|
|
|
|
|
Students Practicing English with
Allison Shefcyk and One of the
6th-grade Teachers, Mr. Fujita
|
|
|
Shukugawara Elementary School is a large urban
school with about 700 students. This school is special because my wife Noriko
and I know one of the fourth-grade students, Kyoko Sekiyama. For the last
couple of years I have exchanged letters with Kyoko and her sister Reika, who
is now in the seventh grade. This year for my birthday the Sekiyama family
gave me a cute beagle T-shirt. During my November trip to Japan I visited two
Japanese kindergartens, and the children there enjoyed very much seeing the
gentle-looking dog on the front of my shirt.
This June my wife accompanied Allison Shefcyk,
a high school sophomore in Connecticut, on a one-week trip to Japan. This was
Allison's first trip to Japan, and although she enjoyed visiting the famous
tourist sites in Osaka and Kyoto, I hear that the manga (comic book)
shops seemed to excite her the most since she is a big fan of Japanese anime
(animated cartoons). This love of anime first sparked her interest to
begin studying the Japanese language since she was disappointed in the
quality of some of the dialogue that had been translated into English. She
thought she would be able to appreciate the anime much more if she
could understand the originals in Japanese. During Allison's first visit to Japan, she had the opportunity to
visit several classes at Shukugawara Elementary School. She had fun teaching
English phrases and words to students.
|
Early next year Shukugawara Elementary School will receive a new Blue-eyed Doll
from Mr. Sidney Gulick, 3d, and his
wife Frances. Since 1986 the couple has sent approximately ten dolls each year to schools in Japan. Frances
Gulick makes traveling clothes, a nightgown, and a handbag for each doll. Her husband
prepares the passport and a letter of introduction. These dolls are sent to
Japanese schools to help the children of the two countries better understand and
appreciate each other. My wife and I plan to attend the ceremony to present to
the doll to Shukugawara Elementary.
In the morning Kyoko's mother accompanied me to
the school, and we talked briefly with the principal. Next I went to speak to
each of the sixth-grade classes and to Kyoko's fourth-grade class. I showed the
students many photos from Allison about her family and her hometown of West
Hartford, Connecticut. Although Allison had visited the school in June, the
students remembered her very well. Also, since the Japanese school year runs
from April to March, the students were in the same classes both now and when
Allison visited. The children were amazed to see the super size cup from
McDonald's in America, since the McDonald's restaurants in Japan do not have
such huge containers for drinks. One boy seemed extremely happy when I said he
could keep the cup.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kyoko Sekiyama
Fourth Grade
|
|
|
When I showed the students famous places in the US
and asked them to identify them, I was surprised at some of their guesses
since this was the first time I had talked to a group of Japanese elementary
school students. However, students at other elementary schools I visited in
Japan gave many of the same answers. The three most common mistaken
identifications were the following:
- Correct answer: Washington Monument
Guess: pencil
- Correct answer: U.S. Capitol
Guess: White House
- Correct answer: Golden Gate Bridge
Guess: Rainbow Bridge (in Tokyo)
Shukugawara seemed to be the most international
school of the 13 Japanese schools I visited in November. I met students whose
parents are from the US, the Philippines, and Colombia. The sixth-grade boy
from Colombia had a smile on his face when I spoke with him for a short time
in Spanish during my presentation to the class. He seemed surprised to find
out I had worked in Colombia and still enjoy listening to music by singers
from Colombia.
I ate lunch with Kyoko's fourth-grade class,
and after lunch the students cleaned the school building. When I was about
ready to leave, I was very surprised to receive a book of one-page letters
written by the students in the sixth-grade class of Mr. Fujita. The students
gave their opinions about our time together, and they also gave their
impressions of America. Many students let me know their favorite sport, pet,
or hobby. I look forward to visiting Shukugawara again next year when the
school will receive a new Blue-eyed Doll from America.
|
|
|
