JINES Newsletter

The JINES iPhone App now available!

Well, it has taken a lot of computer hours, a few computer headaches (and maybe a few more grey hairs) but our Systems Manager, Mr. Brian Dentry has created the new iPhone application for Jines and it’s available now as a free download. In the Apple iTunes Store, search for "jines".

The application has three main components and is in English and Japanese.

-1- About Jines – gives a general introduction to what Jines is and how Jines can help a student locate and contact an independent English language school.
-2- What’s new – gives us latest information on what is happening with schools and Jines overall and can be updated with ease.
-3- The Directory – lists all the schools contained on the Jines website. Telephone numbers, addresses and internet pages of the individual member schools are also accessible.

The most important area for all of us to note is that the directory is due to be updated by October 22. As such, if you are not already a member of Jines, or you have not updated your information recently, you will not be taking full advantage of this fantastic marketing opportunity, which is free for all independent language schools. This is the first of it’s kind in the iTunes App Store, and is accessible through popular search terms such as (in Japanese) eikaiwa, eigo, English study etc. Already there has been a great response in terms of downloads.

This first version is really for all member schools to look at and give us feedback on. Positive we hope. We will be launching version 2 of the Jines iPhone App early next year.

Remembering there are absolutely no fees or charges to join Jines.

So get to it and update your information and be on the new and improved Jines iPhone App now. There is no time to waste.
To login, just go to http://jines.jp/ and follow the link.

The advantages of Company Classes

Just this week I was in Tokyo finalising a new contract to teach the Ramp Controllers at Narita International Airport. These are the guys and girls who control your aircraft from the gate to the runway. I have been fortunate enough to have this contract for the past 3-years and I can honestly say that it is more exciting than teaching in a classroom in Higashi Osaka.

But the real advantage of doing this program is the extended contacts I have made. Before I started the original contract I had real hesitations about doing it. It meant that I had to miss a day in my own school, find a new teacher to cover for me in the classroom and not to mention the travel involved.

However once starting I have found that this program has opened up opportunities in areas I would never have dreamed of. In addition, some of the people I have met have not only been influential in the Japanese aeronautical industry but also very pro-active in helping my school.

So even if the salary is not much higher than what you can make by teaching in your own school, get out there and take the company class anyway, as you never know where it may lead you next.

And the next time you are flying out of Narita, relax in the knowledge that all the controllers are keeping their English up to the ICAO industry standard, albeit with a little Australian twang.

Take care and happy flying.

Peter Carter
Network Administrator

Jines Jump Start

CES – Winter School groups in Worthing

Are you looking for a well-established school with a first class reputation to take a group of students on an English study abroad next February break time?

Well why not choose CES in Worthing England. Worthing is an attractive seaside town of 100,000 people on England's South Coast. It's located only 10 minutes from Brighton and 1 hour and 15 minutes from the centre of London by train.

The Winter School Group package (7-nights / 8-days) contains:
20 lessons - 15 hours English language tuition
Elementary to Advanced levels of English
Course Content:
 The course is designed for groups of young people (minimum age 14 years). The course combines expert English language tuition with an interesting social and cultural programme. Project work is an important part of the course.
The course includes grammar and use of language, with the focus on listening and speaking in the second session. Students are assessed on their level of English on their first day and placed in a class according to their level. In class students will improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Class is for three hours each day. Courses are subject to demand and may take place in the morning or afternoon depending on demand.
Fees Include:
Full board Host Family Accommodation (2 students per family)
15 Hours Tuition per week in single nationality classes

Book Rental + additional course materials

Certificate of Attendance and individual student report

Griffith University - TESOL for International Test Preparation

TESOL for International Test Preparation (ITP) is designed for qualified ELICOS / ESL teachers who want to develop specific knowledge and skills in international language tests or undertake a pathway program to begin to upgrade their TESOL qualifications to a post-graduate level such as the Cambridge Delta.

