Lecture - Debate in Japan - Andrew Nishizaki - 3rd Better World Conference 2010

Lecture - Debate in Japan - Andrew Nishizaki - 3rd Better World Conference 2010 from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

Debate in Japan, Andrew Nishizaki, Japan

I will review the situation concerning debating in Japan. I will do this by dealing with more general difficulties faced by those wishing to debate in Japan, especially in English, and then deal with more specific barriers. I will conclude with a discussion of my work to promote debating in Japan and how I deal with these barriers.

First, I will deal with the difficulties in mastering English in Japan based on the educational system and the cultural orientation towards English speaking. Second, I will deal with cultural barriers that might inhibit the free expression of disagreement, especially as applied to the young. Third, I will discuss the role of English in higher education and how it is undervalued as a skill that students should have, with its resulting de-emphasis on the part of students. Fourth, I will discuss the role of debating as a peripheral activity in Japanese universities, resulting in a lack of support for debating activities. Fifth, I will discuss my work in promoting debate in Japan and how I have attempted to overcome these very substantial barriers.

3rd International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment, October 2010, Maribor, Slovenia.

Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/

The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .

The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/ .

Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak.