「Institution」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Rebecca Gabriel : English Teaching Assistant

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Starting in September, I have been volunteering as an English teaching assistant at a middle school for my CIP.  As I have mentioned in the previous blog entry, I had to change schools this semester because of schedule conflicts.  Though I missed my old school a bit, it was interesting to be able to help at two different schools.  Both of the schools were actually very similar, but the activities I did were very different.

In the first school, I went to class and played English work games or read off vocabulary lists or readings or I went around helping out with worksheets.  At the second school, I did that sort of thing the first time, but after that I started coming after class and practicing English conversations with the kids.  We talked about a lot of things. Where we want to go on vacation, kpop sings that we like, which club they were in, and so on and so forth.  They were really very cute, but it was a bit unfortunate that they were shy about speaking in English.  Most of the time, they would go off in Japanese tangents about whatever we were talking about at the time.  I sometimes think that I didn’t really do much to help with their English education, but I am still glad that I could meet them all.

The last time I went to speak with the 7th graders, there happened to be a girl in a wheelchair there as well.  I was actually touched by how they all included her.  Rather than making her sit in the wheelchair, one of the girls carried her over to a regular chair.  After we talked, she tried to help her to the wheelchair again, but they both fell.  They burst out laughing.  The girl who helped her didn’t seem troubled or put upon at all.  Although I am not well informed on the subject, I often hear about criticism for the Japanese view on and treatment of handicapped persons.  As such, I was really proud of all of the girls who so naturally helped out and included their friend.  Wednesday was the opening ceremony for the school, so I hope I can go at least one more time!  It’s been a really interesting experience teaching here, and I won’t soon forget it.

Erica Neville: Manga Workshop

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To be sure, my insight into private drawing classes hasn’t changed much from last quarter. I’ve learned how to understand critique in Japanese, and how to follow both drawn and spoken suggestions despite limited relevant vocabulary. This quarter I’ve managed to communicate a lot more with my teacher, and a lot of last quarter’s frustration regarding being given assignments I found boring has been alleviated and, perhaps helpfully, replaced with frustration in struggling through more challenging structural and organic perspective assignments. Huzzah!

I have learned that, in practice, in small classrooms the kinds of respectful language we Japanese language students have learned and are told to use are often dropped in favor of a mix of casual and polite language. Especially in the drawing classroom, the emphasis is on effective communication. This might be because some of the students are younger, ranging from elementary to high school age, although I’ve heard other adults speaking much the same way. Greetings and small-talk are typically polite or, less often, respectful, but when it comes to the meat of the conversation we often use casual or です•ます style alone.

Moreover, in this setting, critique is more straightforward than it might otherwise be when there isn’t a definite student-teacher relationship. My teacher will often employ softer grammar to phrase things more as a suggestion, but he still makes his point clear and will continue suggesting improvements every time he comes by if a piece of the drawing is still not dark enough, for instance.

I also find it interesting that even the younger kids receive the same level of critique. Many of the students in the classroom are there preparing to apply to art school, of course, but it seems that even at a younger age this kind of instruction is valued as a serious study, whereas in America there is a tendency towards leniency with children and treating private classes primarily as a fun pastime rather than actual skill-building.

Although I had the option to choose another CIP, perhaps the manga circle on campus, and in the process would have saved a good chunk of money, I can definitely say I am glad I stayed with this private classroom. The interaction can be more limited than some given that we mostly work independently, but the one-on-one instruction from the teacher and listening to him interacting with other students is very informative and gratifying.

Mary Ross: Volunteer English Teacher's Assistant

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My CIP for this semester was working as an English teacher’s assistant at a nearby middle school, Kamigyō Chūgakkō. Before my CIP began, I had visions of myself (through my profound and awe-inspiring teaching abilities) stirring a love of the English language in my students. My real experience was something quite different: thought quite enjoyable, it was definitely not what I expected.

For one thing, before volunteering at the school, I imagined Japanese schools to run like a well-oiled machine, populated by polite and serious students. Maybe this middle school is an exception to that rule, but it all felt a little chaotic. Still, the students were thrilled to see me every time I came and always made me feel welcome. As well, the teachers were quite kind and were passionate about teaching.

