Schools / Students / Courses

Schools
A typical language school in Japan is very different to schools in the UK. Most noticeably it is much smaller. This is true of all language schools in Japan, not just Shane. A typical school has between 1 to 6 classrooms (usually 2), a reception room, a small kitchen, and a toilet. That's it! They feel cramped to the newly-arrived westerner but you get used to them quickly. Despite the small size they are usually busy and a steady steam of students will pass through during the day. The larger schools will have over 400 students enrolled, while newer or smaller ones may have around 100. There are Japanese receptionists at every school to deal with students and day-to-day administration. Teachers' main contact with students is in the classroom though they may also be asked to perform other teaching-related tasks such as interviewing prospective students.

Standards of dress and appearance for teachers in Japan are more formal than in many other countries and there is a dress code for teachers at all schools. Basically, appearance and clothing should be formal and business-like. For example, a shirt and tie with formal trousers and shoes is mandatory for male teachers, while female teachers need to wear clothes suitable for an office or business situation. In Japan, a teacher's appearance reflects professional attitude, and Shane insists on the highest professional standards of its teachers.

Students
The ratio of children to adults among the students is roughly 50/50, though this can vary from school to school. Many new teachers are anxious at the prospect of teaching children. This is perfectly normal. After all, most TEFL courses do not cover the teaching of children at all. This concern is usually fear of the unknown and in fact, most teachers soon adapt to teaching children and actually enjoy it! (More than teaching adults in some cases). It isn't hard, it just requires different techniques and a different repertoire of activities compared to teaching adults. Shane provides plenty of help with all this through training, observations, teachers' workshops, and meetings with managers.

Because little English is used in everyday Japanese society, the general standard of spoken English, for students of all ages, is lower than in most European and other Asian countries. Adult students at Shane are grouped according to ability, from complete beginner to advanced, but the vast majority of students are pre-intermediate level or below. Grouping students according to age (children) or ability (adults) should be a policy of any professionally-minded educational establishment. However, you might be surprised at how many schools in Japan don't do it.

Children are grouped according to age, from Playgroup (3-4 years old) to High School (15-18). Early Learner specialists may sometimes teach children from 2.5 years and upwards. Maximum class size for a children's group is from 6 - 10 students, depending on age. For an adult group the maximum size is 8 students. In practice, class sizes are almost always much lower (an average of 4 for adults and 5 for children's groups) and teachers can spend most of their time teaching small groups and 1:1 private classes. The exception to this is outside lessons where, for example, kindergarten classes of 30+ students are possible (though usually with extra staff to help).



Courses
There are various types of lesson. A standard group lesson lasts an hour and meets once a week. Private one-to-one lessons can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours and it is common for teachers to have lots of short private lessons during a standard day. Courses are designed around a core of set texts and supplementary materials. Teachers are also very much encouraged to add their own ideas and resources. Most texts for adult courses use British English and include an assortment of titles from leading British EFL publishers. Children's classes use course materials specially produced by the company.

It should be noted that Shane is very definitely NOT one of those schools which only requires teachers to turn up for their classes and then leaves them to 'have a chat'. This hopeless approach is all too common in Japan and usually results in students paying a lot of money to learn very little. That is not to say that Shane teachers are rigorously controlled in the classroom, but progress is monitored and teachers are expected to get results. A relaxed, friendly atmosphere in the classroom, with a positive attitude to learning is the best approach. Each regional office and District Head School has its own resources library and access to photocopy machines. Teachers will also be given plenty of support and guidance in all aspects of their lessons by their Director of Studies.