Teachers and Curriculum
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Teachers and Curriculum
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Four Seasons values teachers who are: innovative, yet have a solid understanding of traditional methods; creative, yet patient with themselves and their students; and sociable, yet professional in their relationships with students and the staff. (photos) In addition to approximately 700 texts and resource materials, the Four Seasons' library includes The Headway Series, Online, Fluency Squares, Person to Person, English Firsthand, Listen For It, ESL Operations, The Non-Stop Discussion Workbook, The Mind's Eye, and Atlas Commercially prepared course books such as, The Headway Course and Basics In Business are used for the elementary and intermediate levels of both our General English and English In Business programs. Teachers are also encouraged to supplement texts with materials they develop themselves. In addition, teachers are expected to add to and update course files of supplementary materials. Four Seasons also offers specialized business skills programs for students who are able to speak with sufficient fluency, structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate in informal conversations on practical and social topics. In addition, for high intermediate general English students, Four Seasons also offers discussion classes in which teachers are free to design or choose their own materials. For students who have no functional ability whatsoever in the language, we offer a confidence-building listening-based program. In addition to these programs, we also offer a self-access pair learning program for students who prefer to learn on their own. Only teachers certified in self-access pair learning teach these courses. Certificate seminars are offered in the spring and summer, and teachers who are interested are encouraged to attend. |
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Teachers at Four Seasons face a variety of classroom situations. Four Seasons'
evening classes meet for 90 minutes at the school. These students come from
a range of professions and backgrounds, and group discussion often offers
the teacher an intimate look at Japanese life. No more than 12 students
may enroll in these classes.
Classes at Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and other companies are typically small: from 2 to 8 students. Many of these students are engineers or technicians who have worked or are going to work overseas, and are often interested in what the teacher can tell them about life outside Japan. Frequently these students are not eager to work exclusively from a text. Many corporate clients also request intensive English seminars. These are usually survival language training for employees who will be stationed abroad, or for the more advanced students, ESP seminars in negotiation, letter writing, and other business skills. Teachers in charge of a specific intensive seminar are required to meet and submit a syllabus at least two or three weeks before the course begins. Some Four Seasons teachers teach children's and junior or senior high school classes on Saturdays, in exchange for Mondays off. For most teachers these are a great challenge, as the educational system in Japan does not foster class participation and discussion, but they do offer the teacher a valuable window on what young people are doing and thinking in Japan. We have developed our own curriculum for the elementary school courses which is based primarily on the Oxford Let's Go series and English phonics. The goal of these classes is to give the children quantifiable reading and writing skills while developing limited listening comprehension and speaking skills at the same time.
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Four Seasons is located in Hamamatsu, a city on the main island of Honshu, halfway between Tokyo and Osaka, and about two hours from each by bullet train or the Tomei Expressway. The population is about 500,000 and the atmosphere of the city is rural on the outskirts, with a decent downtown. The beach, where the sun rises and sets over the water, is only 35 minutes from Four Seasons' apartments by bicycle. Beautiful mountains, rivers and waterfalls are less than an hour away by bike. The climate in Hamamatsu is vigorous and changeable. Overall, the climate is similar to that of Tennessee or the Carolinas in the United States. Summers are hot and muggy; winters are cold, windy and clear. June and July are usually rainy. Autumn is blustery and cool. Seasonal sports, such as skiing and wind surfing, are popular among young Japanese, and Four Seasons organizes outdoor activites throughout the year. Compared to Tokyo or Osaka/Kyoto, Hamamatsu has little to offer culturally. Residents sometimes describe the area as "the sticks", but foreigners stuck in the endless concrete landscapes of Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto complain that they rarely meet "real" Japanese, or see much of rural Japan. Teachers at Four Seasons enjoy a nice balance, being able to work in the relative tranquility of Hamamatsu, and play either in the mountains to the north, the beaches to the south, or the huge cities on either side.
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Nearly all the comforts of home are available in Hamamatsu, but at first shopping can be daunting, as most packaging is in Japanese. The cost of living can seem outrageous, especially if you constantly convert yen to dollars as you shop. But most teachers manage to save money without compromising the quality of life they enjoyed at home. Getting around town is easy. The bus system is reliable and punctual and extends far beyond Hamamatsu. Taxis are clean and comfortable. Some teachers buy cars, but a bicycle or small scooter is probably the best bet for everyday getting around town. Teachers are required to drive to most classes (and are compensated for it!) and the school provides several cars for that purpose. These can also be used on off days to travel to the ocean or mountains nearby. Four Seasons apartments are large by Japanese standards. All of them are adequate for individuals or small families and include a kitchen, bathroom, western-style toilet, and two or three Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats. All have a stove, refrigerator and washing machine. The school also supplies a futon, some dishes and linen. The apartments are close to the neighborhood supermarket, taxi stand, bus stop, and several restaurants, banks, clothing and housewares stores. |
