ALTS Can Make a Difference!

A Letter From A Student


I recently received this email from one of my old students who graduated from junior high on March 11th.

Dear Melissa,

Hello,Melissa!¡¡How are you?¡¡Of course I'm fine!
Tank you for giving a e-mail. I was very glad!

I graduated from Kita Chuu,but I'll nevre forget a lot of things that I learnd from you.

I came to like learning English since you came to Kita Chuu. It is very interesteing for me to read, listen, and speak English.

You were always cheeful and kind. You always talked me kindly. I was glad to talked with you. And you tought me a lot. About songs, foods, places, and world problems... All was interesting for me. I always looked forward your English class. You came to Kita Chuu as ALT, so I was interested in International Relations. You gave me an oppotunity that I want to know many more things.

I don't have specal talent(*_*;) But I want to know a lot, so I studied hard.Only this.

Through studying English,I learned language. But I learned much more.
If I use only Japanese, I can't communicate wiht English-Speaking people. Now I can speak English a little, so I can communicate with many more people. I'm glad of it! So I want to study foreign language and culture more.

I'll enter Chukyo high school's International course. I can study English more. And I can go to Canada to study. I look forward to it very much!
My dream is to help people who suffer from war, hunger and ill... Therefore I must study more. I do my best for my dream!


May I send an e-mail again? You are my best teacher! I want you to teach me many things! And I want to teach you recent situation(^^)

Thank you for reading. See you again!

Love,
Mari

See! ALT's can make a difference!

My Last Elementary Visit

A thousand tiny paper cranes and books full of letters from my Oi Elementary students. Usually students write short messages on shikishi, but my 5th and 6th grade classes insisted they needed more space. Instead they wrote me letters which the teacher bound up into little books.

After bursting the flood gates during my last day at the Beautiful Mountain School, I knew my last day at elemntary would be tough. When I first came to Ena as an ALT, I visited 16 different schools. Usually I went to a different school everyday, which made getting to know the teachers and students very difficult. I mostly visited elementary schools, which was fun at first, but soon became very taxing. Often the teachers at the school forgot to prepare for my visit, without asking me to prepare something, and I was thrown into classrooms of almost 40 students with minimal Japanese and no teaching ability. Many times the teachers walked out, sat down and read a book, or stood in the corner , completely detatched from the chaos that would ensue.

For the past year and a half, however, I have been assigned to 3 main schools, including one elementary: Oi Sho. I've always loved it there. The teachers are kind and cheerful, helpful during and interested in the lessons, and the students are genki and adorable. Before I began my lessons there, the students would see an ALT maybe 2 or 3 times a year. I was fortunate enough to begin teaching there once a week, and the incredible progress the students made before my eyes astounded and encouraged me. I learned a lot during my first year as an elementary ALT, and from the start at Oi I planned my own lessons and activities. I was always in charge of the class, and the students always participated and enjoyed the lessons. I really began looking forward to my visits, even though I would continually stress about the lessons and activities I planned. Students would often come talk to me during free time, recess and after school, trying to use the English they had learned. I realized that just having an ALT in the school on a regular basis makes a huge difference to the students, motivating them to speak in English and giving them a genuine chance to do so. The relationship the ALT has with the students is the biggest motivating factor of all. If the students like the ALT, and feel close to them, regardless of how little interest they have in English, they will try to learn and use it.

My experiences at Oi Elementary have been some of the most challenging, rewarding and fun of my JET career. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know the children there and to make so many beautiful little friends. I will never forget them.

The Oi's Outdoor Soji Crew, including the famous "Monkey Man" (front and center).

5th graders... 3rd graders...
2nd graders...

ALTS Can Make a Difference

Left to right, top to bottom: Norie, Sumire and Nozomi (avid BLEACH fans and fellow Ichigo admirers), ME!, Etsuki, Nao, Natsuki, Ami, Takayo, Chikako.

The students who recently graduated from the Beautiful Mountain School meant a lot to me for many reasons. We entered the school together, me, fresh off the airplane, and them, in their brandspankin' new uniforms, straight out of their tiny mountain elementary schools, where they had only seen an ALT once or twice a year. I knew about as much about teaching English as they did about speaking it. At first they were shy, and it took a long time before they felt comfortable with me. During my first year I was sent to 16 different schools, mostly elementary schools, and had a very hard time getting to know the students, teachers, or understanding exactly what my job was supposed to be.

