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MCS happy with Japanese program
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Posted on Dec 14 2005
Mount Carmel School said it is more than satisfied with its current Japanese language curriculum, which is now tied up with EIC Marianas, Inc., a Japanese language center based on Saipan.
MCS principal Galvin Deleon Guerrero said the school has been conducting its Japanese classes for a long time, but it was the first time it has sought the help of an outside institution to conduct its classes.
Deleon Guerrero said he is very happy with the program since the start of school year 2005-2006.
He said EIC as a partner brings more resources to the school’s Japanese language program.
“I really like their approach. The class is much better now because no one in the class should speak in English and just strictly Japanese,” he said, adding that there is more individualized instruction this time.
There are three classes with a total of 68 students enrolled in the program at MCS for the year. Deleon Guerrero said the school aims at empowering the students with languages not only Japanese to cope with the tourism industry on the island. Japanese, he said, is one of the most practical languages to learn on the island due to tourism.
EIC Marianas director Tomoko Shimizu said her teachers conduct three classes everyday. “We are really enjoying teaching them,” she said, adding that this is the first time the company reached out to schools in the CNMI.
She said the method used in teaching MCS students is called the Image Lesson Method where they don’t translate words in any other language only in Japanese. “It has a basic theory in the concept of image building and utilizing the students’ recognition process,” Shimizu said.
The method, she said, enables the students to develop a pure space in them to learn and master a new language. “Our students are able to improve their Japanese abilities just like native Japanese speakers.”
The classes also teach Kanji. She added that through the program, the Japanese community hopes to strengthen the relationship between the CNMI and Japan.
EIC Marianas was established in April 14, 2003.
