From Joy of Learning English
From Joy of Learning English Class
The following are the compositions of Fumie Otsuka in Mrs. Betty Takahashi's class and Yukiko Sekiguchi in Mrs. Raiko Okada's class. Enjoy reading!
The Differences in the Systems of Education in Japan and the USA
by Fumiko
Whenever a new school year starts, I brood over which volunteer work I should choose, looking at a volunteer list sent from my son's school. It is not fun for me. I feel a tacit pressure to contribute something to school because, as someone who went to school only in Japan, volunteer work is not familiar to me. I think that one of the differences in education between Japan and the U.S. is the degree of parental involvement with school. In Japan, especially in the countryside where I grew up, parents do not help with school activities a lot, much less raise money for school. The government gives each school enough money that children can learn all subjects including music, art and physical education, and also gives each child free textbooks, which they can keep.
Children can eat nourishing and delicious school lunches at a low price. Parents are never worried about money as long as their children go to public school. Teachers expect children to do homework by themselves; I never asked my parents about homework, but my son's teachers expect parents to help their children. Children usually walk to school even if it takes about one hour. As a result, after children get into elementary school, parents are freed from tiresome chores with their children, and Japanese homeroom teachers who stay with their class all day long, which include supervision at lunch and during recess, have many more responsibilities than American teachers who have only classroom duties.
On the other hand, in the U.S., schools expect a lot of volunteer work from parents. If I made a list of the items, it would be endless. The work that needs to be done covers classroom help, raising money, planning school events. It seems that school cannot be managed even a single day without parents’ help. I, who have difficulty in talking with native speakers, hesitate about doing volunteer work, but I admit its importance; parents’ school involvement results in improving the quality of the school. For example, parents keep the school safe by supervising, and their participation in class leads to improving students’ academic ability. In addition, children feel proud of their parents, and they can enjoy school life through activities, which parents manage, such as festivals, movies, and games.
Another difference is the way of presenting oneself in public. In Japanese education, children learn to share the point of view, which is common to Japanese people, and teachers tend to expect children to share common opinions and to act in the same way as others do. However, teachers in the U.S. tend to respect each child's opinions and often give children opportunities to present their opinions in front of people. I prefer this way because it is very useful for children to be able to express themselves in society when they grow up.
Another difference is the Japanese school lunch system. It is one that the Japanese can be proud of as the best in the world. Comparatively speaking, Japanese people have more interest in food, and they believe that good food raises good children. The government recognizes the importance of school lunches and actively tries to serve delicious, nourishing, and nice looking school lunches to children. Moreover, I think the Japanese school lunch system is very educational because children can learn to have manners, to share, and they can develop a sense of mathematics since they lean to recognize quantities and amounts while they are setting up the lunches by themselves. Even though there are school lunch systems in the U.S., the quality falls far short of that of Japan.
There are other differences in the educational system of both countries. Each system has its good and bad points. However, I have discovered that each country's culture and customs are reflected in the educational system. I have recognized fresh good points in the Japanese system of education by comparing it with that of the U.S., and I have discovered good points in the U.S. system, too.
Why I Take The Idiom Class
by Yukiko
When I talk with Americans, they know that my English is poor. So, they speak slowly, clearly and easily. This is very good for me, but sometimes I feel I am a child. I am a woman who has three children.
To use some idioms in conversation is a chance to let them know that I am an adult. If I use some idioms, they recognize me. Also, I can understand what they say and what many advertisements mean. To learn idioms is very useful and convenient for me. It is helpful to understand American culture and society.
I have a question about idioms. Do idioms have "in and out"? I know some language was dead. That means nobody uses that word any more. Does it make sense?