During my second year, I was blessed with a change. My schedule included only four different schools, with Ena Kita Chu as my base. I visited them about 90 times, and their cheerfulness, friendliness, and willingness to always do their best really endeared them to me. It was easy for me to learn all their names and identify their strong a week points, not only as a class, but as individuals. I gave them the opportunity to write to me about anything they wanted in English "journals", and to my suprise, almost everyone did at least once a week. They told me about their everyday lives, their families, their friends, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes and their culture. Slowly the gap betweeen sensei and student, foreigner and Japanese, began to close. I always wrote back to them, and was excited to see students rushing to collect their journals from the teacher to see what I had written. To me, they became more and more like little brothers and sisters, and to them, I became more and more like a friend.

In the time I had been visiting the school regularly (three days a week for a year), both the JTE and I were amazed at how quickly their English writing, listening, and speaking had improved, not to mention their confidence and participation in class. They had begun to love English, and it showed. Of the 36 students, 25 of them opted to take the national English standards test, and all passed.

Unfortunately, in my third year, the schedule changed again. My visits to Kita Chu were cut to 94, or twice a week if I was lucky. Instead I was placed at a much larger school where I stood silently in the classroom as the teachers droned on for ages in Japanese. This only made my time at Kita Chu more precious. When I did visit, the students and I often talked so much at lunch (in ENGLISH) that no one ever finished eating on time. During recess, students always came to talk to me, invited me to the library or asked me to play basketball or soccer with them.

The reason I am saying all this, and sharing these letters and comments from my students, is because I know that some people doubt that ALTs are making any contribution to English education in Japan. I know that some ALTs doubt it, too, but I want everyone to know that there are ALTs who are making a difference. Given the opportinity, ALTs can be an invaluable English teaching tool, a catalyst for change, and an open window to the world.

If you'd like to read the surveys, you can veiw a larger size by clicking on the pictures. I have translated the Japanese below.


Do you like English? Why? (Japanese)

Even when I become an adult, I will study English as a hobby.

What did you learn in English class (about yourself or the world)?

Everyone that has come as an ALT has spoken to us from their heart, called out to us. So I was able to speak from my heart, too.

Do you think it is important to have an ALT?

We can talk a lot. Speaking is important, after all. We can also have a cultural exchange. I think that is an incredibly good thing. We can think "I want to try to speak English!"

Thanks to Melissa, I came to love English!



What was your favorite thing about English class?

My favorite things about English playing games and speaking with the ALT. It was broken English, but I could have fun speaking. The games were very exciting.

Do you like English? Why?

Because I am interested in foreign countries, and because class was so much fun!

Do you think having an ALT is important?

Because you can experience English for yourself. You will be able to listen and understand (English).

Is it Important to Have an ALT?

I asked the thirty-six third year students at my Beautiful Mountain School. Here is what they had to say:

I think it`s better if there is an ALT (if it`s Melissa).

ALTs are interesting! They keep the conversation flowing! I enjoyed it!

It`s better if there is an ALT. The lessons are easier to understand (with the ALT).

It is incredibly necessary, because we play games and learn about the ALT's country.

I think it is necessary. We can remember foreigner's pronunciation and speak at ease with the ALT.

Yes! The ALT is interesting (funny). I think using English and associating with foreigners is important.

I think it is very important because we can learn about the ALT"s country and culture (we can hear about celebrities and many different things that we don`t know about).

When an ALT is here, it is easy to study.

I think it is necessary. It is more interesting and fun when they are here.

There are many sounds (in English) that are diffcult for Japanese people to pronounce, so I think it is necessary to have an American or someone like that (a foreigner) in class.

Graduation: Shikishi

A shikishi is a square piece of fancy card board used for autographs, calligraphy and poetry. At the end of the year, students usually sign them with a short message to their teachers, thanking them for the year. The 3rd year students at my Beautiful Mountain School presented this to me at the end of our last lesson on Thursday. I certainly wasn`t expecting it, and when I saw Takayo bringing it to the front of the classroom before we did the closing greetings, my eyes filled up with tears and I hid behind my JTE. They graduated today, and I cried all over again. I miss them already!

