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Japanese kids

Friday, February 9th, 2007

It’s been interesting to see how the students’ reactions to me have changed over the course of the year. Initially I was looking forward to teaching fifth and sixth graders based on my positive experience teaching Chinese elementary kids last March. Japanese kids are different. I quickly found this age to be difficult. They’re shy and almost paralyzed by the fear of breaking away from their peers. The group mentality dominant in Japan starts to take root around the third or fourth grades and by the end of the sixth grade whatever is deemed cool by the leaders becomes the law of the land. Obviously in the start of the school year English class wasn’t cool.

The younger kids reacted differently. For many of them I was maybe the first foreigner they’d spoken with, possibly even seen in this small town. I am an alien to them and they remind me every day of this fact. I am tall, as is my nose. My eyes are reportedly scary…but in a good way…maybe. The young kids liked me a lot at first, but as the newness of having another foreigner around wore off I started to blend into the scenery like any other teacher.

What has happened over the course of the year has been a reversal of roles that is indicative of age. The older students have steadily warmed up to me and the young kids have grown bored of me like an old toy. I used to dread climbing the three stories up to the sixth graders rooms, but now look forward to their classes. It just shows the change kids start going through at 11 or 12. They are leery of new people, especially someone who doesn’t look like them. I’ve had to play a lot of soccer and spend many hours jumping rope to earn their respect.

This human being thing is fun.

Don’t say the D-word

Thursday, February 8th, 2007

Yes, English is difficult. Any language is difficult. Most rewarding undertakings in life are difficult. We adults realize this, but must keep this fact secret from the kids.

There is a second grade teacher at one of the larger elementary schools where I teach who is passing on her learning insecurities to her impressionable young students, and I’m trying to stop it. She is a nice enough woman and gives me snacks everyday after class since we’re desk neighbors in the teacher’s room. But she’s a baby talker, taking this annoying habit to such new heights that I can hardly stand talking to her. The baby voice is a phenomenon in Japan that continues to bother me. The diminutive woman is still preferred, I guess. You’ll hear it when you get change at the grocery store, in chain restaurants, or in some elementary school classrooms as I’ve discovered.

This particular teacher talks to 8 year olds like they’re 2, and me like I’m 8. I’ve severed all pleasantries with her because of this but every day the candy shows up on my desk like clockwork. I eat it and say arigato. In the morning she sighs and mentions something about “ew, so tired.” I nod and continue preparing for her class later in the day. By the time her class arrives I’ve told myself to ignore her comments, but I find it hard. With second graders there is only so much that can be introduced to them before they tune out or retention becomes impossible. She waits for me to approach this line; I can see she wants to say it.

“It’s my grandfather,” I belt out. “He is smart.” The students barely finish repeating the sentence before she chimes in with her high pitched sigh:

“Eeew, Engrish so DIFF-culto!” Oh yes, now they understand. Well done.

I say something condescending to her, right into her eyes, like “they’re smart” or “they can handle it.” She’s not listening. English is too difficult to even begin listening for this type.

Encouraging this type of mentality infuriates me. Yes, Japanese face some major hurdles when tackling most Western languages, especially regarding grammar and pronunciation. But to explain these challenges to 8 year olds in inexcusable. To these kids English is just something else to learn, another batch of fun new facts to soak up in their spongy little brains. But when teachers reinforce negative attitudes about language they start to believe what they’re being told. What the teacher says must be true, right?

The most important thing for teachers to teach is the attitude that everything is learnable, to encourage curiosity, and model these at all times. This is a difficult step for Japan.

Danger!!! Conburnable!!!

Tuesday, October 24th, 2006
Japan is chock full of abysmal, albeit often amusing bits of English. Even after two years here I still chuckle to myself when I throw away my “conburnable” garbage at Starbucks, or when I’m ... [Continue reading this entry]

Undo Kai

Friday, October 20th, 2006

The most salient example of Japanese discipline is Undo Kai, the fall sports festivals for elementary and junior high school students. The kids arrive back from summer vacations to be herded into the sweltering ... [Continue reading this entry]

Aisatsu

Monday, May 29th, 2006

Each morning I sit in the teacher’s room in my elementary school and wait.  Eventually two children come and ask for Da-ni-e-ru sensei or Maa-fee teacher.  Sometimes they look right at me and ask if the English teacher is ... [Continue reading this entry]

Sho-gako

Monday, May 1st, 2006
I'm halfway through my first week of teaching Japanese elementary kids. What a great decision this has been. After spending the past year and a half trying to figure out Japanese people, I now get the inside ... [Continue reading this entry]

In Japan

Thursday, April 13th, 2006
It’s been a whirlwind coming back to Japan. I’ve been back a week and I’ve done so much that it doesn’t seem possible. I arrived, went back to Hitachi, interviewed in Tokyo the next day, and then went back to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Touch down

Sunday, April 9th, 2006
I’ve touched down back in Japan and immediately I know I’ve made the right choice. Chiaki picked me up at the airport Thursday, I had a successful interview on Friday, and now I’m enjoying the most beautiful ... [Continue reading this entry]

Teaching combat

Tuesday, March 28th, 2006
It’s the last week of the TEFL course I’ve been taking here in Zhuhai, and we’re teaching in public elementary schools and middle schools now. What an experience. First of all, there are a lot of the little monsters, and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Do I teach children?

Thursday, March 3rd, 2005
It’s Wednesday afternoon, I’m in a carpeted room, scrambling on my hands and knees to find a little foam letter R. If I don’t find this letter then I can’t spell Mahiro, and if I spell Mahiro in 30 seconds ... [Continue reading this entry]