Very Popular New English Teaching Method - Relying on Native Speaker's Intuition

Professor ONISHI Hiroto

Bouncing into the room in his black leather jacket, Professor Onishi is the liveliest English teacher I've ever met. With the popular TV show, 'Haato de Kanjiru Eibunpou' ('English Grammar Feeling by Heart'), he is revolutionizing English teaching.

Like most Japanese students he found learning English tough. "I started studying English in junior high school. I followed the standard method, memorizing the endless rules of traditional grammar and using them. It was boring and difficult."

When he became a teacher, he thought there had to be a better way, so he came up with a new method which he developed with Professor Paul Chris McVay, who has been his writing partner over the last 10 years. This new method throws the grammar rulebook out of the window, relying instead on native speakers' intuition.

"English-speaking children attain a perfect command of English without learning the tons of rules and usages found in every grammar book. Their learning process can't be that inefficient. They just pick up the central core of the meaning intuitively and apply it in a variety of ways. So we just mimic the infant's way of learning English."

How does it work? "Every grammatical part has one core, one essential, fundamental 'intuition.' Once you get the core you can use it to learn other smaller derivative points. You don't have to build up usages or memorize any rules, you just attack the core. It's a very efficient way of learning."

And anyone can learn. "I don't agree there are people who can learn a language and people who can't. It has nothing to do with IQ," he continues with a laugh. "My friend is extremely stupid and speaks fluent English!"

There are plenty of fans. After teaching the method for fifteen years, Professors Onishi & McVay published a series of books. One fell into the hands of an NHK TV producer and the rest is history. "It's been an amazing progression," he agrees. Has the method had critics? "Not one," he says with a laugh, "It's totally surprising considering that we are rejecting the traditional method. People are saying that they are moved, that they are sure this is their first step to learning English. It's a very satisfying and rewarding feeling."

Onishi is fired by a passion to spread English throughout Japan. "The average Japanese student has failed in learning English. Look around you, how many Japanese can speak English fluently? English is surely an essential communication tool in this 'global village' we live in, and we hope our method will make the study of English both more efficient and enjoyable."

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