As someone with a stutter, I’ve improved it enough to where I’m able to speak someone fluently enough to teach, this is good news (I misread the headline, I hope these concerns are heeded). There’s nothing worse than being graded down due to something that simply cannot be helped.
Edit: I stutter equally in both languages, so it’s likely that the speakers taking these tests will stutter just as much in English.
I’ve had a few cases where I had to do a speaking test with a student who had a stutter. I’ve never penalised them for it. Half the time, they try harder than other students precisely because they want to overcome that hurdle. I’ve got nothing but respect for them.
I know several people who have a stutter (including a Japanese teacher), and they’re all highly capable individuals with very successful/promising careers. The idea that people are less skilled/gifted because it takes them a bit longer to communicate is ridiculous.
Stuttering is a medical thing right? So I hope they change it.
>But the exam rubric treats numerous cases of unnatural pauses, silence and faltering speech as grounds for reduced points.
That’s not what a stutter is, and the rubric doesn’t take it into account.
HOWEVER, with things like Eiken, they literally churn through students at the rate of about 1 ever few minutes, so there is VERY little chance for an examiner to know or assess if a student is silent because they are dealing with a stutter or because they just don’t know or understand (unless they were told beforehand).
My brother stutters. This is a case, mostdefinitely, of the students struggling to think of how to answer something or processing the questions. FFS, Japan. Stop being so goddamned stupid. Focus on issues that have a large impact on Japanese society. Stop worrying about these minor things.
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As someone with a stutter, I’ve improved it enough to where I’m able to speak someone fluently enough to teach, this is good news (I misread the headline, I hope these concerns are heeded). There’s nothing worse than being graded down due to something that simply cannot be helped.
Edit: I stutter equally in both languages, so it’s likely that the speakers taking these tests will stutter just as much in English.
I’ve had a few cases where I had to do a speaking test with a student who had a stutter. I’ve never penalised them for it. Half the time, they try harder than other students precisely because they want to overcome that hurdle. I’ve got nothing but respect for them.
I know several people who have a stutter (including a Japanese teacher), and they’re all highly capable individuals with very successful/promising careers. The idea that people are less skilled/gifted because it takes them a bit longer to communicate is ridiculous.
Stuttering is a medical thing right? So I hope they change it.
>But the exam rubric treats numerous cases of unnatural pauses, silence and faltering speech as grounds for reduced points.
That’s not what a stutter is, and the rubric doesn’t take it into account.
HOWEVER, with things like Eiken, they literally churn through students at the rate of about 1 ever few minutes, so there is VERY little chance for an examiner to know or assess if a student is silent because they are dealing with a stutter or because they just don’t know or understand (unless they were told beforehand).
My brother stutters. This is a case, mostdefinitely, of the students struggling to think of how to answer something or processing the questions. FFS, Japan. Stop being so goddamned stupid. Focus on issues that have a large impact on Japanese society. Stop worrying about these minor things.