ITP is matched in terms of duration and workload to a Unit in a graduate TESOL program offered in a university.
Participants who successfully complete the course receive an Australian nationally recognised Statement of Attainment from Griffith University. Successful participants are also able to articulate directly into the Cambridge Delta Module Three.
Duration - The ITP takes 130 hours to complete with 36 hours face-to-face. In addition to the face-to-face sessions, participants are required to spend approximately 90 hours on directed reading and assignments.

Queensland International Business Academy (QIBA)

QIBA is an Australian Government accredited ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) and Vocational Education institution specializing in English, Business and University Foundation programs for Australian and International students.

QIBA’s partnership arrangements with 3 Gold Coast Universities are reflected in a number of integrated Business, Foundation and English Language preparation programs for Undergraduate and Post-Graduate students.
• Important note: For all new students to QIBA they will receive a waiver on their Registration fee which is a saving of AUS$220.00 or approximately 22,000 yen.

Happy Studying!

Ms. Taeko Kashiwagi
Study Abroad Administrator
kashiwagi@jines.jp

Taeko Kashiwagi comes to Jines with a solid background in ESL education. Starting out as a receptionist with Nova Corp., she became an English language student in Sydney, Australia. After completing her language studies as well as additional vocational studies with Southbank Institute of TAFE she then worked in the study tour section of Queensland College of English. After a number of years in the travel industry Taeko returned to education where she took up the position of Centre Administrator for the IELTS test centre at Griffith University, Australia before returning to Japan.

Education News On Japan

Japan teachers may get English training in U.S.
Oct 11
The Japanese and U.S. governments are considering the establishment of a program that would send young Japanese teachers of English to the United States to improve their English ability, it has been learned. Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to expand cultural, intellectual and human exchanges between the two countries, in addition to security and economic cooperation as part of the government's efforts to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance. The government intends to reach an official agreement that includes the English-teacher plan when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Japan in the middle of next month. (Yomiuri)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T101010001858.htm

Nova, Geos now under investment fund's wing
Oct 6
Nagoya-based G. communication Co. last week sold Nova Corp. and Geos Corp., two major foreign language school chains, to an investment fund. The fund, Inayoshi Capital Partners, run by recently retired G. communication founder Masaki Inayoshi, acquired the stakes Friday by purchasing shares of G. education Co., a G. communication spokeswoman said. Seven Geos language schools overseas, in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, will remain G. communication subsidiaries. (Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101006a2.html

Digitizing books stirs copyright controversy
Sep 27
A growing business in which companies are digitizing books into e-books for individual customers is drawing the ire of publishers, who say the practice violates the Copyright Law. The companies remove the spines of books and scan the pages one by one for transfer to e-readers, a practice called "jisui," which literally means "cooking one's own meals." Although it is legal for individuals to digitize their books for their own use, some publishing companies maintain it is a violation of the Copyright Law for companies to do so on behalf of individuals. (Yomiuri)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100926002125.htm

Universities looking to go global
Sep 23
Fostering global human resources seems all the rage these days and several Japanese universities are jumping in, opening their doors to foreign students who aren't proficient in Japanese in a bid to snatch top-class talent from around the world. While the institutions prepare to make their programs attractive to foreign students, university officials say the private sector should also open up so these graduates will stay in Japan and embark on solid career paths. Under the Global 30 project initiated by the education ministry last year, by the end of fiscal 2013 more than 130 undergraduate and graduate courses conducted completely in English will be launched at 13 universities acting as Japan's "global education hubs." (Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100923f1.html

Joining Jines
It's free for independent school owners to list their schools in the Jines Directory.

Follow the link below to register and enter your school details into the database.

At any time you will be able to modify or delete your entry.

Join / Login here!

Jines charges no service fee for the schools to join, nor does it charge the Japanese student to access the information contained within this website.

The purpose of Jines is to provide a gateway for Japanese students to locate a suitable school in addition to providing a forum for school owners to share ideas on improving English language services in Japan.

