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Evelyn Davies |
Evelyn Davies is a business English specialist with several years' experience in Japan. |
| What makes a successful EFL teacher want to quit Japan and move to Russia? It’s an interesting question that has no simple answer. | ||
Japan To Russia
In Japan the JET program, which started 28 years ago, was an attempt by the Japanese government to make Japan more international. Many native English speakers were recruited to bring Japan into the international arena by teaching schoolchildren English. Or so the recruits were told. Unfortunately after settling into schools some of these bright and eager people discovered that they were not wanted and teaching English was not what they were required to do. Since those early days many things have changed and the program has evolved in that it is an opportunity for native English speakers to learn about Japan and for Japanese people to get used to and maybe learn something (not necessarily language) about foreigners. In the Japanese classroom, it is not the English speaking skills that are wanted it is the ability to pass the university entrance exams. However, over time the English language school industry has grown and there are many thousands of native English speakers flocking to Japan.
Russia does not have a similar program, although there is the English Camp program. However now that Russia is opening up to international business, more people traveling outside of the country and the apparent prestige in knowing English an industry is also developing. Mind you English has been taught in the schools for decades, just not by native English speakers.
Japan has an international reputation of having smart and hardworking students. This is the image that is projected to the international community and reinforced by a report by the OECD; which listed Japan as number 5 in the rank of smartest students in the world. So it comes as a huge shock when a native EFL teacher enters a classroom of rude, loud students playing with their cell phones, sleeping, applying makeup or even plucking their eyebrows (in my case these were boys). To discover that the most used English word, other than the colorful language picked up from American Rap music, is “No”; and, that the students have little or no interested in learning a language that has been forced onto them.
The overall level of English ability is very low in Japan even after 6 years of study and even university graduates who have studied English longer still, on the whole, have a very low level. Compounding this is the general low level of speaking skills of the Japanese English teachers.
From online resources I see that Russian students are enthusiastic learners, they have a willingness to challenge and discuss and their level is much higher than those of Japanese students. Certainly this was true of the Japanese and Russian university students I taught in Australia.
The reasons people decide to go to Japan and Russia in the first place are basically the same: A new culture, a new environment, money (for Japan, not Russia), personal development, professional development, adventure and of course sex (usually men not women). The gender and age of the teacher is also a contributing factor. So then why do teachers leave and specifically leave Japan to go to Russia?
For an experienced EFL teacher it is not for the money. It will be one of the other reasons including, maybe for some, the satisfaction of teaching students who want to learn.
For me, after five years in Japan, the move to Russia is for the specific cultural experience of Russia. My experience in Japan has been overall very enjoyable, and my life has changed completely as a result. However, it is not somewhere I would like to live forever. The reasons, would take up much more space than the scope this article allows.
When I first visited Russia in 2002, everyone, including my Russian friends warned me of the dangers but within a day the locals were asking me directions. I felt quite comfortable. In Moscow the buildings were rundown, places were dirty, the gypsies followed you and the drive in from the airport was like an extreme sport. The train trip to St Petersburg was fantastic with great conversation – it’s true all Russians are Philosophers. In St Petersburg the Neva and canals were heaven. The museums, architecture, ballet and chocolate were amazing, the client service non-existent and some people were downright rude. I loved it!
Even now some Russian friends are telling me not to go but it’s too late, I am captivated, I am curious. I know it’s more dangerous than Japan, where else can I leave my wallet in my bike basket and find it still there after several hours in the pub? I wont be able to leave my apartment unlocked. I even need to be wary of prospective employers. How easy will it be for me to adjust will depend on the friends I make (we all need a guide) and my ability to adjust to a new environment - just as in Japan. If I love it, many of my friends around the world will hear of it and maybe their cultural misconceptions will be altered and who knows how long I will stay. If I don’t like it, ok I will go somewhere else and I have learnt something.
Japan has a culture that is very different from many other countries; the same can be said of Russia. While thousands of people are flocking to Japan and general world knowledge of Japan is increasing; Russia still holds the allure of the unknown and I am confident that those who take the leap into the unknown and unfamiliar will be rewarded with experiences that they never expected. And that is exactly what I am expecting.
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