuff... :-)

But it was an interesting description of what was going on and what was not going so much.

[markshmily]

Interesting..

Thanks for sharing..

Oh and I like black. Mostly for my job.. I have reports I need to fill out on a nightly basis and I do so in black.

[MaTToLife]

Blue!!

[aLittleTooTony]

Blue. Definitely blue.

[LookingGlassInc]

Blue, because blue is fabulous like that :) I would be really interested in learning about what type/level of grammar you teach your university students. Like, on average how much do they know coming into the university that they learned in primary/secondary schools? Do you have a few "refresher" grammar lessons at the beginning of the course year? I'm also interested in learning what types of questions, format, etc. you used on your test. :)

[JapanAndThings]

I like to use all three colors when writing notes, but I`ve gotten in trouble writing people`s names in red ink. Japanese don`t like it.

I`d like to hear about what you`re teaching your students; it sounds like it would be interesting.

[rtfmtech]

I like blue ones

[saltyfrog75]

I like black or blue pens. :p

[kalmtraveler]

I always pick blue in everything... pens, clothing, cars, food, etc...

thanks for the insight and I'm glad to see you're enjoying your new job!

[theburlyman]

Black!

[tengyang2001]

What's the hardest part about teaching English? Is there a language barrier? Do you go strictly by the book? What's the best method of teaching that has worked for you? What is it about the English Language that most Japanese students have trouble with? Have you discussed the "perfect tenses"?

Are Japanese students more diligent than American students, or is it about the same? I suspect about the same, but I could be wrong.

[myargonauts]

@tengyang2001 I'll try to answer this plethora of questions in upcoming vlogs.

[tengyang2001]

Are English courses offered at the university referred to as "English I, English II, etc."? Or is it a single class that is comprised of many different-leveled English speakers?

Are most Japanese universities like American universities that require their students to take a plethora of G.E. (general education) classes before actually pursuing classes that have to do with their major?

[myargonauts]

@tengyang2001 yes - my uni splits the students up into 5 groups based on skill level. Yes, there is some GE requirements, like basic English (as opposed to advanced writing or advanced communication) before they start to concentrate on their major.

[linkfreak131]

I think blue tends to look sort of messy when writing, say, a long, essay, so I think black is a better choice. I rarely ever use red, unless I'm correcting something. So... I'd have to go with black. XD

[koeme]

Blue pen ftw, also u said to request it so, i would like u to go through some of the things/questions u put on the written exam. very interesting ^^

[xoxChineseRulerx]

Red! xD Though not on my tests though.

[Kepahl]

dumb university?

[shabutie1337]

uniball black...its Japanese!

[halochia]

Blue pens! FTW

[NoControl64]

Blue :)

[sarapiork]

blue pen

[Yokatta]

I like black pens. My favourite one is the Precise V5 ultra fine.

[SeanTaco]

Black pens.

[barneyfilm85]

black.

[uhpanduh]

id prefer green but i guess ill go with red

[ampmjuku]

personally i like dark violet as a colour, but black pens meet my needs

[SuperKittenNYC]

Great video hope i can see more like this

and for pens Black for work

[R12Freon]

I like black pens the most.

[KikiRikku]

Red pen!

[MsTaviBaby]

Black pens are the neatest.

[NaruXD]

Oh and to answer your pen question: *looks vaguely at you* xD

no just kidding i draw during work a lot ;p so i use all the colors black for outlines, blue for highlights and red for shadows xD

[NaruXD]

Hakone onsens are great ;)

Nice video very informative ^_^, you're way of teaching them, based on what I hear, is like my junior high school so if possible could you maybe post what type of grammar you teach them maybe there is a big difference there.

[misteree9]

I would also like to know the grammar you teach to university students.

I like red pen.

[misteree9]

I would also like to know the grammar you teach to university students.

[alos31]

I like blue pens the most. Cool video

[sisforsexysora]

Black :)

[Dominilucy]

Red!

This was very informative and interesting. I have been doing Interview Exams with my low level students but to an extent it proved to be difficult even if you give them the questions so that they prepare for it. However, your advice was very useful.

[FGStar2612]

Oo Black

[TokyoZeplin]

When you started talking about counting problems, and the "ten one" guy, I immediately thought of a comedy show with a guy being horrible at counting. I can't link it here, but go search for "japanese counting in english" and it's the top one, it's absolutely hilarious.

