Japan Airlines has made history by choosing its first-ever female president, Mitsuko Tottori. Tottori started working for the airline as a flight attendant in 1985 and has worked her way up over the years. She hopes that her promotion will encourage other women to aim for leadership positions in their careers. This is a big deal because there aren't many women in top positions at major airlines around the world. Tottori will officially become president on April 1st, taking over from Yuji Akasaka, who will become chairman. These changes come after a recent plane crash involving a Japan Airlines plane and a smaller coastguard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
Tottori has experience in different roles, including working directly with customers and being a director for cabin crew. She wants to make safety her number one priority. She believes that making sure everything runs smoothly and safely is the most important thing for airlines. Tottori also understands that women face challenges when it comes to moving up in their careers. She hopes that her appointment will inspire and empower other women to go for leadership roles. According to a survey, there were 12 women leading the top 100 airlines at the end of 2022, compared to six the year before.
This appointment is not only important for the airline industry, but also for Japan, where there aren't many women in leadership positions. The Japanese government wants to have one-third of top positions at major businesses held by women by 2030. They didn't reach this goal by 2020, so they're pushing for at least one woman to be an executive at companies by 2025. Right now, only 13.2% of management positions in Japan are held by women, which is the lowest among OECD countries. The OECD says this shows that there's a big problem with how people are being used in the country.
In conclusion, Japan Airlines appointing Mitsuko Tottori as its first female president is a really important moment for both the airline and the industry. Tottori's promotion is a great example for women who want to be leaders. It also shows that we need more women in top positions, not just in airlines but in Japan's businesses as a whole. The government's efforts to get more women into leadership roles are really important for making society more fair and inclusive.
Original news source: Japan Airlines appoints ex-flight attendant as first female president (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article or read it aloud.
3. Ask the students to summarize the main points of the article in their own words.
4. Give them a time limit (e.g. 5 minutes) to discuss and come up with a concise summary.
5. Have each group share their summary with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: "Do you think it is important to have more women in leadership positions in the airline industry?"
2. Give the class a few minutes to think about their opinions.
3. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
4. In their pairs/groups, students should discuss their opinions and reasons behind their stance.
5. After the discussion, conduct a poll by asking each pair/group to share their opinion (e.g. "Raise your hand if you think it is important" or "Raise your hand if you think it is not important").
6. Facilitate a class discussion by asking students to explain their reasoning.
– Headline Creation
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each pair/group to create a catchy headline for the article.
3. Encourage them to be creative and use vocabulary from the article.
4. Give them a time limit (e.g. 5 minutes) to come up with their headline.
5. Have each pair/group share their headline with the class.
6. Discuss the different headlines and why they think their headline captures the essence of the article.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the class into teams.
3. Assign a team member to be the "drawer" for the first round.
4. Give the "drawer" a vocabulary word from the list.
5. The "drawer" should draw a picture on the board to represent the word, while their team tries to guess the word.
6. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.
7. Repeat the process with a new "drawer" from each team and a new vocabulary word.
8. The team with the most points at the end wins.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Pose the following question to the class: "How do you think having more women in leadership positions can benefit the airline industry?"
2. Give the students a few minutes to think about their response.
3. Instruct them to find a partner and share their thoughts.
4. After the discussion, ask a few pairs to share their ideas with the class.
5. Facilitate a class discussion by asking follow-up questions and encouraging students to build on each other's ideas.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Mitsuko Tottori is the first-ever female president of Japan Airlines. Her appointment is significant because it breaks barriers and shows that women can hold top leadership positions in the airline industry.
Tottori started working for Japan Airlines as a flight attendant in 1985. Over the years, she has held various roles, including working directly with customers and being a director for cabin crew. Through hard work and dedication, she has worked her way up to become the president of the airline.
Tottori's main priority as president of Japan Airlines is to ensure safety. She believes that making sure everything runs smoothly and safely is the most important thing for airlines.
Tottori believes that her appointment as the first female president of Japan Airlines will inspire and empower other women to aim for leadership positions in their careers. She wants to show that women can succeed in top positions and break through gender barriers.
According to a survey, there were 12 women leading the top 100 airlines at the end of 2022.
Tottori's appointment is important for Japan as a whole because it highlights the need for more women in leadership positions. Currently, there are not many women in top positions in Japan's businesses, and Tottori's appointment serves as a step towards achieving gender equality in the country.
The Japanese government's goal is to have one-third of top positions at major businesses held by women by 2030. They also aim to have at least one woman as an executive at companies by 2025.
Currently, only 13.2% of management positions in Japan are held by women, which is the lowest among OECD countries. This is a problem according to the OECD because it shows that there is a lack of gender diversity and equal opportunities for women in leadership roles in Japan.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Japan Airlines has made by choosing its first-ever female , Tottori. Tottori started working for the airline as a flight in 1985 and has worked her way up over the years. She hopes that her promotion will encourage other women to aim for leadership positions in their careers. This is a big deal because there aren't many women in top positions at major airlines around the world. Tottori will officially become president on April 1st, taking over from Yuji Akasaka, who will become chairman. These changes come after a recent plane crash involving a Japan Airlines and a smaller plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Tottori has experience in different roles, including working directly with customers and being a director for cabin crew. She wants to make safety her number one priority. She believes that making sure everything runs smoothly and safely is the most important thing for airlines. Tottori also understands that women face challenges when it to up in their careers. She hopes that her appointment will inspire and empower other women to go for leadership roles. According to a survey, there were 12 women leading the top 100 s at the end of 2022, to six the year before. This appointment is not only important for the airline industry, but also for Japan, where there aren't many women in leadership positions. The Japanese government wants to have one-third of top positions at major businesses held by women by 2030. They didn't this goal by 2020, so they're pushing for at least one to be an executive at companies by 2025. Right now, only 13.2% of management positions in Japan are held by women, which is the lowest among OECD countries. The OECD says this shows that there's a big problem with how people are being used in the country. In conclusion, Japan Airlines appointing Mitsuko as its first female president is a really moment for both the airline and the industry. Tottori's promotion is a great for women who want to be leaders. It also shows that we need more women in top positions, not just in airlines but in Japan's businesses as a . The government's efforts to get more women into leadership roles are really important for making society more fair and inclusive.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is the significance of Mitsuko Tottori becoming the first female president of Japan Airlines?
2. How do you think Mitsuko Tottori's promotion will inspire other women in their careers?
3. Do you think it is important to have more women in leadership positions in the airline industry? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were appointed as the first female president of a major company? Why?
5. Do you think the Japanese government's goal of having one-third of top positions held by women is achievable? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think there are not many women in leadership positions in Japan's businesses?
7. What challenges do you think women face when trying to move up in their careers?
8. How do you think having more women in leadership roles can make society more fair and inclusive?
9. What do you think is the most important aspect of running an airline, according to Mitsuko Tottori?
10. How do you think Mitsuko Tottori's experience in different roles will benefit her as the president of Japan Airlines?
11. Do you think it is important for companies to prioritize safety? Why or why not?
12. How do you think Mitsuko Tottori's appointment will impact the perception of women in leadership positions in Japan?
13. What actions do you think can be taken to increase the number of women in management positions in Japan?
14. Why do you think there are more men than women in top positions at major airlines around the world?
15. How do you think having more women in leadership positions can positively influence the airline industry?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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