Another unexpected aspect of this experience was the manner in which I was employed. I helped out in the classroom about two or three times and the rest of the times I went, I simply talked with a group of the students for an hour or two. These kaiwa sessions were successful to various degrees: one time it was a large group of both boys and girls and so the conversation flowed quite well; another time it was just three shy girls and I almost had to drag the conversation out of them. Contrary to my visions of greatness, while there were a few students who did love English (for which I sadly cannot take credit), the vast majority seemed simply to be suffering through the class.

Kamigyō Chūgakkō

Moreover, I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t work in the classroom more often or in a more academic manner with the students. While conversational skills are important, the conversations sometimes devolved into me making small-talk and the students answering just “yes” or “no,” which doesn’t do much for their language abilities. I think using the volunteers in a more structured and academic manner (such as short individual sessions to address a particular student’s concerns or weaknesses) would be a better use of everyone’s time. However, the conversations (when they extended beyond me making small-talk) were a lot of fun and taught me some fun Japanese slang when the students wanted something translated into English.

If a KCJS student’s goal for their CIP was to interact deeply with Japanese people, I would probably not recommend a volunteer English assistant position to them. I did learn a lot about Japanese schools and youth, but I felt more like an outsider looking in than a part of the society itself. As well, since you are teaching English (and I was asked to stick to only English when talking to the students), there aren’t many chance to practice Japanese. To better integrate and become a member of Japanese society, I think it is important to speak the language and develop deeper relationships with Japanese people which is, unfortunately, difficult to do when you are interacting solely in English and with people who are much younger than you.

However, I did feel that I was able to get a glimpse into Japanese society and I think that by interacting with the Japanese students and allowing them to interact with a non-Japanese person, I was able to make a small impact on Japanese society. No matter what country it is, I think interacting with people from other countries not only gives you a wider, more global perspective, but also enriches that nation’s culture.

All in all, I really enjoyed this experience. To better integrate in Japanese society, I would advise supplementing volunteering as an English assistant teacher with activities that have to do with Japanese culture and language (KIX is a good option for this!). However, I found this CIP very fulfilling; it felt nice to know that I may have furthered someone’s interest in English or at least offered them a new experience. It was definitely a new experience for me, so I guess they taught me something too!

Rachelle Chouinard: Volunteering at a Children’s Hospital

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For my CIP, I have been volunteering at a program called Nico Toma (which aptly stands for “smiling tomato”), a program which runs a playroom and other fun events for the children staying in the Children’s Ward at the Kyoto University hospital. Once a week since September I have been going to Nico Toma and mostly helping out with decorations or other craft and organizational tasks. On days that there are special events, like the spring and Christmas cafes and fundraising bazaar, I get to have more contact with the children as I am usually assigned a task where I get to help them pick out which basket of candies they want or help them put cookies on their plate. Increasingly as I have acquired more experience with the program I have noticed an increase in the responsibility of the tasks I am assigned, which is a relief because although I like doing arts and crafts always doing simplistic tasks is boring.

Something I have noticed as I have worked with the same volunteers is a gradual transformation of speaking styles when speaking with the other volunteers, not just the style of speaking becoming less formal, but also the content of the questions slowly becoming more personal and more complex. In the beginning, we spoke of mostly simplistic things such as likes and dislikes, basic facts of our lives, etc. Now we tackle much more complex topics, such as the differences between Americans and Japanese, politics, and other much more esoteric topics. I also find it interesting how in Japanese, much more clearly than in English, you can tell your closeness to a person by their use of particular language. Perhaps this clear language distinction reflects a Japanese preoccupation with distinctions between social gradients.

As I have spent a little more time this semester out in the Children’s Ward changing the decorations, I have also had more of an opportunity to witness the reactions of parents and the hospital staff to us as volunteers in the hospital. The reactions of the different types of people in the hospital to us are usually very different. Doctors and nurses usually seem pleased to see us, and really seem to appreciate the decorations. The children are always pleased and curious, although the younger ones can look a little intimidated. To the younger kids we are almost as interesting as the new decorations; they stare unabashedly at us the whole time we are working. It’s the parents who have the most diverse reactions. Some are very enthusiastic about seeing us there, others are ambivalent, and some people even seem annoyed or confused about why we are there. Because volunteering in hospitals is so uncommon in Japan, at least according to the other volunteers, perhaps it is just that these parents see communicating with a foreigner another added burden in an already stressful situation. Overall, I have enjoyed my time volunteering with Nico Toma and the opportunity to interact with so many different kinds of people that I would not have had contact with otherwise. Plus, the kids are always so adorable!