For more information, contact:

Peter Carter
Japan's Independent Network of English Schools
http://jines.jp/
3-22 Kanda-cho
Higashi Osaka-shi
Osaka 579-8058
JAPAN
Tel: +81 72 981 8806

JINES Newsletter

Editors Notes

Another blow to our Industry in Japan

Regrettably last week another Study Abroad office, Sakushiio (Ryugaku.net), went bankrupt and in the process took millions of Yen away from ordinary students wishing to further their studies.

This is not the first study abroad company in Japan to go into liquidation with the well-publicised Gateway 21 also closing its doors earlier this year and placing thousands of students into trouble. But what is most troubling is that one of the executives of Sakushiio was also involved with Gateway 21 and to add insult to injury, most of the Sakushiio management have gone on to form Homestay in Japan, another company involved with education in Japan.

All of you know well that Jines is involved with Study Abroad. I have personally been in the business of international education for over 25-years having worked both sides of the fence, as an education agent, as well as a teacher and manager in Language Schools and Universities in Australia where we received the students. As such I have seen the industry in Japan change dramatically over this period, but I confess that I was still surprised by this news.

All of this information is easily searchable on the Internet and is not hidden from the public view. But overall it is disturbing to know that people who have been involved in two education companies filing for bankruptcy have now moved on and are promoting themselves, once again, as reputable education agents.

So all of this was one of the driving forces in the establishment Jines.

Events like this not only hurt international education but also local independent schools, all of us, here in Japan. Students not only lose money which they may have used in taking a few English classes before their departure but it also robs them of confidence in the whole sector. Students, quite naturally, are hesitant to spend money, often big sums of money too, in the fear that they may lose it to some less than honorable organisation only looking out for themselves with no empathy or compassion towards their situation.

With potential study abroad students using our services Jines insist they enroll in a locally listed school first and to ask for real, genuine advice and guidence from their teachers before moving to the next step and enrolling overseas. In addition we never ask the students for their international education tuition fees. Rather, we ask all students to pay their tuition fees directly to the international provider to ensure trust and transparency in the process.

In this way we hope to:

-1- Gain the trust of the student which is essential,

-2- recruit more students to the Jines member schools and

-3- directly pay our member schools by distributing the commission fees to the school that lost the student in the short or long term.

Ultimately we hope to show a potential study abroad student that some of us do care about their studies, goals and ambitions and that we will help them, where we can, to achieve their dreams.

Lets all hope that this is the last in a growing list bankruptcies in our industry.

Peter Carter

Network Administrator

Jines Jump Start

Now that Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, has started her English study in Dublin for this summer, it is appropriate to remind people that Ireland is a unique and interesting destination for Japanese students wishing to improve their English.

Jines has a very good relationship with the Centre for English Studies in Dublin and it provides all students with over 30 years experience, students from over 55 countries worldwide, modern bright classrooms and experienced teaching staff.

In addition CES is an Award Winning school - Language Travel Magazine Star School of Europe and is accredited in accordance with the Ireland and English governing bodies for foreign students.

However if you are going to travel all that way from Japan to Ireland why don’t you see some of England too? CES has a unique program designed particularly for the Japanese student.

CES Multi Destination Course
This course gives you the opportunity of living and learning more about the culture and social life of both England and Ireland. You can divide your stay as you wish and you can start your course in either England or Ireland - we leave the choice to you.

Summer Short Courses - Worldwide
Jines is now promoting a range of short study courses from Canada, Australia, Ireland, England and the United States. The length of these courses can be from 1-week and for any English language proficiency level.

Sports Study Abroad (for Juniors)
Jines is currently in negotiation with a number of international sporting institutions around the world to provide younger students the opportunity to live, study and practice their preferred sport in a country famous for its prowess in the area.

In all cases the Japanese student will be required to attend a local Junior or Senior High school in addition to enrolling into their sport of choice. Currently we are in negotiations with sports such as Soccer, Tennis, Rugby, Golf, Baseball and Equestrian events.

