FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN MANY HIGHER

EDUCATION INSTITUTES IN JAPAN

Yamato Spirit in the Word Count Vs Text Count: An

American EMI Classroom alternative approach for ER students

Valeria Orozco Rodríguez

Japanese students: Inactive participants in an American university classroom.

Monolingual Anglo instructors fail to understand Japanese students’ silent presence.

Extensive Reading is an integral part of studying a foreign language in many higher

education institutes in Japan. Encouraging students to read a wide of variety of texts is a
central aspect of a productive ER learning environment.

Students are exposed to a wider variety of vocabulary

Advantages: These newly acquired words may be used differently, depending on
their context
Purpose Aim
To undermine the importance of basing
syllabi around a standardized word Word Count To foster a desire to read, allowing
count students the freedom to choose a
To simply offer an alternative, which
Vs Text Count text they enjoy, no matter how long
may be better for those teaching
or short it may be.
classes in which the English language
ability of students varies drastically

For Japanese EFL students, silence is also as saving

face to avoid embarrassment in front of other
Japanese students Japanese peers. Anglo instructor may consider them
as inferior compared to more ‘vocal’ students.
are not only as shy
but inactive
learners or It stems from misunderstanding the sociocultural behaviors
passive listeners. of the target students and cultural insensitivity. In fact,
the method that EFL (English as Foreign Language)
employed in the Japanese classroom is to complement the
students’ sociocultural behaviors, which involves a
lecturing instructor and silent students.

The instructor presenting grammar rules to students in

SOLUTION Japanese. The students translate from English word-for-
word to memorize the translation. This methodology is in
Yakudoku grammar translation complete contrast with the communicative method
employed in American ESL (English as a Second
Language) and EFL classrooms abroad.