The Language Teacher
December 2001
Learner Attitudes towards EFL Teachers in an English Conversation School in Japan: A Survey of Beginner Level Students
Pino Cutrone
Nova Intercultural Institute, Kurashiki
In my four years teaching EFL in Japan, I have noticed that often there seems to be a large discrepancy between what teachers and students believe a good English teacher to be. One of the ways teachers can bridge this gap is to ask their students opinions on the matter. In this paper, I will report on a survey designed to measure the attitudes towards English teachers of some beginner level students at the school I work at. I focused on beginner level students because I felt that more proficient learners (intermediate and advanced) would likely have different attitudes. Based on the findings of this survey, I have included some suggestions to assist teachers in dealing with the expectations of beginner level students.
Providing a Rationale for This Study
To ask or not to ask?
Many teachers dismiss the idea that learners have any insights to offer language teaching. Additionally, teachers may feel that by eliciting learners opinions, they will be seen as pandering to students desires. However, several professionals in EFL such as Long (1997), Couto and Towersey (1992), and Aleamoni (1981) strongly advocate having learners evaluate courses and teacher performance. Students seem to be the most logical evaluators of the quality, effectiveness, and satisfaction of course elements, and their feedback can be used to encourage educational improvement. Thus, one rationale for this report is to provide a means of communication between teachers and students at the school.
The entertainment factor
Another issue which has provided justification for this research is the need for EFL teachers in Japan to learn how their students really feel. Much has been made about the stereotype of Japanese EFL learners as not serious students and wanting to be entertained above all else (Ellis, 1991). There is much anecdotal as well as some empirical evidence supporting this generalization, particularly in the university/college setting (Hadley & Hadley, 1996; Shimizu, 1995). Although students in private English conversation schools (such as the one I work at) are supposed to be highly motivated because they actually choose to study English (unlike in high school and university where English is usually compulsory), many teachers still express their distaste for the seemingly large number of students who do not appear to be serious students and want to be entertained above all else. This dilemma has provided the impetus for this research. In other words, I wanted to see what my learners really expected of their teachers, and how their attitudes towards teachers differed, if at all, from students in the university/college setting.
A look at some good English teacher studies administered in Japan
Several studies measuring Japanese college students attitudes towards English teachers have been conducted (Long, 1997; Hadley & Hadley, 1996; Shimizu, 1995). The findings from these surveys are consistent in that they show Japanese learners in university settings seem to be more concerned with the personal characteristics of their teachers than their ability to teach. Some of the traits students wanted to see in teachers included friendliness, kind-heartedness, open-mindedness, sympathy, and impartiality. These studies along with some of the problems I have discussed above have inspired this study.
Participants
Forty-five beginner level students (out of 332 at my school) participated in this survey (35 females and 13 males). The participants levels were predetermined by a panel of six teachers at my school. I chose the participants randomly, simply by asking the first students I came across in the beginner level to fill out questionnaires. All the respondents are Japanese nationals from Okayama Prefecture. The ages of the 45 participants range from 10 to 75 years.
Context: Information about the School
The learning environment of the participants will likely shape their ideas about what a good English teacher should be. The school that I work at is one of many private English conversation schools in Japan. All of the EFL teachers at the school are non-Japanese. The school offers a wide variety of English courses beyond standard conversation classes such as TOEIC/TOEFL/Eiken classes, business classes, travel classes, and kids classes. Consequently, the school attracts many different learner types with many different expectations. Some of the reasons students listed for studying English include: communicating with foreign friends, travelling, going to schools in other countries, as a hobby, to understand English movies, and for their jobs.
Additionally, the school is set up so that lesson times are as flexible as possible for students. That is, for standard conversation classes, students can book lessons at any time that a lesson in their level is taking place (the school uses a system of 8 different proficiency levels ranging from absolute beginner to near native speaker). This information is relative to my study in that the amount of class time between students at the school varies greatly and is largely dependant on students schedules and motivation. Thus, just because the school is a private language school (meaning the students have to pay to attend classes), this does not mean that we should assume that all the students who attend are motivated to learn English.
