Sister school Exchange Acitivities 8.Planning for the second visit to our sister school “Why do you want to go to America?” “Because I’d like to see and feel the real America.” “What would you like to do in America?” “I’d like to talk to the students in E. High School and make a lot of friends.” “Do you like Japan?” “Yes, I do.” In June, 1993, five students applied for our exchange program. We had them write an essay about why they would like to visit our sister school in American and what they wanted to learn from it. Then we interviewed each of them in July. Those students are all from sport teams; table tennis, soccer, badminton, basketball, and sailing. Also, one of them was a student council member. After interviewing all of them, the committee of the exchange program discussed who to go and who not to go. “Last year, we selected four students, one from each course. This year, one of the applicants is from the machinery course, another from architecture, and the other three from electric engineering. And two of them are freshmen, both of whom are from the electric engineering course. And the others are juniors (the second year students).” “They are all good students. Do we have to select four out of the five? Isn’t it possible to send all the five students this time?” “I guess you are right. Let’s select all of the five students as the visiting members this time.” I was the leader of this visiting group this time, and was to plan for the trip to visit our sister school. On the first visit last year, they just visited E-city. So I wanted to show the students another place. E-city is a rather quiet place, where there are many retired people. So I decided to take them to Los Angeles, a typical American big city, so that they could see both a quiet city and a busy one in U.S.A. 9.The 2nd visit to our sister school in E-city in March, 1994 1)A goddess appeared on the flight This time, Mr. S and I, both teachers of English , with five boys started for U.S.A. Then something wonderful happened to our students on the flight to U.S.A. “What would you like, sir?” “Orange juice, or coke?” “……..Well, …..coke, please.” “How about you, sir?” “Coffee, please.” “Cream and sugar?” “……Well, yes, please……” The airplane taking off, soon American flight attendants spoke simple English to our students, serving drinks and meals. It was the first time for them to have real communication in English on this trip. They looked a little afraid, but they seemed to be doing all right. Then, a goddess, in the shape of a Japanese flight attendant, appeared in front of them She began helping the students. They were very glad to see her there. They looked much relaxed and comfortable. All the five students have never been on a flight before, and they were so excited that they didn’t sleep at all on the plane. They all looked tired when they got out of the plane, but they were still excited to see and feel the real America. 2)”Nice to meet you.” We met our host-families. M. S. who had visited Japan in January, came to meet us at the airport. He took us, in the school van, to E. High School. Our students were excited to see the American free ways and the scenery in the city, and they began taking pictures from the van. When we arrived at the school, our students were surprised to see the large parking area for the students. In Japan, you can not drive a car under the age of 18. And most students in our school go to school by bicycle or train. When we entered the principal’s office, the secretary said to us, “Konnichiwa (Hello). This is the only Japanese word I know.” Then the host-families came to meet us there. So I said to them, “our students were so excited on the airplane that they didn’t sleep at all, and they may be tired now. Please have them rest for a while. And when you speak to them, you can speak English, but please speak SLOWlY.” After all of the students left school with their host-families, I taught the secretary another Japanese word, “Sayounara (Good-bye),” and left school with my host-teacher, M. S. 4)”I don’t want to go back, but stay here longer.” –We started homestay in E-city. Taka, one of our students, had been very busy with his sailing club activities, and he had not taken the English conversation lessons in Japan. Actually, he was the poorest among the five visiting members at speaking English. And he was the most nervous when he left us for his host-family’s home. So we were a little worried about how he would survive his homestay. On the following day, I found him in the Japanese class. He spoke both Japanese and English to the students around him, and we couldn’t believe that he was such an active and talkative boy. “Taka, are you having a good time?” “Yes, very much. Don’t worry about me.” He could live in America. We found it right to have selected him as a visiting member. He was more active and positive in U.S.A. than in Japan. Taka said, “I thought homestay would be very difficult. But I found it very easy in the end. I had been very nervous at first. But you should remember that we are the same people, though the languages are different. On the first day, I couldn’t understand what my host-family said. But gradually I came to understand what they were trying to tell me. I realized that I could not enjoy being with my host-family unless I became open-minded and confident to speak out.” Masa’s host brother was David, a very quiet boy. David did not get along with his father, and Masa did not feel comfortable at his home. Bisides, Masa had been suffering from the jet lag, and he did not look well on the first day. On the second day, however, he looked fine and seemed to be enjoying staying with his host family. He realized his host-mother’s kindness and hospitality, and he was happy in the end. He learned a lot from his experience in this homestay. He decided to go back to E-city again. Masa said, “My host-mother is very kind to me. She took very good care of me, and I was happy with my host-family. I wish I could have stayed longer with my host family. “ Toki was hosted by Andrew and his family. Andrew was a member of the baseball team and a very nice boy. And her mother was a very cheerful and talkative lady. She kept talking to Toki, even when she first met him at school on the first day. Toki’s host family were all so nice that we didn’t have to worry about him at all. They took Toki to a lot of places around E-city. His host-mother said on the last day, “You should stay longer, at least a week. We cannot show my boy everything in just three days.” Toki said, “The three days of homestay was too short. I wished to stay in E-city, rather than go to L.A. I wish I could stay here for a month. During the first two days, I could not communicate with my host family well. On the third day, however, I came to understand what they said and I enjoyed talking with them. But my homestay was over, and I had to leave E-city. I was very sorry about that. “ Suzuki was hosted by Peter, who had visited us in January. Suzuki was an ace-striker in the soccer team and a very active boy, while Peter was an ice-hockey player. So we guessed that they were going to get along well with each other. On the first day at school, Peter’s mother came to meet Suzuki. Then he gave her a hug, saying, “This is a Japanese joke.” “Oh, it’s a good joke,” said Peter’s mother. Suzuki tried hard to get along well with his host family, and he actually enjoyed homestay a lot. On the last day, he looked very tired. He said, “Peter talked to me till midnight last night, and I hardly slept in bed.” Thus he enjoyed being with his host family till the last moment. Suzuki said, “I thought I should try to be really positive with everything during the homestay. So I gave a hug to my host-mother when I first met her. But I didn’t understand what my host family said at first. Then my host family were all kind enough to write down what they were trying to tell me. It was helpful to understand them, and I enjoyed being with them a lot. But I really wish I had studied English a lot more and could have talked with them much more. “ Tomo was a member of the student council at our school. And he was impressed by the school assembly of E. High School, much different from ours in Japan. The assembly was well organized by the students, but not the teachers. It started with the president of the student council playing the national anthem with the electric guitar, and ended with the cheer leaders dancing. It was a very good chance for him to see this American school event. We hoped that he got some good ideas for our school festival from this assembly. Tomo’s host-father was divorced, and he cooked meals for his son, Grant and Tomo. And the three men had meals together with no women, which was also a special experience for Tomo. These three men got along well and had a very good time together. We stayed in E-city for just three days, but we had a very good time there. On the morning of March 26, Saturday, we got together at school to leave for Los Angeles. None of the students were nervous any more, but they looked like members of their host families. Our students said, “Before this trip, I was looking forward to visiting Los Angeles rather than coming to E-city. But now I really miss my host family. I don’t want to go to L.A. but stay here longer.” “I was getting used to the life here. But I have to go now. Three days of homestay is too short.” Well, it seemed everybody was complaining to us, teachers for taking them away from their host families. But we had to go on the schedule, and left for L.A., much different from E-city, a quiet port city. -to be continued-
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 09:20:34 +0000
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