The role of those on the JET Programme is two-fold. The first is to teach English; the other is to facilitate internationalisation. I don’t hold a teaching license and I rarely spell internationalisation the same on consecutive occasions. My knowledge of English grammar is questionable. I can tell you what sounds right and what sounds wrong, but I probably won’t be able to tell you why one is better than the other. I learnt grammar in a very passive way. I grew up in a sea of English and the grammar just seeped into me through my pores. I don’t know an intransitive verb from my elbow, but give me an example of one and I’ll give you a list of examples of where you can and can’t use it.My credentials as an instructor of international issues are even more tedious – basically, I’m not Japanese. Therefore, I am an expert on history, culture, flags, languages, current affairs, travel and world sport. However, this part of my job is soon to increase as my area within Joetsu has been chosen as one of eight areas in Niigata prefecture to receive funding for a three-year internationalisation project. How exactly this funding will be used and what initiatives will be introduced has yet to be decided, but the wheels are in motion.
Hari Elementary School has been the first to put the money to use. A carpeted room (an international touch in itself) has been set aside as the sekai no heya – The World Room. It has been rammed full of all sorts of bits and bobs from various countries: clogs, hats, masks, maps, flags, photos, books, globes, clocks, etc. all in a merry jumble. I was at the school for the room’s grand opening recently.
Now, you might think that Japan is a super high-tech country with neon lights and whizzing trains and such. This is certainly true in places - you can buy a Big Mac with your mobile phone and then scan the packaging (again, with your mobile) to get the nutritional information. However, technology is markedly absent in the school and also, strangely, on TV. In school we still use chalkboards, wooden tables and chairs, and overhead projectors are seen as something to be suspicious of. I am still amazed by news and entertainment shows that rely on homemade props to illustrate things that would be much better served by a little digital display or a neat graphic. Having said this, Hari EMS has gone from the dark ages to the 21st century in one foul swoop. All of a sudden we have “smart boards” – a projector whiteboard hooked up to a computer so that by touching the board you can select different option on whichever software you are using.Moreover, Google Earth has made it into school. During the grand opening I showed the school my house in Lewis using a huge 58” colour TV that appeared out of nowhere. I then took them on a whistle stop tour of the world using
the 3D function on Google Earth. We were soon whizzing past the pyramids and the Eiffel Tour. By doing things like this I feel like the students minds are broadening. Japan feels very cut off from the world at times, and the rest of the world can often feel like something that happens on TV or in your geography textbook. Also, Japan doesn’t have the greatest relationship with those countries it is surrounded by.Today’s lesson with 2nd grade focused on the phrase: “where are you from?” We had the lesson in the world room and students were asked to pick a flag each from the selection stuck on the wall. They then had to answer the question with the name of the country they had chosen: “I’m from dokodoko-land.” Obviously, the students picked the strangest looking flags they could find, so the 6-year-olds learnt some interesting country names: Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, The Democratic Republic of Congo, North Korea, the Seychelles, Eritrea, Iraq, and Andorra. Trust me, it was an auditory delight!