 

カーヴァー・ルーシャ：日本のLGBTに関する調査

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　今学期のCIP活動は私の卒業論文の研究の一環として、「参与観察」という方法論を用い、京都・大阪地域のレズビアン・ゲイコミュニティーのイベントに参加し、同性愛者として日本での生活について調査することである。高校四年生のとき以来、日本に住む日系ブラジル人の状況を初めて聞いたことがきっかけとなり、移民・部落・LGBTの人などの日本の社会的マイノリティに深い興味を持っている。去年、東アジア研究学部の学生のための個別指導クラスを受け、マスコミが与える日本人による外国人犯罪に対する恐怖心への影響力についての期末レポートを書いた。そして、今年、KCJSの春学期に自分で決めるテーマに基づいて独学ができることおよび日本に住んでいる状況を機会として生かし、来年の卒業論文に先んじて、実地調査を行おうと決めた。日本に住むLGBTである人に関しての研究は非常に少なく、さらに大半の研究はゲイ男性に関するものが多いので、若い女性としてはこれまであまり研究されていない日本のレズビアンコミュニティーを調査し、学界に意味ある貢献をするチャンスだと思い、日本の女性同性愛者の性的同一性の形成というテーマを選んだ。

まず気付いたことは、アメリカと比べ、日本に家族・職場・友達、つまりLGBTコミュニティー以外の知り合いにカミングアウトする人は非常に少ないのである。日本人のレズビアンに「あなたはいつかカミングアウトするつもりですか？」と聞いたら、「いや、絶対カミングアウトしない」とよく言われる。それはなぜなら、日本でLGBTである人の存在がよく認められていないとともに、やはり社会的な期待、とくに家族からの結婚することに対するプレッシャーが原因で、カミングアウトするのはなかなか難しいことである。しかし、カミングアウトしていないからこそ、一般的な日本人には自分の周りにLGBTである人がいないように見えるなので、結果として「日本にLGBTである人は存在していない」という考え方や社会に定着している既成概念が疑われることなく、結局、先述したカミングアウトしていない状況の原因になる社会的な期待が続き、いわゆる悪循環が繰り返される。


アメリカのLGBTのように、比較的にオープンに暮らせるが、同時によく憎悪犯罪の犠牲となるという両極端な状況より、日本に隠れているLGBTである人に対しての暴力事件の発生率が低いということを考えれば、日本の現在状況の方が安全に見えるかもしれないけど、自分のアイデンティティーの大事な一部を愛する人から隠すのはたしかにつらいと思う。今までの調査結果では、アメリカと日本との状況の格差が明らかに見えるのが一番面白い。調査を続け、色々な新しい経験をし、これから日本に住むLGBTコミュニティーについてもっと学ぶことを楽しみにしている。

エリカ・ネビル：マンガの教室

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今学期も先学期のCIPを続けています。内容はあまり変わっていませんが、もう一度紹介します。

春学期のCIPは二条城の近くにある「二条美術研究所」というマンガ教室です。二条城前駅から、教室は歩いて五分しかかからないので、とても便利です。週に１回で月謝は安いどころか１７０００円なのでとても高いですが、先生は親切だし、高校生であれ小学生であれ、学生達が一生懸命に絵を描くのを勉強するし、温かい雰囲気があってそれだけの価値はあります。その上、小さい教室なので先生とよく話せて、とてもいい関係です。

教室で色々な芸術的な表現手段の勉強ができるので、好きなだけ絵が描けます。例えば、今学期は私がペンとインクで描くのを勉強しているのに対し、他の学生は油絵を勉強しています。興味があって教室の予定と他の情報を見たければ、ぜひ「http://kyotonijo.xrea.jp/info.html」を見て下さい。

