Fake Recommendation

Some book shop's blog recommending language books, it's a fake. I don't say which one, but I know for sure. They ask publishing company to write some review for them as an shop worker.

I feel that this is a kind of using their power/authority to publishers. In exchange of making review, they will put more books of  obedient company's books. I just don't feel this is right. Why do I have to write an review for the book shops.!

It might be acceptable if they show that "reviewed by ○○ editor", but in reality it clearly said by shop stuff.  How could this happen?  I hate this dirty contract.

脱TOEICの英語術

週刊東洋経済　
2012年6月2日号　(2012年5月28日発売)

Good feature.

According to this feature, Japan and Korea is the only country where values TOEIC test in the world. And Korea is developing their original English test to improve English education from the bottom. Now, Japan is the only country...

I agree with opinion that college entrance exam should require English speaking test. Because test, especially entrance test is everything student care in Japan. So just adding speaking test will improve our English skills dramatically. I just don't understand why Japanese government don't change their testing system. There is no better solution.

Also, there was a story about salary man who attends to a company where use English as official language. A worker with score below 600 or 700 whatever the company decides, has to take an extra class in/out of the working time including weekend. What a waste pressure.
Learning has to be fun! Forcing to study is not a good idea.  Company should use their power and money to encourage their workers to have more great experience in global view.

Actually this is just one aspect of my thoughts Because I have never heard any voice from company side personally. Maybe companies are encouraging their workers, and using the best teacher as worker's trainer to push up their motivation.

My point here is that score is not important issue here, but uplifting motivation and providing more chance to experience English communication is the important issue.

CONCEPT

Hi. I'm Gena. I'm half American, half Japanese. I'm living in Japan for most of my life. I went to high school in America for about a year. That was the only time I lived in States, and only time I lived in life of English world.

My parents speak perfect Japanese, so I never had a chance to learn English from them. Only time my dad spoke in English was when he got excited by watching football or when he is having fight with mom. Anyway, so I couldn't speak or understand English until I go to high school in States.

After I came back to Japan, I couldn't study with my Japanese English teacher because of his poor English. I skipped all English class in my Japanese high school, but kept high scores on the test.

I went four year college in Japan, and got job as a SE.  Five years later, I quit SE and now I'm working as an editor of some linguistic books and magazines. I like my job as far as I can learn English and get new method of study or results of study. However, I also find that some unbelievable factors in this English industry which is getting huge day by day.

In order to keep what I find and what I thought, I decided to leave some memo in here as my note.

In future, I want to learn linguistics in graduate college. It is my dream. So to make my dream come true, memo here will help me remember and help to create ideas for my goal.