Huge Request for Current or Past ALTs in Japan

[871908]

Dear current or past ALT teachers,

My name is Larry Sugisaki & I'm currently a Masters in TESOL student at Gonzaga University. I'm in my last semester of my program & i'm currently writing my thesis on Japanese EFL students (English as a foreign language) motivation for learning the English language and I'm collecting my data in the form of a questionnaire. I have created a questionnaire for Japanese students to fill out and I have also created one for the teachers of the students themselves.

Since you all currently are or were ALTs or better yet, English teachers at various academic levels teaching in Japan, I was wondering if you could take my survey in hopes that I can see what techniques, activities or tools you use as teachers to motivate your Japanese students to learn English. There are 6 questions total and I'd be surprised if it took more then 5 minutes to answer these. Thanks again everyone for your help, you have no idea how much I appreciate this. Thank you for your time.

ラリー杉崎's Survey #2

 

[Glenski]

Hi, Larry,
Not all people on this site are teachers. If you want a teacher-rich environment, go to the ESL Cafe.

I have to warn you, though, about your survey. Question 4 is not going to be something simple to answer, nor are the answers going to really be easy to codify. C'mon! You're asking the holy graille of questions here, something that people have been asking for decades, if not longer. I really don't think you're going to get much out of the replies. Besides, you're going to need a huge sample to make it meaningful.

 

[871908]

Oh Believe me I'm a realist, I know its not the easiest of questions to answer. Question #4 was more just gauging what teachers or ALTs have done in terms of their teaching techniques to make English as interesting as possible for their Japanese EFL students. I come from an ESL background, specifically working with immigrants/refugees so if you ask them what is their motivation for learning English, its usually to get a job, enter a 4 year university, communicate better with their young children, adapt to life in the U.S. & more simply put, survive. But with Japanese EFL students who take it more as a required course (Japanese government/education ministry implemented), I always wondered what their motivation was to learn English other then they were sort of forced to (sort of like the 1 year foreign language requirements at most colleges). I wanted to see if there was more to it. So hence the reason of my research study and questionnaire. I've gotten more responses back then I expected for the survey so I'm pretty happy. But I know the questionnaire isn't he easiest to answer.

 

[Glenski]

Kids in K-12 will tell you their "motivation" is not to learn the language but to pass the course, since it is mandatory.
Kids in college will tell you most of the time that they simply want to get the credit for the required course(s). Not many take English as electives.

Teachers? Most will have their own stories, and this is where things will vary, even depending on what the teachers consider to be motivation. Many think that's what they are offering, but they have no means to MEASURE it, or the effectiveness of their technique, just a gut feeling.

There are many books and articles that will give you the answers you seek.