Method
The questionnaire (see appendix) consisted of three items (two biographical and one about English study) and one open ended question (the research question). The research question (#4) for this survey is What is a good English teacher? I designed the research question to be open ended, so as to give students as much freedom as possible to express their views.
I piloted the study with eight students whom I did not include in the final survey. An analysis of this pilot study caused me to include a Japanese translation for each item and the research question, and to change the wordings of some of the items to make them more comprehensible in the final version of the questionnaire. I was undecided as to whether to allow students to answer using Japanese, but made up my mind to allow them to do so once the pilot study revealed the great difficulties students had in expressing themselves in English.
A second pilot study done with four students (using a questionnaire that was composed in English and in Japanese) still revealed minimal responses to the research question, thus causing me to be more specific and requesting at least three different answers to the research question What is a good English teacher? All answers were analyzed according to text frequency and descriptive statistics.
Procedure
In order not to distort my learners genuine opinions, I tried to keep my instructions to a minimum. First, I explained to the students that I was doing a study which sought to measure their opinions about what a good English teacher should be. I told them they did not have to participate if they did not want to. Once the students agreed to participate, I distributed the questionnaire to them.
First, I reassured them that this was in no way a test. Then I went over each of the four questions in the questionnaire to ensure that the students understood. In my explanation, I payed particular attention to the research question (#4), What is a good English teacher? I explained to the students that this question was general in nature and in no way limited to this school or to non-Japanese EFL teachers. I let students know that whatever they answered was fine as long as it was their true opinion, and not just what they thought I wanted to hear. I told them that they could answer in Japanese or English, whichever was more comfortable for them.
Lastly, I asked them to fill out the questionnaire individually because I felt that working in groups might allow some students to be persuaded by more dominant students. I monitored the students while they were filling out the questionnaire to ensure they were working alone, and to answer any questions they had. I gave the students as much time as they needed to complete the questionnaire (no student took longer than 15 minutes).
Data Analysis
The research question produced 144 statements from 45 students. My analysis involved synthesising these statements in such a way as to produce possible patterns without misrepresenting or distorting the data. First, with the help of two translators (two colleagues in my company, Japanese and British nationals), I was able to convert all the statements into English. Second, I conducted a keyword analysis, generating categories for these statements.
Third, based on Nunans (1992) suggestion, I grouped several of these categories together based on tacit and intuitive grounds. That is, I combined statements which I believed looked alike and felt alike. To establish the internal reliability of my analysis, I asked a group of three of my colleagues to reinterpret the 144 statements (following the steps I have outlined above) without my assistance. The interpretation of the data (144 statements) by the group (three teachers) was consistent with my own.
The categories which emerged as qualities which learners desired in their teachers included: 1) teachers personal attributes, 2) teaching related factors, 3) teachers demeanor and attitude, 4) teachers ability to make themselves easily understood, and 5) miscellaneous. The two statements included in the miscellaneous category (I like John and I like good looking teachers) were isolated and could not be placed in any larger category, and hence were not included in any further analysis.
Interpreting the Results
To interpret the results of my study, I had to compare the number of statements belonging to each of the four categories mentioned above. When I did this, I realized that the participants in my study were most concerned with the personal characteristics of their teachers and least concerned with teaching related areas. The comparative breakdown of the four categories is shown as follows: Of the 144 statements cited, 67 (47%) belong to the personal attributes category, 31 (22%) belong to the easy to understand category, 27 (19%) belong to the demeanor and attitude category, and 17 (12%) belong to the teaching related category.
Implications for Teachers
The findings of this survey imply that beginner level EFL students studying in private language schools in Japan may have similar attitudes and expectations toward English teachers as college/university students in Japan do. That is, like some other good teacher studies (Long, 1997; Hadley & Hadley, 1996; and Shimizu, 1995) administered in Japan, the students in my survey also put a great emphasis on the personal attributes of the teacher.
This survey revealed some patterns which may help teachers in Japan when dealing with beginner level students. One of these patterns involves the fragile psyche of beginner students. As evidenced by the fact that the teaching related category was the least important for beginner students, teachers may be well advised, above all else, to work to create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere in the classroom for these students. Some of the following suggestions about personalizing the classroom can assist in this.
