マティーをご支援して下さっている皆様に喜んでいただきたいお知らせがあります！

日本の禅と俳句を世界に最初に紹介したR．H．ブライス博士の偉業を称え生誕百十年を記念して山茶花クラブが2007年に学習院大学内に創設され、　2008年から「山茶花クラブ賞」が文学と芸術への貢献度の高い方に贈られる事になり、全国から五名が選ばれました。　その中にマティーこども英会話　会長　曲田光雄がノミネイトされました。

終戦直後に出版された、学習院大学名誉教授・稲村松雄先生の著書で、中学の英語教科書　『ジャック・アンド・ベティー』は当時全国９０％以上の学校で採用され、長年のベストセラーとなりました。　先生はNHKでも長年英語を担当、その著書は百冊以上もあります。　また膨大な『ランダムハウス英和大辞典』の主幹となり、何冊もの辞書をお作りになっています。　先生は日本の代表的英語教育者であり、その生涯を英語教育に捧げた方です。　その先生が何十万人もの教え子の中から、先生最後の書『ジャック・アンド・ベティーから21世紀へ』の中で、ただ一人曲田光雄を選ばれ、マティーこども英会話をこれからの早期英語教育の最先端を行くもの、また手本となるものとして認め、その経験と実積を高く評価して下さっています。

マティーこども英会話は、ネイティブによる発音とイントネーション重視の早期英語教育の必要性を早くから提唱し、そのパイオニアとして37年以上の経験と実績を示しております。今日やっと小学校からの英語教育が騒がれ始め、日本の英語教育が暗中模索のなかでマティーこども英会話は既に模範を示しているといえます。

また全国に先駆けて、33年以上も続けてきたマティーの幼児からのスピーチコンテストを一般に公開し、ユニークで新しい開催形式の「かながわ小･中学生英語スピーチコンテスト」を始めております。　英語教育の中でのスピーチコンテストの有効性を全国に知らしめ普及しようとするこの地道な努力が、地域社会の早期英語教育にも貢献しています。　これらのことが評価され、2008年4月26日に学習院大学の会場でこの栄えある賞を受賞いたしました。

会長は、マティーを今日まで続ける事が出来たのも一重に皆様のご協力の賜物と思い、皆様に代り、又マティーの発展にも役立てたいと考えてこの賞を頂くことに致しました。　
死の直前まで英語教育の為にペンを取られた稲村松雄先生に見習い、改めて、より良い早期英語教育の実現に努力し続けたいと決意を新たにしております。　

皆様の更なるご支援ご協力をお願い致します。

Inaugural Sazanka Club Prize Awarded to Mitsuo Kyokuta, Founder of Matty’s School of English

Here is some good news to be shared with all the people who have helped Matty’s:

At the end of 2007, The Sazanka Club was founded in commemoration of the 110^th birthday of Dr. R. H. Blyth who was a professor at Gakushuin University.  He is credited as the pioneer for introducing Japanese Zen and Haiku to the western world. The Sazanka Club created a prize in 2008 for persons who have contributed to the world of literature and arts in Japan.  Five recipients were nominated, and Mitsuo Kyokuta was one of them.

Matty’s School of English was highly praised by Professor Matsuo Inamura, former Emeritus Professor of Gakushuin University.  The late Professor Inamura is famed in the Japanese education world for having written “Jack and Betty”,  a junior high school English textbook published shortly after World War II.   “Jack and Betty” went on to become a long-time bestseller and subsequently was used in ninety percent of schools in Japan.  Along with “Jack and Betty”, Professor Inamura also wrote over 100 books.  He also published several English-Japanese dictionaries.  He is noted as chief editor of Random House’s most definitive English-Japanese dictionary.  Professor Inamura had also taught English for many years for NHK television.

Inamura is truly one of the great English teachers in Japan who has devoted his life for the effective teaching of English to Japanese students.  In his last book, “Japanese English Education in the 21^st Century: After Jack and Betty”, Inamura made reference to Matty’s School of English founder Mitsuo Kyokuta.  Inamura noted that Matty’s method of teaching is not only up-to-date, but also highly effective in giving budding young learners the ability to converse in English.  He wrote that the work of Matty’s has set a good example for successful early childhood English education in Japan, which at this time is in major transition as mandatory English lessons beginning in elementary school are being phased in.

Mitsuo Kyokuta came to the realization many years ago that English education must be started in childhood and that teaching must be concentrated on listening and speaking. Traditionally, here in Japan, English is introduced from junior high school with a heavy focus on reading, writing and translation.  As a result, a high number of university students who majored in English cannot even carry on simple daily conversation.

In its thirty seven years history of teaching English, Matty’s has found that holding speech contests in English focusing on intonation, pronunciation and delivery is an effective means of motivating young learners to perfect their speech. The contest also prepares students for the world of public speaking which is very rare in Japan.

Matty’s holds an annual speech contest called “Matty’s Open Kanagawa English Speech Contest for Elementary & Junior High School Students” that is open to elementary and junior high school students living in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Assistance is provided from various sources, which include the local boards of education and local businesses such as Kanagawa Toyota and the Yokohama Bay Stars to name but a few.  Eastern Mennonite University in America has offered a free scholarship in their summer Intensive English Program to the grand prize winner of the free speech section.

The Matty’s Open English Speech Contest is receiving more and more recognition as evidenced by the increase of applicants.  Several years ago, Matty’s open speech contest was televised on NHK (Tokyo area) and Kanagawa TV.

Kyokuta’s dream is that one day speech contests will be held in every school in Kanagawa and hopefully schools all over Japan.  The winners could then compete in other speech contests such as the one that Matty’s holds!

Kyokuta feels that the success of Matty’s is the result of all those who have supported the school throughout the years, and that it is because of their efforts that he was recognized by the Sazanka Club.  The prize was awarded on April 26, 2008 at the Gakushuin University.

He will continue to strive to do his best for the students of Matty’s and for those who support Matty’s cause.  Like Professor Inamura, he has committed himself to the betterment of English education in Japan.

Your continued support of Matty’s School of English will always be appreciated.