Published in News

Japanese change teaching for DS

by on26 June 2008

Image

Games make English fun


Hide-bound Japanese teachers are dumping their ancient teaching methods in favour of natty games consoles.

At Tokyo's Joshi Gakuen all-girls junior high school, Nintendo's DS is being used as a teaching tool, breaking with a hundred years of traditional Japanese academic methods. Hacks visiting the school found a "giggly class of 32 12-year olds"  using plastic pens to spell words like "hamburger" and "cola" on the touch panel screen.

When the students got the spelling right, the word "good" popped up on the screen, and the student went on to the next exercise. The first five students to complete the drills were awarded colorful stickers. Earlier this year the school trialed the drills linked to a widely used Japanese public-school textbook series.

Japanese education has long been infamous for failing to develop English conversation skills and instead focus on rote memorisation with little practicality. Now apparently they can chant "Two hamburgers and two colas please" just like the individuals they are.
Last modified on 26 June 2008
Rate this item
(0 votes)