Interview: Maverick English teacher with a TikTok following Part 1

レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

Many Japanese say they hated sitting through English classes in school. Yes, grammar lessons can be boring, textbooks can be difficult and teachers may not be engaging enough. High school English teacher and TikTok English coach Kengo Tateishi is no exception. “Back in school, baseball was my passion. I wasn’t interested in English at all,” says Tateishi, whose TikTok account has about 40,000 followers. “But when I studied English literature at university, everything changed. My English skills took off. I got a near-perfect score on TOEIC. I passed Grade 1 in Eiken.” The man responsible for Tateishi’s metamorphosis was his professor, who taught him a read-aloud method that was systematic and scientific. “By reading out loud, the sentences start registering in your brain. It’s an organic process that lets you understand how phrases work and sentences are structured. The grammar starts to make sense, and in the process you learn a lot about the culture of English-speaking countries, and Japanese culture as well.” Upon graduation, Tateishi got a job with a trading company but quit when he realized that his enthusiasm for English linked directly to a love of teaching it. “I reentered university to get a teaching license and come to terms with why I wanted a teaching career so much in the first place.” (Kaori Shoji) To be continued… This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.