[myargonauts]

@TokyoZeplin haha - yeah - I've seen that video - it is hilarious. 

[Silusangell]

私は、赤いペンが好きです！

[synapsis2112]

Blue pen. Thanks for the great info Jason. Your effort is appreciated as always!!!!!!

[NikkeinJapan]

I'm conservative, so I use black pens.

[Seraphical]

Black pens, too! And I agree with what lekkboi23 wrote

[leekboi23]

Always black pens. You're so informative. It's always great to watch your videos.

[myargonauts]

@leekboi23 thanks!

[CountChristoff]

blue

[draken295]

I'd like to see the grammar video you talked about

[ryanakron]

One thing my japanese teacher did to prepare us for oral exams: she would give us a big bank of questions she might ask and a list of grammar points and the deal was she would randomly ask questions from the bank but the only way to get a good score was to use at least one of the grammar points in the answer. There were enough questions that it was too inconvenient to memorize all the answers but also stopped us from doing the one-word answers. Might be useful in your case too.

[myargonauts]

@ryanakron good info -thanks

[Seanuk]

I love black pens

[ciccarello]

black

[Seanuk]

I would love more videos like this :)

[mimei]

i find even my very advanced students have trouble with reciprocating how are yous. i get maybe 2 a week out of 200 or so students...perhaps it's partly a cultural thing. i definitely agree with you...practicing this kind of speaking is so important!

i like purple ^___^

[StarDr0ps]

This video was a lof of fun to listen to. :) My favorite color pen is blue!

[Linkintownkar]

blue



[jeffkantoku]

I like blue!

[rhodesinjapan]

Well, it wasn't one of the choices, but I like green the best. ;)

[TheNerdJeremy]

i like red pens!

[OhhThatsNice]

I like the Blue pen.

[Nayuki07]

Blue!

[raeesmerelda]

blue is nice.

[VictoriaBreton]

I like black and red pens. :) Great video; I find your vlogs incredibly interesting and informative. Hope to see more videos from you soon!

[TheJelloEmperor]

This video is really informative and can't explain how awesome it was in words. It's very interesting from my point of view to hear of other college students doing the opposite of what I'm doing (Learning English, whilst I am learning Japanese).

I would be very interested in hearing the grammar that you are teaching your students.

Many thanks for making this sort of video, totally made my day.

[myargonauts]

@TheJelloEmperor very cool. Well, enough other folks have also said they would like to see the vid about what grammar I'm teaching, so it'll be on here later this month.

[lobsterdance36]

i like red

[k1ngsam]

I like black!

I for one would like to hear about what sort of grammar is taught at the college level.

[HereticDante]

i was always taught as a kid to use blue or black for writing your answers and only use red for corrections and notes so now i am terrified of red pens

[Nooklet]

I Like Black Pens.. Blue is OK.. I enjoy watching your videos.. I like when you show stuff.. But i also like when your just talking because i can use your video as background noise and list listen ;D!

[smaviii]

@Nooklet Lol... I watch jasons videos while i play call of duty. They are more like pod casts.

[maxgo111]

黒い

[myargonauts]

@maxgo111 ありがとう

[BubblyCath]

This reminded me when I was doing the FCE, CAE and CPE exams... My teachers kept telling to never answer with just one word on the speaking exam... Always elaborate your answers.

Hmm, I like blue and black... I might use black more often.

[dirtyjoe91]

Red pen ftw, I feel like a teacher using it. Although if i turn something in written in red the paper usually comes back a slightly scolding remark.

[antbaiao]

Red! lol

[HereticDante]

id be interested in the grammar , id love to see a copy of the tests if you felt like putting it up too

[myargonauts]

@HereticDante don't think I'll post a copy of the tests, but enough people are interested, so I will make a vlog about them

[joshuarawr]

I think blue is easier on the eyes ;D Haha.. And thanks for the video of course~ Very interesting ;D

[gleaming999]

Oh, I wrote an essay that was completely true and the teacher marked me down and said he didn't believe I was telling the truth. geez. And blue rocks!

[PannaIka]

i hate red, it makes me feel like im being graded

[HellwandeReaper]

I know what u mean sometimes when u step into the classroom with ur plans u have to change things up a bit so the students could get it. Props though you're not hard with em.

[PannaIka]

true enough, i've always given truthful answers on tests too lol