Tuesday, August 01, 2006

The 'Audio-Lingual' Method: Survival English

I think the video below is meant as a parody, but it's so close to the reality of teaching English at many conversation schools here in Japan (and elsewhere) that I can't really be sure. It actually looks like a lot of 'learn English' TV shows I've seen here.
[Courtesy Harry at Chase Me, Ladies; (via Dog Bones)]



Yes, in many places that would constitute an English lesson: 'useful' expressions, 'realistic' situataions, singing, dancing...

4 comments:

  1. That is astounding. And hilarious. I love their jogging outfits, too.

    I thought my Pimsleur Italian CD was strange b/c the first lesson involves approaching a strange woman on a train and telling her "I speak Italian." So now the only thing I know how to do in Italian is lie.

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  2. They look so happy, even while begging for their lives.

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  3. emarie: The first words I learned in my first Japanese lesson were bengoshi (lawyer) and taishikan (embassy). The people who make these books/programs/etc. have interesting notions of 'priority'. I would have thought "I can't speak Italian" a more useful (and truthful!) phrase. I've said "I can't speak Japanese" (in Japanese) so many times that I sound like a Japanese and people don't believe me...

    eli: In fact, the Japanese frequently appear to be smiling in stressful situations, which reminds me of a documentary I saw which connected smiling to fear responses, the idea being if you look afraid then you can't be dangerous (or something like that).

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  4. Salamaat,
    Hahaha...this is hilarious!!!

    My question is:
    why do the japanese robbers/japanese cop/japanese victim have to speak to each other in English?

    anywho, it was a laugh..thanks i needed it:)

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