Oi Sho: A Happy Place

Energetic, Motivated, Smiley! The 3rd graders of Oi Sho. Do these guys look familiar? JAPAN!

It's so nice to be back at shogakko. Ah, elementary School. What can I say about Elementary school?

Well, I spent recess getting farted to death by 2nd graders, at which point the offenders piled on top of my listless body, tickling me to tears. It was fantastic--especially since they were fake farts-- which I then spent the rest of the day dodging in the hallways.

Other than that, I had only one class because 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade classes were cancelled due to some kind of incredible epidemic.

So this is how I amused myself.

(^o^) Oh my~! What is my hand doing? What has become of me?!?

Shakai no Mado: Your Social Window

Transalation: Shakai no mado: Social window, society's window.

Welcome to the ever-interesting world of Japanese idiomatic expressions. I don't care how good your Japanese is, I'm betting this is something only living in Japan can teach you-until now. I doubt they covered it in Japan-go 101, but hey, I could be wrong. Here goes:

Allow me to set the scene. An innocent, enthusiastuc ALT, (AKA, Me) doing her best to be genki (energetic and entertaining) despite the fact that the temperature inside the school is zero and the teachers have decided that, since so many students have been catching colds, they should start keeping the doors and windows open (What the $#$%@%@Q@#%# ?!) As she jumps, dances, and karate-chops her way around the room, pretending to play "Simon Says" in a crude attempt to survive the bitter cold...

Student: Sensei?

Teacher: Yes?

Student: Society's window.

Teacher: Huh? (clueless).

Student: Social Window! (Trying to be discreet).

Teacher: WHAT the heck is that? Social window? What does that mean? (loud and obnoxious. If everyone wasn't listening before, they are now).

Student: It's open.

Sensei: . . . Oh...

So, what does it mean?

If Only I Were More Anime-ted...

My most favoritest nengajo, or new year's card, EVER! Drawn by my extrememly talented student, Yuno Matsuo, from the Beautiful Mountain School. Remember that name. She's going to be famous some day (^-^)/ This is supposed to be me, by the way... Thank you for making me kawaii Yuno-chan!

Gion and Guacamole

Geiko and maiko of Gion Higashi performing the Gion Higashi Kouta during the finale of the fall dance.

This is just one of the many images from my trip to Kyoto over a month ago that I still haven't managed to upload. More will be coming soon, assuming blogger will eventually allow me to add images to the blog again post haste. Come to think of it, I never even finished writing about my latest adventures in Cambodia, not to mention my trip to Vietnam almost a year ago! I'm working on it... In the mean time, feast your eyes on this: My third year elective English class' Guacamole extravaganza. Ole!

Etsuki, Nao, Chikako, Ami, and Shin diggin' in to the guacamole.

I have often expounded upon the virtues of guacamole to Kachi sensei, English teacher extrodinare of the Beautiful Mountain School and friend to many an ALT. During our humble Thanksgiving Fiesta, she experienced it's deliciousness for herself, promptly declaring it our sacred duty to share the gospel of guacamole among the Japanese people, begining with the youth. Thus, the concept of Guacamole 101 was concieved and carried out with great success.

No tortillia chips? No problem! Ole!

All of the students had eaten avacado before, but only in sushi form, with mayonaise and soy sauce (>.<)As they say, 'Soy sauce, seaweed and mayonaise do not guacamole make."

Not only were the students impressed with its deliciousness, but with the ease with which it is prepared. They all vowed to make guacamole again for their families. We made an extra batch for the teachers room, which, at first sight, seemed to scared many a sensei. It was, however, quickly gobbled up with shouts of "Umai!" and "Oishii ne!" immediately followed by "Wow. This would be perfect with beer or sake!" Even Kocho sensei (principal), staunch supporter of the superiority of all things Japanese, declared it to be delicious, followed by a rather spirited rendition of "La Cucaracha". The guacamole revolution has begun! Ole!