So as these agreements are finalized and arrangements made we will be announcing the details accordingly. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, for any further information on Study Abroad courses and the discounts associated with these courses (only available to Jines members) you can contact me directly, Taeko Kashiwagi via email (in English or Japanese) at Jines.

Happy Studying!

Ms. Taeko Kashiwagi
Study Abroad Administrator
kashiwagi@jines.jp

Taeko Kashiwagi comes to Jines with a solid background in ESL education. Starting out as a receptionist with Nova Corp., she became an English language student in Sydney, Australia. After completing her language studies as well as additional vocational studies with Southbank Institute of TAFE she then worked in the study tour section of Queensland College of English. After a number of years in the travel industry Taeko returned to education where she took up the position of Centre Administrator for the IELTS test centre at Griffith University, Australia before returning to Japan.

Education News On Japan

Panel calls for smaller class sizes
Jul 15
A committee of the education ministry's Central Council for Education has proposed reducing the maximum number of students per class at public primary and middle schools from 40 to 35. The council's Elementary and Lower Secondary Education Committee also proposed raising the portion of state funding for teacher salaries from the current one-third to one-half. The committee does not specify an exact maximum number of students per class in the proposal, but sources said it would be 35 for primary and middle schools and 30 for the early grades of primary school. (Yomiuri)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100715TDY02T09.htm

Hurdles for young English learners
Jul 15
Regarding L. Zoller's July 11th letter, "Strange texts for learning English": I fully agree with the comments made about the textbooks approved for Japan's elementary schools. I am a voluntary English teacher for the sixth grade and I read the same textbooks. I was horrified at the standards of the book, which contain many errors as well as a strange way of speaking English. Perhaps a robot wrote the book. How could the government have approved these pathetic books? They will not help students achieve any level of proficiency. Luckily, as a volunteer teacher, I am not bound by the rules, and I choose not to use these books in my classrooms. (Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20100715a4.html

English courses fuel company drive
Jul 14
Founded in 1957, Koyama Driving School, Inc. (KDS) is one of Japan's leading driving schools and a pioneer in providing driver's license courses in English. "Until we started our courses, it was almost impossible for people without Japanese-language skills to obtain a driver's license in Japan," said KDS President Jinichi Koyama. For non-Japanese speakers, the only way to get a license was by passing the difficult written exam and driving test without any training in Japan, at a test site run by each prefecture's Public Safety Commission. (Japan Times)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/job-classifieds/global_career_path.html?date=20100714

English instruction has withered
Jul 8
In Takahiro Fukada's June 29 article, "Elementary schools to get English," one thought comes readily to mind: too little too late. I have lived and worked in Japan for 26 years with my wife, who is Japanese. We have raised four children, all of whom have gone through the public school system, so I know what I'm talking about when I say that the government is once again trying to make it look like it is doing something when, in fact, its efforts will amount to nothing. (Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20100708a7.html

Japanese Study English By…Tweeting?
Jul 6
Twitter followers in Japan have demonstrated their fervor for the social networking tool, setting a world record in generating “tweets per second� after a recent World Cup game. Now, creative merchants are coming up with books and blogs that connect Twitter with another national infatuation: Learning English. The Japanese have long been known for their voracious attempts in mastering the English language. Teenagers watched “Sesame Street� to brush up their listening skills. President Barack Obama’s inauguration speech got turned into books, CDs and a one-hour workshop in which students recited the entire speech, line by line. (Wall Street Journal)
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/07/06/japanese-study-english-bytweeting/

Joining Jines
It's free for independent school owners to list their schools in the Jines Directory.

Follow the link below to register and enter your school details into the database.

At any time you will be able to modify or delete your entry.

Join / Login here!

Jines charges no service fee for the schools to join, nor does it charge the Japanese student to access the information contained within this website.

The purpose of Jines is to provide a gateway for Japanese students to locate a suitable school in addition to providing a forum for school owners to share ideas on improving English language services in Japan.

