Lessons in Japan
Transcription
Lessons in Japan
www.anglophonie.fr Lessons in Japan (CBS News 2010) page 1/2 http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6912924n&tag=mncol;lst;1 First thing in the morning, Japanese children bow to their teachers. It’s a small gesture that says a lot. Here, respect is not a song title; it’s the backbone of Japan’s school system, which for decades has topped international rankings while spending the lowest amount on education among developed democracies. 3.3 % of Japan’s gross domestic product or GDP goes toward schooling, compared to 5 % in the US. How do they do so much with so little? By investing in top-notch teachers. Teachers are given a good deal of respect; they’re expected to devote their life. The whole system is set up to emphasize the development of teachers. Retirement comes at 60 for Japanese educators, with a salary of more than sixty-two thousand dollars compared to fifty-three thousand in the US. But in return, teachers are tasked with transforming children into model citizens. If a student is caught shoplifting for example, the child’s teacher’s usually alerted before a parent. If our students do something wrong outside the school, we tend to think we should have taught them better. Inside the classroom, children learn responsibility. Changing into slippers at the school’s entrance and cleaning the building themselves. Children take turn dishing out food to their classmates and their teacher. And no one takes a bite until everyone is served. Teachers also have scheduled periods to compare notes. The desks are even grouped together in one room. I spend sixty percent of my time with students and forty percent with other teachers. Classes are regularly videotaped, allowing senior teachers to mentor juniors. A technique that’s gaining traction in the US. And ineffective teachers aren’t fired or sidelined here, they’re given extensive retraining, explains the president of Japan’s teachers’union. It is impossible for someone who is incompetent to get through the system. Despite all this, those all important global test scores have slipped. Japan topped international math ranking in 2000 but dropped to 6 in 2006. Still far ahead the US at number 25. What hasn’t changed in Japan is the value placed on education, that’s summed up by a Japanese proverb: Better than a thousand days of study is one day with a great teacher. Celia Hatsen, CBS News, Tokyo. Vocabulary 1. bow to 2. respect is the backbone 3. has topped international rankings 4. lowest 5. among 6. gross domestic product 7. schooling 8. top-notch teachers 9. teachers are given a good deal of respect 10. they’re expected to devote… 11. set up 12. emphasize 13. Retirement 14. teachers are tasked 15. citizens 16. is caught shoplifting 17. is alerted 18. we should have taught them better 19. slippers 20. take turn 21. dishing out food 22. to take a bite 23. videotaped 24. to mentor 25. that’s gaining traction 26. fired 27. sidelined 28. they’re given… 29. teachers’ union 30. to get through 31. despite 32. have slipped 33. far ahead 34. that’s summed up page 2/2 faire une révérence = colonne vertébrale (métaphore) arrivé en tête des classements internationaux le plus bas parmi produit intérieur brut les études de premier ordre beaucoup de respect est donné aux professeurs On s’attend à ce qu’ils y consacrent leur vie conçu mettre en évidence la retraite les professeurs ont comme mission de citoyens coupable de vol à l’étalage est averti on aurait dû mieux les éduquer chaussons font chacun leur tour servir prendre une bouchée / manger filmés guider, encadrer gagner du terrain virés, renvoyés (fig.) être mis sur la touche on leur donne syndicat des enseignants passer à travers, rester dans le système malgré, en dépit de ont baissé loin derrière qui se résume par