During the mock lesson part of the interview, were it to take place – I was wondering how does someone distinction how they would speak in an elementary class, junior high school class and a high school class – is there anything we need to distinctively do differently? I know that we are asked to do mock lessons dependant on that kind of context so I was wondering if it is something we might need to know?
Also – for the difficult political questions, say being asked about slavery, hiroshima and history of colonised countries, is it ok to touch base and mention the history of a country with the depth of colonialism and stuff, or should we shy away from that?
4 comments
Honestly, they’re not really looking for you to have a specific answer to things, I’d say they’re mostly looking for common sense and flexibility.
The main info regarding grade levels to know is that in Japanese English classes, elementary school kids primarily focus on vocab and super simple grammar (I like/I don’t like/I want etc.) so your language needs to be clear, slow, very simple, and be accompanied by a lot of gestures/nonverbal communication. Junior high schoolers are learning grammar and reading/writing sentences, but they will have trouble with fast speeds, complex grammar, and idiomatic language. I haven’t personally taught high schoolers but I’d imagine you have to balance clear communication with the fact that they are teenagers (i.e. they can be interested in complex things even if they don’t have the skills to express complex things in English).
I don’t think your second question has a single right or wrong answer. I would guess that as long as your response is calm and not aggressive you could answer in a multitude of ways and still stay on the “good side” of the interviewers. As an ALT you’ll be interacting with people who have very different life experiences than you do, and I’ve noticed that people who are thoughtful towards the viewpoints of others are more successful (in interpersonal communication) than people who constantly get upset when their ideas are questioned.
Did you have to learn a 2nd language in school? In Canada, we learned French as a second language (as Anglophones; obviously, it’s the reverse for Francophones). The way I think about it is: how good was my French at X-grade? And go from there.
With ES students, keep it suuuuuper simple. Basic words and phrases, big gestures, etc. You are also free to be a bit more playful and cute, though I don’t think that’s mandatory. Just imagine what little kids are like. They typically enjoy teachers who are high energy and playful. They likely only know some basic English vocabulary (like animals, colours, small numbers), but full sentences? Probably not, or at least, nothing complex.
SHS students (which is where I teach) will have learned a bunch of vocab plus some grammar. They can usually construct a basic sentence on their own, though unless it’s a high level school, probably nothing complex. You can use a slightly larger vocabulary. I probably wouldn’t be as playful but I do joke around sometimes and can do ridiculous things in front of my students in a (usually poor) attempt to get a laugh out of them. When you were in high school, you would have probably been weirded out if your teachers acted like ES teachers, right? Teenagers don’t want to be treated like kids. They want you to meet them at their level. They’re basically adults without the life experience.
JHS generally lies somewhere in-between.
Ultimately, don’t overthink it. At the end of the day, I think the interviewers are looking for enthusiasm, the ability to think of one’s feet, and someone who grasps the basic concepts of teaching ESL (i.e. using simple words, speaking slowly, using gestures and non-verbal communication to get the point across, etc.).
With regards to the mock lesson, they’re mostly just trying to put pressure on you to see if you can adapt. As long as you don’t lock up, I think you’ll likely be fine for that. But to answer your question, dumbing down your vocabulary so that it’s easier to understand for a bunch of kids would be ideal. With elementary level being the easiest level of English and high school being slightly more free in choice of vocabulary. If i were to be in an elementary class, I would also be a little goofier overall and exaggerate my gestures or speech more. I would gradually be more professional as the grade level increased.
As for any of the tough questions tied to politics, difficult history, etc., just think of how you would normally respond so as to not create any tension or discomfort if you were asked those questions by someone else. Even if you felt strongly about it and had no problem answering those types of questions with other strangers, the least provocative or confrontational response is probably the best. I don’t think you’ll be asked a question like that in the interview, but being neutral would be what I would go with. That being said, no question like that ever came up in my own interview or in the interviews of other JETs I’ve talked to. It’s not impossible though.
Good luck with your interview!
*is there anything we need to distinctively do differently?*
At the very least, I’d suggest trying not to speed talk or mumble. Speak clearly and at a reasonable, steady pace.
*Also – for the difficult political questions, say being asked about slavery, hiroshima and history of colonised countries, is it ok to touch base and mention the history of a country with the depth of colonialism and stuff, or should we shy away from that?*
Pretty sure you can talk about it and be honest for the interview.
In Japan, most of the teachers seem to be pretty private about politics until they trust you. It’s very uncommon (at least in my experience) for people to talk about that at work.
However, if you do go to Japan, keep in mind that you can encounter some, shall we say, upsetting views about Japan’s own history of colonization, slavery, and so forth. The interviewers may be interested how you would navigate situations like this if they came up.