For more information, contact:

Peter Carter
Japan's Independent Network of English Schools
http://jines.jp/
3-22 Kanda-cho
Higashi Osaka-shi
Osaka 579-8058
JAPAN
Tel: +81 72 981 8806

ETJ Workshops in Japan & JINES Newsletter

ETJ WORKSHOPS
___________________________________

KOBE - Sunday March 21 (13:30-16:30)
ETJ Kobe: Phonics, Songs and More
Speaker(s): Eric Kane
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4732

CHIBA - Monday March 22 (13:30-16:30)
My Share
Speaker(s): various speakers
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4720

NAGOYA - Sunday March 28 10:00-12:30
World Englishes Education in High School
Speaker(s): Naoko Murata and Kayo Sugimoto
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4697

KAGOSHIMA - Sunday March 28 (14:00-16:30)
What is Red?
Speaker(s): David Lisgo
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4719

OMIYA - Sunday April 18 (14:00-17:00)
(1) Brain Rules; (2) Power Teaching Cross-Cultural workshop with movement, music, interactive reading, drama and more
Speaker(s): Kim Horne
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4725


___________________________________
FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
___________________________________
Mar 20

NARA -- March 20 (Sat) 17:45-19:00
English Teaching in the Japanese EFL Environment: How Efficacious?
Speaker(s): Rintaro Sato, Nara University of Education
Nara JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4714

___________________________________
Mar 21

KOBE, Hyogo -- March 21 (Sun) 13:30-16:30
ETJ Kobe: Phonics, Songs and More
Speaker(s): Eric Kane
Kobe ETJ
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4732

___________________________________
Mar 22

CHIBA -- March 22 (Mon) 13:30-16:30
My Share
Speaker(s): various speakers
Chiba ETJ
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4720

___________________________________
Mar 25

TOKYO -- March 25 (Thu) 10:30-12:30
Tips for teaching mixed-level / age / ability children's classes
Speaker(s): Yuco Kikuchi
English Teaching Workshop
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4721

___________________________________
Mar 26

YOKOHAMA, Kanagawa -- March 26 (Fri) 17:30-19:30
Debunking Some Myths about Conversation Analysis
Speaker(s): Gabriele Kasper (University of Hawai'i at Manoa)
Kanagawa U.
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4716

___________________________________
Mar 27

AKITA -- March 27 (Sat) 14:00-16:00
What Language Should We Be Using In Our Classrooms?
Speaker(s): Takaaki Hiratsuka
Akita JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4728

KYOTO -- March 27 (Sat) 14:30-16:30
Troubleshooting and My Share
Speaker(s): Various speakers (Call for papers due Feb 28th)
Kyoto JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4707

___________________________________
Mar 28

TOKYO -- March 28 (Sun) 8:45-18:00
Career Strategies Seminar Presented by FEW Japan
Speaker(s): Several speakers
Tokyo FEW
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4724

AICHI -- March 28 (Sun) 10:00-12:30
World Englishes Education in High School
Speaker(s): Naoko Murata and Kayo Sugimoto
Aichi ETJ
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4697

HIROSHIMA -- March 28 (Sun) 10:00-17:00
Teaching Children English Mini-Conference
Speaker(s): Aleda Krause, and many others
Hiroshima JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4685

TOYOHASHI, Aichi -- March 28 (Sun) 13:30-16:00
Communication Breakdowns and Repair
Speaker(s): Douglas Jarrell and Naoko Hazumi
Toyohashi JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4695

KAGOSHIMA -- March 28 (Sun) 14:00-16:30
What is Red?
Speaker(s): David Lisgo
Kagoshima ETJ
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4719

SENDAI, Miyagi -- March 28 (Sun) 14:00-17:00
Pictures in the EFL Classroom
Speaker(s): Charles Adamson and Ken Schmidt
Sendai JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4691

___________________________________
Apr 3

FUKUOKA -- April 3 (Sat) 14:00-17:00
Developing Lexical Competence: From Theory to Classroom Practice to Online Application
Speaker(s): Charles M. Browne (Meiji Gakuin University)
Fukuoka JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4729