In many cases, Japanese learners study English sheerly for pleasure, and seemingly, a large part of their enjoyment is dependant upon the teachers personal attributes. With this in mind, I am not suggesting that teachers should become full fledge entertainers to conform to students supposed desires; however, there are some things that a teacher can do to personalize the classroom. For starters, teachers may be well served in always appearing positive, friendly, and enthusiastic in the presence of their students. It would also be beneficial for teachers to share their personal experiences with their students, as well as taking a personal interest in the lives and cultures of their students wherever possible.
Further, there seems to be a real appreciation for teachers who are good story tellers, especially those who share real life anecdotes that are interesting to students (Hadley & Hadley, 1996). Some of the ways which Doyon (2000) and Stevick (1980) suggest include being friendly with learners, talking to them on a one-to-one basis, mixing in small talk and jokes, and engaging learners in conversation. One of the ways teachers can incorporate these suggestions into the classroom is by choosing lesson activities which involve the sharing of personal experiences and backgrounds. Stevick (1980) calls this the temporary removal of the teachers mask, and points out that some of the nonverbal communication devices in this persona such as body language, change of voice, and facial expressions are also important tools in creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Further, teachers would benefit in paying particular attention so as not to use language or activities that are too difficult for beginner students. Teachers would be well advised in building lower level students confidence by beginning with simple tasks and gradually progressing to more difficult ones. When teachers have their students do tasks, it is important that teachers pre-teach any skills or vocabulary necessary for success in the activity. Research has shown that success using the target language will increase learners confidence using the L2 (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989).
Teachers would also be well served in taking less obtrusive methods in their error correction, and waiting until a certain level of trust has been established between themselves and the student. Other ways for teachers to ensure that learners are able to keep up is to speak more slowly than usual, as well as by constantly monitoring their students facial expressions and body language to determine when students may need a more indepth explanation.
Conclusion
As the studies done by Long (1997), Hadley and Hadley (1996), and Shimizu (1995) inspired this research, it is my hope that this study will encourage others to make further developments in this area. To my knowledge, there has been little research done on Japanese EFL learners attitudes in private language schools, thus more research in this area would be fruitful.
References
Aleamoni, L. (1981). Students ratings in instruction. In J. Millman (Ed.), Handbook of teacher evaluation (pp. 110-145). Beverly Hills: Sage.
Couto, V., & Towersey, L. (1992, March). The Brazilian EFL learner: A profile influencing curriculum. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Vancouver, British Columbia. (Eric Document Reproduction Service No. ED 358 682).
Doyon, P. (2000). Shyness in the EFL class: Why it is a problem, what it is, what causes it, and what to do about it. [Electronic version] The Language Teacher, 24 (1).
Ellis, R. (1991). Communicative competence and the Japanese learner. JALT Journal, 13 (2), 103-127.
Hadley, G., & Hadley, H. (1996). The culture of learning and the good teacher in Japan: An analysis of student views. [Electronic version] The Language Teacher, 20 (9).
Long, R. (1997). Investigating and Responding to Student Attitudes and Suggestions for Course Improvement. [Electronic version] The Language Teacher, 21 (10).
MacIntyre, P., & Gardner, R. (1989). Anxiety and second language learning: Toward a theoretical clarification. Language Learning, 39 (1), 251-275.
Nunan, D. (1992). Research methods in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Shimizu, K. (1995). Japanese college student attitudes towards English teachers: A survey. [Electronic version] The Language Teacher, 19 (10).
Stevick, E. (1980). A way and ways. Massachusetts: Newbury House.
Below I have supplied a copy of the questionnaire on which I based my study (Japanese translation not included). The completed questionnaires of the 45 respondents are available for perusal should anyone request them (write me at <pino13@po.harenet.ne.jp>).
Please check the box which applies to you.
1. I am:
female male
2. I am:
under 16 years old
between 16-25 years old
between 26-35 years old
between 36-45 years old
between 46-55 years old
over 56 years old
3. The reason I study English is:
job
hobby/interest
communicate with foreign friends
travel
understand English movies
other (please identify)__________________
Please give at least 3 different answers for the following question.
4. What is a good English teacher?
All materials on this site are copyright © by JALT and their respective authors.
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website