DS Used to Teach English in Japanese Schools
No, the DS isn't kicking out English teachers. Currently only two schools in Kyoto, Yawatashi are teaching English using the DS and they are Otokoyama Higashi and Yamata Senior High.
It's a trial run by the Board of Education to teach junior and senior high students new English vocabulary. You won't find the software on sale because they requested an unnamed software developer in Tokyo to create it. This anonymous software teaches 1900 junior high and 1800 senior high words. By writing words on the screen, students can listen to its pronunciation. The software allows them to switch between English and Japanese and also allows students to listen to the words repeatedly.
The trial took place from the beginning of August with 3rd year senior high students. The idea is students get to spend a 10 minute session on the DS and "by getting used to the system, the students will gain a desire to learn."
Once the results have been proved to be effective by examining any increases in the student's vocabulary, this new teaching method maybe spread to other schools.
The Board of Education is considering teaching Kanji the same way next month in November.
Prodigy Asuka can't get good grades because she can't read Kanji well.
Looks like those scenes we see in Evangelion with only computers on student desks isn't too far away now :D
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Source:
- Yomiuri Online
Xcomp
it may help boost the sales of Japanese games if such a title did come out but with people playing pirates, it might not workout either.
Kashiki