___________________________________
Apr 10

KYOTO -- April 10 (Sat) 9:00-17:00
Examiner Training - FCE and CAE - Cambridge ESOL workshop
Speaker(s): Jim George
Cambridge ESOL
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4622

KITAKYUSHU, Fukuoka -- April 10 (Sat) 18:30-20:00
Implementing Differing SLA Theories into Teaching
Speaker(s): Matthew J. Jenkins
Kitakyushu JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4675

___________________________________
Apr 11

KYOTO -- April 11 (Sun) 9:00-12:30
Examiner Training - CPE - Cambridge ESOL
Speaker(s): Jim George
Cambridge ESOL
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4623

TOYOHASHI, Aichi -- April 11 (Sun) 13:30-16:00
Developing Personalized Portfolio Rubrics for the EFL Classroom
Speaker(s): Steve Quasha
Toyohashi JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4730

MATSUYAMA, Ehime -- April 11 (Sun) 14:15-16:20
Writing and Publishing Language Learning Materials
Speaker(s): Yusaku Mori, Author of test preparation guides, columnist for Asahi Weekly
Matsuyama JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4710

___________________________________
Apr 17

NAGASAKI -- April 17 (Sat) 14:00-16:00
Jokes and Cartoons in the EFL Classroom.
Speaker(s): Richard Hodson, University of Nagasaki, Siebold
Nagasaki JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4717

___________________________________
Apr 18

YOKOHAMA, Kanagawa -- April 18 (Sun) 12:00-17:00
Classrom Cohesion
Speaker(s): Steve Paydon and Yukari Saiki
Yokohama JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4733

MAEBASHI, Gunma -- April 18 (Sun) 14:00-16:30
Classrooms are Alive with the Sound of Music
Speaker(s): Stacey Vye
Gunma JALT
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4715

OMIYA, Saitama -- April 18 (Sun) 14:00-17:00
(1) Brain Rules; (2) Power Teaching Cross-Cultural workshop with movement, music, interactive reading, drama and more
Speaker(s): Kim Horne
Saitama ETJ
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4725

Editors Notes To all network members (and potential new members) welcome to the Jines newsletter. Japan's Independent Network of English Schools is a free network dedicated to, and controlled by the independent language schools themselves, to provide an online database of quality owned and operated English language schools throughout Japan. The purpose of Jines is to provide a gateway for Japanese students to locate a suitable school in their local area. It also provides a forum for school owners to share ideas on improving English language services in Japan. As such Jines is not just another ESL Teachers forum. Jines has been created for the independent English language school to exchange ideas relevant to them. But more importantly it has been established to showcase the schools unique services to the Japanese student and in the two months since its inception a number of current members have received new students by listing their school on Jines. In addition to this, the Jines blog has already raised some interesting topics in which all school owners would be interested to read. So in the future this newsletter and the blog will continue to raise discussions and ideas which hopefully will provide some answers to issues relating directly to the independent school owner. Also contained in this newsletter will be an information column regarding alternative study options, under the “Jines Jump Start� topic section. This will provide information and ideas on courses to help improve your skills and your business. So to everyone who has an independent English language school in Japan we hope you find this newsletter and the information contained within informative and useful. Jines is here to provide a network where we can all work together on improving our school, for our students and ultimately our business. We look forward to seeing you all on board.

