On teaching English

Every so often someone asks me what it's like to teach English to Japanese students. The answer, as one might expect, is not a simple one. I usually tell them about the frustrations of teaching a mandatory subject to students who may never use the subject matter itself. Sometimes, I give anecdotes about the failings of English instruction in Japan and provide for the inquisitor statistics that show how the country lags behind almost all other Asian nations in English proficiency. And other times, I simply tell them that it's a generally enjoyable occupation and that I hope that the students simply take something away from their classes.

But usually, I just tell them it's tricky, and then I show them this: