R.I.P. Nova:

I had a few emails this week about my opinion on the Nova issue here in Japan. I worked for Nova many years ago in Otaru when I was about 22 and 23. I was not a full time employee. Actually, I was working in another private English school at the time when I was suddenly contacted by Nova to help them out. They had only 1 forienger in their school at that time and that person was quitting. So they needed a “gaijin” to be in their school until someone else was hired on. So I decided to work there as well. I already knew some of the management there.

At that time Nova was pretty much the king of English conversation schools in Japan. I found Nova to have a lot of money and a lot of resources. This was much different than teaching at a smaller private school. But my experience there wasn`t good or bad. I guess just typical. The school pretty much treated its teachers like a piece of meat. It was impossible to take a day off. The rules were very strict and just pretty much not flexible at all. But I found this same situation at a lot of schools. At that time I felt it was a little too much at Nova. Looking back I am not so sure. But I do know that the school did have issues with the way it treats its teachers. I know many teachers who were very disrespected and treated a little harshly. I also know teachers who loved the experience. Basically for me I felt they didn’t treat the teachers very good. Also, from the very beginning、 I didn’t like the pricing strategy there. I had many many students who were a little stressed out over their strategy. But I wouldn’t say they were much more expensive than other schools. Just the way they charged for lessons was a little different. But many schools have copied that same system. So all in all I thought my experience in Nova wasn’t good or bad.

Do I think the school is effective in teaching English and getting people to improve their English?? YES! But I say this because I think anytime a person has a chance to speak with a native speaker and learn and practice their English with someone who has natural speaking ability is necessary. So going to Nova and speaking and learning from someone who has native speaking ability will improve your English. But other schools do the same. My point it just being able to speak and learn from someone with native speaking ability will improve your English. Nova’s learning system was no better than other systems at some other schools in my opinion. But if you are comfortable in their system that is good. Students need to be comfortable. I think that’s important. So Nova as a school in my opinion is really no different than other schools. Just that it had money and resources.

But one difference as of late….. bad, dishonest, and greedy management. This is what is killing the school. (There are other issues too.) This is the sad fact. Nova provides a good service. But the way it has been providing it is very selfish in my opinion. It’s sad and frustrating to see a company who gets too greedy and forgets who the customer is.

How do you feel about the teachers now at Nova? How do you feel about their qualifications? As for the teachers of Nova, I feel sorry for them. They have been treated completely unfairly lately from the company. Some of the stories I am hearing are unfair. But in a sense I am not so surprised because that is kind of the nature of the business. But I think everyone eventually will be ok. I don’t think too many Nova teachers made a career out of teaching there. In my experience it was kind of a place people would work for a couple years at the most and then continue on in life with something else or somewhere else. But that’s just my opinion. I still feel sorry for the people who haven’t been paid and now find themselves in a foreign country without and money and job. I think the outcome of this can’t be very good. So I hope some good decisions are made quickly for everyone. As far as qualifications, I make no comment. Some teachers in Japan are there to teach. Some are there to earn a quick buck. Nova`s teachers are no different than teachers in many other schools. But not all schools are the same.

Someone asked me in an email the other day if I felt Nova is really needed these days? My first reply is yes. I think they are needed. There are many people who still desire and need to improve their English schools. English as a global language is very important. There are English language school in the United States that helps Native speakers with their pronunciation and accents. Many people are surprised to hear this. But it’s true. This is because there is a desire even in native speaking countries for people to improve their communication skills. So anyway if you have confidence in your English and feel you don`t need to improve then I guess you don`t need to worry about it. If you feel you want to improve or need to improve of just have a hobby of studying English, then yes language schools are needed.

So now I hope I have answered all the questions. Its an intersting topic which I am happy to discuss anytime since I am working and interesting in teaching English.

Now on to Sports.... Rockies lost...!! $#&%!! But the Red Sox are too strong. I think they have a really good chance to win again next year.

For tonight... GO DRAGONS !!!

OK OK I have a lot of people asking me about the World Series in the United States and now the championship series in Japan. So let me tell you who I am cheering for.

World Series.... GO ROCKIES... ! (The have never won and they are the underdog... I have to cheer for them. )

For Japan Series... GO DRAGONS... ! (They lost last year. Plus I now live in Nagoya so I have to cheer for them). BUT... my heart is in Hokkaido... just not with the fighters right now. So sorry to all my friends and family in Hokkaido. Don`t worry... my heart is "dosanko" all the way!!

So now I have made it clear who I am cheering for. On other sports my football team "Denver Broncos" are doing completely terrible this year. I guess its a good year to be in Japan away from the sport this year since they suck so bad. NBA starts up in a couple of weeks and I am very interested to watch my team "Utah Jazz". I really hope they at least repeat whe they did last year. So anyway the sports are in high gear and lots to keep track of... Its hard to concentrate at work. I am checking live sports scores as much as I can.... hehe. Don`t tell anyone!!!

Ahhhh Thursday afternoon…. Some people may be asking why I am blogging on Thursday afternoon… well good question. Just taking a quick break from life. I found myself starting to almost fall asleep at my desk. Its been a very quiet day and I have no huge fires going on right now. Just a few small ones here and there. But today I got involved into some other things during lunch so I worked thru lunch. So now I am just taking a break!!

I got some terrible news yesterday a dear friend has passed away. I am shocked. He was hunting in the mountains and got hit by lightning. It was very sudden. It just breaks my heart. He has a wife and 3 children. So it got me thinking about how precious this time really is. The death of a friend or family always get you thinking deep. But this really is such a tragedy and I have been thinking the last couple days about this. It makes me homesick too !!!

Then I hear about a stabbing death of a little 7 year old girl here in Japan. She was stabbed in the chest and stomach. I can’t believe it. What is going on in the world that people are stabbing little children. I wish I could have 10 minutes in a room with the guy who did this. If there ever was a case to support the death penalty its now. I can’t believe we have such sick people walking around the streets. I also can’t believe the amount of violent crimes held against innocent children in Japan. I hear so much of this news it makes me sick. Why here? I feel like I hear more of this in Japan than in the United States. I am sure it happens everywhere. But it seems to be on the news a lot here. Still I know there are sick people in every country. It just depresses me a little.

Well enough of the dark stuff….. the weather is nice and fall food is awesome!! I am eating oden from 7/11 almost once a week now….hehe.

having any fun??

This last past week has been hell.... there is no other words to describe it... Last week started out good. I met Kent Derricott last Friday night. Many of my friends in Japan know of him. So it was good to see him and he always makes you smile. Then after that I met some people from my company in America. So that was good too. After that pure hell....

Work has been too crazy. I am just tired of the same old routine everyday working long hours and coming home and finding something to eat and then go to bed. Nothing exciting at all. I need something new!!! I just don`t know how the guys in my office live. There is a work ethic that I just can`t seem to catch up with. The other Japanese companies I have worked for were never this bad. My company isn`t even Japanese. Its really from Sweden and thats where our headquarters. But this office here is loaded with old salarymen who think nothing but 100% pure work work work.... Its crazy... I mean no life at all... I heard a new song the other day that I really liked and it pretty much decided what I am feeling... Here are some of the words...

"I wanna feel a car crash"
"I wanna feel a capsize"
"I wanna feel a bomb drop earth stop till I`m satisfied"
"Iwanna feel a car crash cause I am dying on the inside"

This is basically it. I mean nothing going on. I am doing the same thing everyday and nothing is waking me up. I feel completely like some damn zombie just going to work and having no life. Oh well its alright.... time to stop bitching. Just need something to give me a boost...... I guess its time for a jack and coke....hehe
Happy Friday........ :)