Reading Reaction Journal #3 -Kids' English education business thrives

In this article, the number of English private schools and products related English education for children has been extremely increased because English education at public school is not enough, and parents want them to study English at an early age. First, Benesse Corporation, one of the biggest companies, has succeeded at their business about English education for children 4 or older. They focus on listening, and teach English through playing games except spelling and grammar. Also, toys for children to study English have sold well. According to the Ministry, many children in elementary school have taken English class, but the number of hours and contents are not enough. To sum up, a large number of children study English at an early age.


In my opinion, it is good thing to start to study English at an early age, but people have to care about some problems. It is better for children to study in the early stage, because their brain can accept new language easily when we start to study English. Also, the government decided that elementary school students will have to study English in the near future because nowadays English skill is required in many places. With my experience, it is a good way to study English through music or games. When I was a junior high school student, I did not like English, but one of my English teachers tried to teach us English with music. He gave us time to listen English songs before the class started. It helped a lot to not be nervous about English. However, there are several problems if children start English early. First, if children are taught English at an early age, they have no time to study their own language. Recently, the decreasing ability of Japanese is a big problem in Japan. I think they don’t have to study English hard instead of studying Japanese or at their expense of studying Japanese. Moreover, studying English early makes children more stressful. According to this article, people who want to take an entrance exam have to study more if they have to study English at young age. Therefore, I agree with this article basically, but parents have to think about the problems when they make their child study English.


Kids’ English education business thrives (2004, April 7). The Japan Times. Retrieved on February 16, 2009, from http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20040407f1.html

Journal Question #5

Until now, I had had a lot of uneasy things. Especially, entrance exam was one of the most nervous and memorable evperience in my life.

First, I started to study hard earlier when I was high school sudent. Entrance exam was considered one of the most important event to get better career in Japan. The higher level of the university if you enter in, the better job you can get in the future. So, I had to prepare as soon as possible, and I started to study hard the bigining of the third gread in high school. I used to go one cram school, but I started to go two cram school to get more skills and knowledge to pass the exam. Also, I begun to take a chart and note to control myself. I wote down that what time did I wake up and sleep and how long did I stady. Sometimes I wote words to cheer up myself. It helped me to find wasteful time, and kept my motivation. I kept these things to get higher score until took the exam. At the end, the day before had come. I was so nurvous, so I could not eat anything at the dinner, and I could not sleep until two o'clock. Then, I woke up, and went to the assembly hall early. There was my teachers who taught me at high school and clam school, and they made me felt easy. They gave me charms, and they also gave me power. I was still nurvous, but I took the exam. My heart beat strongly while the exam, but my experience of the effort brung confidence. Finally, I could not pass the first school of my choice, but I could pass different university to use my strong mind.

It was unbelievablly nervous day for me, but it taught me a lot of things. If I have a chance to consentrate one thing for one purpose, I want to try again.

Journal Quesiton #3

Japanese Valentine's Day

Nowadays, Valentine's day is extremely general in Japan, but it is a little different from America.

First, Japanese people usually give a chocolate women to men. Japanese women tend to be shy, so it is thought good opportunity to deliver a message, such as "I love you" or "Thank you". The history about the day is also dissimilar. It goes along the Christian religion in America, but it was started by chocolate company to sell chocolates in Japan. In addition, Japanese Valentine's day has some original, called "Duty chocolate", "Friend chocolate", and "Reverse chocolate". Duty chocolate means women give chocolates to not lovers but coworker or opposite sex friends. In friend chocolate, women give or exchange chocolate each other with the same sex friends. Reverse chocolate is men give chocolate to women. Moreover, there is White day in Japan on March 14th. Usually, men return some candy to women on the day.

In conclusion, people is doing different things with their own history on Valentine's day. But it is same that it is good day to give special message to their special person.

Reading Reaction Journal #2-Shame over poor English level lies with education minisrty

Dezaki, M. (2009, January 20). Shame over poor English level lies with education ministry. The Japan Times. Retrieved on February 4, 2009, from http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090120hn.html


In this article, Japanese people often are shamed about being unable to speak English, but it is caused by the Education Ministry. First, the origin of the problem is the Japanese education system. Although students have opportunities to speak English in a class, they cannot focus on it because of the important entrance examination. Then, people who are working in the ministry do not recognize what students require and helpful to improve their English skill at schools. They don’t know what citizens want students to be taught. Furthermore, people have no hope for the ministry and their own future because they know that they cannot change the bad systems. To sum up, it is not Japanese citizen’s failure that they cannot speak English, even though they learned it for many years.


I agree with the author’s opinion for many reasons. First, I actually faced the hard entrance examination, and I also focused, not on listening and speaking, but on what is important for the next exam or entrance exam. At that time, I had no question about it because everyone did it the same way, and if I focused on listening and speaking, I would lose and I could not get my career. However, I considered again, and I noticed that it was a waste of time, because I had a good opportunity to speak English with native speakers, but I didn’t pay attention to them. I couldn’t speak English, even though my major was English. I think it was not my fault, because I had an environment where I could learn how to speak English, and it was taught for a long time that all I have to do is to pass the entrance exam. It is the worst education system in Japan. When I go back to Japan, I would feel frustrate, so I want to change this system. If I become an English teacher, I want to break this system and I want to teach students that the entrance exam does not just define for your future. I hope this system is going to be changed and children can speak English.

Journal Question #2

How much do you know about Japan? Many people misunderstand Japan because of many factors.

First, when I came to the United States, I was asked a lot of weired things from American. For example, "Were you wearing Kimono (Kimono is traditional clothes in Japan) everyday in Japan?" or "Is it common Seppuku (stab oneself to suiside especially for samurai) in Japan?" Actucally, it is not common in Japanese modern society, and it is one of a stereo-tipical thing because of media or gossip. It is also prejudice that Japanese people have a lot of money. Japanese people tend to be aimed by robbers when they go out of Japan because they think Japanese people rich. It is not totally wrong but not all Japanese people is rich. Furthermore, Japanese women are regarded as gracious and they follow men by American men. It is not true because time is changing. When you look for polite Japanese women, you have to be careful.

To sum up, people should not follow media or rumor to judge Japanese people. It is not always true.