Jines Jump Start Have you considered doing some additional study to help your school? It’s a busy time of year. Spring time brings with it new ideas for recruiting students, students coming and going as they start new jobs or schools, and of course we always have the general running of the school to think about. But in doing all of this it doesn’t hurt to consider looking at doing some more study to make you a better teacher. Or, perhaps giving the opportunity to a teacher that comes in and helps you out with a busy class schedule. Of course there are many obstacles in doing this and if you live in a regional centre in Japan there may not even be a university or other education provider in which you can enroll to sharpen up your skills, let alone one that provides the course in English. So lets not forget that with the Internet there are now many online courses to choose from. Jines has a number of agreements with universities around the world, which provide online education courses. And we are not just talking TESOL study. Take the University of Newcastle in Australia for example. They provide an on-line undergraduate program in Education Using Technology through their Faculty of Education and Arts. Education Using Technology will allow students to develop a broad understanding of three key areas in relation to educational technology: research, policy and practice. At the completion of the subject students will be able to: * Demonstrate an awareness of the historical context of educational technology and its impact on education; * Demonstrate an understanding of the research literature and scholarly writing that underpins the use of educational technology in teaching and learning; * Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various educational technologies and their use in educational settings. So why not have a look around and find something that interests you and which can ultimately make your school the one which stands above all the others. Happy studying.

Education News On Japan All shuttered Geos schools to reopen for lessons in May 29 Apr G.communication Co., which has taken over collapsed English conversation school operator Geos Corp., plans to resume lessons at all Geos schools by the end of May, the company president said. This means lessons will resume soon at 18 of the 230 Geos schools that were closed for falling behind in their rent payments and for other reasons as of Wednesday. (Yomiuri) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100429003668.htm Working women in Japan face day care deficit 28 Apr As a producer for CNN International, I've been lucky enough to travel the world to cover important, yet adrenaline-filled events. I've been around exploding IEDs, mobs demanding political equity and witnessed the global meltdown of the world's second largest economy. Yet putting my baby into day care in Tokyo was the toughest competition I ever went through in my life. Child care facilities for small infants are called hoikuens (Nurturing Garden) in Japan. They are the MUST item for any working mother in Japan where hiring nannies is a near-impossibility. (CNN) http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/28/working-women-in-japan-face-day-care-deficit/ Public schools switch to semesters 26 Apr An increasing number of public primary and middle schools are shifting to a semester system to secure more class hours ahead of the education ministry's new curriculum guidelines, which are scheduled to be fully implemented next spring. Using semesters means one less opening ceremony and one less closing ceremony than in the conventional trimester system, which translates into an extra 10 to 15 class hours. Teachers also have more time to spend with their students, since they need to prepare report cards only twice instead of three times. (Yomiuri) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100426TDY03T03.htm English schools need to hit the books / Geos bankruptcy typifies an industry faced with changing market, bad economy Apr 23 With stiffer competition for fewer students amid a lingering recession, the nation's language schools need to develop new and profitable business strategies if they hope to improve their situations, a fact only further highlighted by Geos Corp.'s announcement Wednesday that it had filed for bankruptcy. "The current economic slump has led to a decline in the number of students, which meant we had to cut our advertising budget. As a result, the number of new students drastically decreased," Geos executive Hitomi Suhara told reporters Wednesday in Tokyo. In the 1990s, Geos had increased its number of campuses to more than 400 in an attempt to compete with its largest competitor, Nova Corp. (Yomiuri) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100422004781.htm Defining 'native English' Apr 22 Regarding the April 15 article "Why do English teachers have to be native speakers?": This headline is a bit misleading, I think. Both India and the Philippines are considered native speaker countries by English academics. English is one of the two official languages of the Philippines, and the efforts of writers like Carlos Bulosan have long placed Philippine writers alongside other native English speakers in the canon (broadly) of English literature. Likewise, English is one of the two official languages of India proper. (Japan Times) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20100422a6.html

Joining Jines It's free for independent school owners to list their schools in the Jines Directory. Follow the link below to register and enter your school details into the database. At any time you will be able to modify or delete your entry. Join / Login here! Jines charges no service fee for the schools to join, nor does it charge the Japanese student to access the information contained within this website. The purpose of Jines is to provide a gateway for Japanese students to locate a suitable school in addition to providing a forum for school owners to share ideas on improving English language services in Japan. For more information, contact: Peter Carter Japan's Independent Network of English Schools http://jines.jp/ 3-22 Kanda-cho Higashi Osaka-shi Osaka 579-8058 JAPAN Tel: +81 72 981 8806