Aya writes about Christopher Hood's thoughts on Comparing Japan and Britain:
"We had a chance to talk with Christopher
who was formerly an ALT from Britain. First, I want to talk about
him.
He lived in Seto city and he thinks Seto city is interesting and
historical. Nagoya and Toyota city are also in good locations
and they are convenient for people to go shopping or eat out.
However, because he grew up in the countryside, he prefers pastoral
places to a big cities.
..As
for the weather, winter in Japan is colder than that of Britain.
But on the contrary, summer in Japan is too hot. So he thinks
Japan is not easy to live in. When he first came to Tokyo, he
rode on the Yamanote Line. Then he was very surprised that the
train was so crowded and he thought that there were so many people
in Japan. His first impression in Japan was made in this way.
..By
the way, he often watches TV programs such as quiz or sports in
Japan. In Japan, celebrities take part in the quiz programs and
solve difficult questions using photos or kanji. On the other
hand, ordinary people generally join programs in Britain. I didn't
know that Britain's prizes are more valuable than Japan's before
I heard of it. His hobby is his daughter in Britain. He wants
to get more money for his daughter's education. In Japan, his
hobby is Shinkansen or taking photos. His aim in life is to enjoy
his life.
..Second,
I want to talk about differences of education between Japan and
Britain. In Japan, the percentage of people going on to higher
education is greater in Britain than in Japan now. About 42~43
percent of the students in Britain go to university. He teaches
in university and he thinks that Japanese student's motivation
for education is lower and lower lately. They are not interested
in their courses and sleep during the class, not being ashamed.
And he thinks Japanese people are sometimes too shy. He teaches
70 students including about 10 ~ 20 percent foreign students.
In them, most of the students become ALTs. In Japan, courses last
four years but three years in Britain. To study Japanese from
Japanese friends is good for getting a job.
..Thanks
to his talk, I learned many things I didn't know before.