Passive Learning - Education in Japan and Germany

Hi, this is my first attempt of our class project (only three girls, though). My name is Kano; I am a student of Kitasato University.
[Note: You can read more about our university in another article below.]
Actually, we had to DO something for this assignment long before. But we have not done anything until today. We knew that we should have done something, but we have being just waiting teachers information. I know this is the typical Japanese students style of learning. I hate it, but I am.
I call it Passive Learning. Since elementary school, it has been started in Japan. In the class, teachers don't ask us WHY or What DO YOU THINK? but WHAT IS THE ANSWER? So we only need to just answer the question with a few words. By test, this is the same. There is almost only one correct answer for one question. It means the students are not asked to tell their own opinion.The situation doesn't change even in high school.

Once in a long while,the teacher asks us what we think, but we can't answer. It's too late at the time. We don't know any longer how to tell or discribe what we think or how we feel.

Now I know why Japanese people cant speak foreign languages well. There are many reasons for it, but it's sure that this learning style affects [confidence to learn] at least. Because we have never had write our own view in English test (even in Japanese), it is not wonder hy can we talk in English to tell our opinions or feelings?

During my high school time, I was an exchange student to Germany for a year (Does anybody know AFS?). I had enjoyed it there and learned lots from the experience and enjoyed life there. So now ,what I want to say is the big different point between Japan and Germany (not only Germany but other developed countries) . This difference I felt is the style of schooling.

In the classes in Germany, the teachers always ask students WHY and the students raise their hands higher than others. I've never seen this scene in Japanese schools. The test is also different. For example, the theme of English test is often WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT　・・・　?
So these are some reasons why I call the Japanese students' style of learning -- Passive Learning. I dont want to blame the Japanese School for al because if I think is wrong way to learn, I can try to change it. But I don't. And I know that this theory could never be the reason why I haven't done our assignment until today. I was just lazy. Sorry.
Thank you for reading my report with weak English. (←because of school.hehehe) I hope you can understand...

EDITOR'S NOTE [ Kano has done a good job of giving the readers some insight into what some of the important differences between the styles of education and what schools in Japan and Germany expect from their students. I appreciate her humor and her candor. I think we all learn things that are both good and not-so-good about our own culture when we live (and learn or work) in another country, as Kano has done. It was great hearing her insights. db ]

Our teacher

This is simply a test photo from a mobile phone to show that it is possible to send a post (with picture and text) to our class BLOG. We are students studying at a Japanese medical and health sciences university about 1 hour outside of Tokyo.

06-06-13_11-38.jpg
Originally uploaded by kujp999.

Our teacher is a man from the US who has lived in Tokyo for a number of years.

北里 柴三郎 Kitasato Shibasaburo

柴三郎
Originally uploaded by kujp999.

Kitasato Shibasaburo was the Japanese scientist after whom our university was founded. He was an early Japanese microbiologist, who worked with Louis Pasteur and Edward Koch to help develop other vaccines against other dangerous infections at the end of the 19th century. He succeeded in finding the root cause of anthrax and succeeded in creating a vaccine for it that saved both animal and human lives. Later, his heirs and other interested people founded our university and used his name. We have four campus: two in the Tokyo area (Sagamihara is actually in the neighboring prefecture ( half way in size between a county and a state). Here is where all freshmen students must study for their first and final year of general education (liberal arts) and it is also the home of the medical school, school of nursing, school of allied health sciences (such a therapy education, medical technology and laboratory medicine). The School of Natural Sciences is also located on this campus.

The School of Pharmacy - one of the best known and respected in Japan has its campus closer to downtown Tokyo. This is also where the Kitasato Research Institute is located (sort of patterned after the Pasteur Institute). There is a veterinary and animal sciences campus in Towada, northern part of Honshu; and the last campus is at Sanriku (in Iwate on the Pacific Ocean side) which houses the Fisheries and Marine Management Department.

In addition to the 4 campus, there are also three large university research hospitals -- two at our Sagamihara campus and one in Shirogane, on the same site as the School of Pharmacy. Students in Japan begin both the first college education and also start (in earnest) their professional preparation when they begin the freshmen year at most all Japanese universities.

For example, future doctors, pharmacists and veterinarians, often finish high school in March and then begin 6 long years of limited general studies and loads of courses in their respective majors degrees. So you have to know clearly WHAT you want to become by age 14-15-16 and usually much younger. Secondly, there is very little chance of changing your mind because one you enter a college major (after being accepted even before high school graduation), there is little change of deciding differently. Too much time, energy (to pass the very difficult entrance examination in math, sciences and English) and money has been spent to make any change later. The effects are both good and bad.

The story is more complicated than how I have briefly described it, but that is something else I'd like to write about another time. [db]

Students perform original roleplay

Students learn English and then try to actualize their learning by creating and performing roleplay skits. Here is one example from freshmen students in 2005.

NOTE: This is simply a sample trial to assist us in setting up the posting of videos to our blog.

Students perform original roleplay
Uploaded by kujp999