フィリップ・クアリング：北野天満宮の太鼓

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　私のCIPは北野天満宮の太鼓のグループです。実は前期にそのグループで太鼓を始めましたが、ＣＩＰとしてはしていませんでした。子供から大人まで、様々な人が参加して、本当に楽しいです。 太鼓の種類と打ち方の技術が多くて、歌の中で違うメロディーがあります。
週末に練習があってたいてい３時間ぐらい練習します。その後で皆と一緒にレストランに食べに行きます。 年末年始とほかの年中行事を祝うために皆さんと本殿に入っていただきました。そんな経験は外人として特別なのだと理解しているから本当にありがたいです。ところで、３月２５日に北野天満宮で１８時から太鼓の演奏会を演してもし暇になったら行って見てください！

メグ・ベンヴィル：料理のクラス

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メグ・ベンヴィル：日本料理のクラス

私はCIPの活動として、料理のクラスをとっています。京都クッキングサークルというサカルは月一回行きます。参加者は日本人が三分の二と外国人が三分の一です。日本人とよくしゃべれて、他のおもしろい外国人と話すことができます。アメリカから来た留学生だけじゃなくて、たいわんとか韓国とか、スパインから来た日本で働いている人もいます。皆さんと話しながら料理を作るのはとても楽しいです。
クラスではまず先生方がその日に作る料理の作り方を説明してくださいます。それから、同じテブルの六人とりょうりを作ります。はじめて行った時は、手打ちうどんとバナナチョコケーキを作りました。二回目にはひなまつりのためにちらし寿司といちごだいふくをつくりました。作るのは楽かったし、どれもおいしかったです。クラスで作ったものの作り方を日本語でも英語でももらったから、アメリカに帰ってから、友達につくってあげようと思います。京都クッキングサークルのおかげで、楽しみながら日本の料理についてたくさん学べます。

ミッシェル･マクアンドリューズ：折り紙

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京都学生折り紙サークルに行った時本当に楽しいと思った。折り紙をする場所は同志社大学の新町キャンパスの和室だった。部屋は小さかったが、参加している日本人は突然来た私と二人の友達に席を優しくゆずってくれた。 そして、短くて、ちょっと気まずい自己紹介をした後でみんなは紙を折り始めた。日本人は一人ずつ折り紙を作った。ある親切な日本人はJさんと私の折り紙を手伝って、かざぐるまのような物の作り方を教えてくれた。Aさんは他の人と折り紙の本を読んだ。かわいい動物の形をしている折り紙を見て、私も作ってみたかった。花のような折り紙が机の上にあったが、本当は四つの鶴がつながっているものだった。かれんずるという折り紙だった。教えてもらったおかげで私も作れるようになった。

アメリカと違うなと思ったことは、一人ずつ自分のことをしたことだ。アメリカのクラブだったら、おしゃべりをしながら活動をすると思うのに、日本人は恥ずかしがって、私達とあまり話さなかった。それでも行ってとてもよかった。

メーガン・ターリー：弓道

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毎週、日曜日と木曜日にカマラタさんとガムさんと一緒に弓道をしています。始めは、矢を全然使わせてもらえませんでしたが、先週から弓道をし始めて、初めて弓と矢も使わせてもらえるようになりました。私達はすごく嬉しくなりました。先生は優しくて元気な方で、何か分からない時、いつも助けてくださいます。先生は私のことを「一番弱い学生」と言っていらっしゃいましたけど、 この頃 先生は他の先生に私達について「上手になったよね」とおっしゃっています。もっと上手になったら、先生と袴を買いに行きます。そうしたら、練習する時袴をはかなくてはいけませんから、私達は学生でも袴をはくつもりです。

川口先生と私

弓道のお稽古はすごく楽しいですけど、他のアメリカ人と一緒にしていますから、多分一人で CIPをしている学生に比べたら、経験はちょっと違うと思います。違うと言っても、まだ日本ならではの経験ができます。例えばこの前、武道センターに行ったところ、先生が買い物をしていらっしゃったので、いらっしゃいませんでした。それで、自分たちだけ練習をし始めました。でも、練習が終わりそうになった時先生がお帰りになりました。だから、私達は練習するための道具をぬいで挨拶をしなければいけませんでした。その後で、練習のための道具をもう一度つけて、五分ぐらいだけ練習しまた。私達がこれは日本らしい習慣だと思いました。でも一方で、先生は私達に携帯電話のストラップを買ってくださるような方ですから、もちろん厳しくありません。私達三人はこれからも弓道を続けています。KCJSの終わりまでに袴をはけるようになるかもしれません！

出来た！