Writing an Essay: – Sex education –

Sex education, in one form or another, has always been an issue of controversy. There are those
who believe that it can go against their moral or religious believes. Others may think that students can be
over excited in such a class because of their lack of maturity. Nonetheless, in my opinion sex education
not only should be increased in schools but also it should be taken into account as a subject as part of the
curriculum.
To begin with, one of the main goals of education is to develop self-fulfilment. That is to say, to
develop a sense of responsibility towards life and awareness of the world in which they live. In effect,
sex education prepares learners to afford the consequences of their acts, helping them to feel more
secure and responsible. Moreover, it also breaks the taboo that sex is a bad forbidden thing.
Secondly, sex education makes the relationship between parents and children easier since it is the
teacher who explains this uncomfortable topic for the first time. Furthermore, students may also feel less
vulnerable talking to some who is not their parents, so as not to be ashamed. In addition, parents will
feel more confident to have an open conversation about pregnancy and venereal diseases whereas the
children are aware of the consequences of having sexual relations.
In contrast, it must be admitted that parents have the right of raising their children under their own
convictions, values and believes. In other words, only parents can choose the right moment to talk about
sex with their children, whether they believe they are mature enough or not. The problem is that,
because parents are not ready or children are not mature, every day we hear more cases of AIDS and
unwilling pregnancies, which end in abortions.
To conclude, on no account should we accept such a narrow-minded thought of sexual education as
a means of corruption of human purity. We should change the misconception of this idea in order to
make schools fairer with particular values or moral considerations. After all, as Malcom Forbes once
said: “The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one”.

Alejandra Diderich
370 wds.
Topic: "To what extent should I use the students' native language in
class?"

Marc Helgesen

I've noticed that there seems to be a connection between the amount of Japanese one knows and the amount one 
uses in class. Folks new to the country hardly use a word of it. After a while, it becomes more of a tool. 

Actually, I think the use of the first language in any foreign language class is a complex issue. 

The first question is who are we talking about, the teacher or the students? As a teacher, I try to limit my use of 
Japanese to defining vocabulary or short explanations. When I do use Japanese, however, it's after I've explained 
the same thing in English so students can see if what they thought they understood is really what I meant. Of 
course I realize that the students mental processing is going on in the first language, especially at the early levels. 
So often, rather than translating what I want to say, I'll just put in pauses between sentences to allow for 
processing time. 

But what about the use of Japanese by the students? I think there are two very different situations: asking 
questions and class activities. When there is something students don't understand, they will often ask in Japanese. 
If it is something I think they are capable of asking, I just smile and say (like the guy on TV), "English please!" 
They reframe it in English as best they can. If the question is above their level, I'll usually respond to their 
Japanese ­­ in English. 

Part of what I'm trying to do is create a class culture that says, "We are working together ON English IN English." 
That class culture is important in helping students avoid doing activities like pair and groupwork in their first 
language. I make it clear that I can't/won't be "English Police" ­­ nagging (or begging) each time I hear a word of 
Japanese. They are responsible for keeping themselves in English. They need to understand it really is the process 
­­ the activity itself ­­ and not just the product that needs to be in English. 

There may be times that they get in over their heads and want to say things they just don't know how to say in 
English. Fair enough. They can ask me in Japanese and I'll help them out. If find, however, that giving the students 
2­3 minutes of silent "planning time" is often just as effective. It gives them time to think about what they want to 
say and how they want to say it (I often do this by having them close their eyes while I guide them mentally 
through an activity ­­ but that's another story). 

An important consideration is input. Students need to be hearing English ­­ a lot of English ­­ if they're going to 
learn it. While the first language does have a role, I think the maxim "You learn English by USING English" holds 
true. I think it's a real mistake, for example, for teachers to give activity directions in Japanese just because it is 
easier, quicker and "those aren't the target sentences anyway." 

These instructions tend to be similar throughout the course ­­ even when introducing very different activities ­­ 
and not doing this part in English is a lost chance. Instructions are something the students will learn effectively. 
Besides, as long as we are demonstrating activities, there's enough support for the learners to follow. They're 
getting a lot of input along the way. 
http://www.eltnews.com/features/thinktank/003_mh.shtml