Immediately, I thought, Yes. This is true. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that languages are the only thing worth knowing poorly, but knowing only a little bit of a language is definitely worthwhile. Language helps you convey information, figure out what’s going around you, and, as Lomb says, “build bridges between people.”
My Japanese is not bad. I studied it for three years in college, and I get by just fine. Sometimes I have to ask people to speak slower, and if a conversation gets too technical I might get a bit lost, but usually I do fine. And yet I feel disappointed in myself, like I should be better, because I studied Japanese for three whole years. I try to remind myself that Japanese is a really hard language for a native English speaker to learn, but it has definitely been an area of insecurity for me.
I’ve been told that part of the reason students—especially middle schoolers—can be shy in English class is because they’re afraid of making mistakes. That’s partly because, culturally, they are worried about messing up in front of their peers. But I think there’s also something to the argument that it is especially difficult to be faced with a native speaker of the language you are learning. They are so comfortable in their language that they are attuned to your every mistake.
I am constantly reminding myself that language is about communication. As long as I manage to get my point across, I have succeeded. I might have to make a roundabout explanation of a word I don’t know, look up half the kanji in something I’m reading, or pull out my phone dictionary partway through a conversation, but I manage to communicate. And there are plenty of conversations where I don’t have to look up anything at all.
The hardest part, I think, is that I can’t choose when I struggle. I might come across a conversation I don’t have the vocabulary for when I’m tired and stressed and just want to get home. And I’m saying this as someone who does speak Japanese. I've certainly gained a lot of respect for people who don’t have the chance to learn a language before moving to another country, and who really have to figure it out as they go.
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This week, I finally started going to schools. I went to two elementary schools, one combined elementary/middle school, and one preschool. (The preschoolers were adorable, but it was more of a one-time thing, and I was only there for about an hour.)
In a lot of ways, Japanese schools are just like schools in the United States. The classroom has a large blackboard and rows of desks, and the kids all seem eager for recess. So far as I can tell, lessons are structured in largely the same way. I could think up more similarities, but instead, I want to tell you about some of the differences I picked up on. For instance:
Everyone takes off their outside shoes and wears indoor school shoes. I have a pair of shoes that I’ve never worn outside specifically for teaching. Schools do have slippers for guests, but they’re not particularly comfortable.
At all three of the schools I visited this week, the classrooms felt very open. In addition to windows facing outside, there are windows into the hallway. In addition to allowing for greater air flow—the classrooms aren’t air conditioned-the classroom and hallway feel much more connected, whereas in American schools they are distinctly separate spaces. It’s possible that they close those windows in the winter, though. Here’s a picture I hijacked from the internet that shows what I’m talking about:
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Even in middle school (and I think high school), students do not go from room to room for classes. Instead, it’s the teachers that move between rooms. All of the teachers have desks in the teacher room, called the shokuinshitsu (職員室), which is where I go in periods when I’m not teaching. Though I do think it’s a relaxing space, the shokuinshitsu is definitely different from the teacher’s lounge in American schools, because it’s a workspace instead of just a break room.
Instead of having janitors, the students clean their own school after lunch every day. I really think America needs to get on this. Looking back at my own education, I don’t think American kids are respectful enough of the space they occupy, because they know that someone else will come in and clean at the end of the day.
The biggest difference is definitely school lunch. Kids serve food to each other; I’ve heard that when they get older, students also make the food. They eat in their classrooms, instead of in a cafeteria. Desks are grouped based on the students’ assigned seat, so it isn’t as much of a social time as it is in the United States. (I assume that also means that Japanese students don’t have to go through that particular stressful experience that is picking a lunch table on your first day of school.)
Information about the food in the day’s lunch is broadcast on the speakers, along with school announcements. Music plays when no one is talking. After lunch, there is a designated time for brushing teeth.
I don’t eat the school lunches because they aren’t vegetarian, but they look good, and the students I've asked say they like them. Everyone eats the same thing, and I’m not sure that they’re allowed to bring their own lunch. I’ve been wondering what kids with allergies do; I’ll have to ask someone.
Here’s an article about lunches in Japan. There’s also a pretty good video! Some minor details vary from school to school, but most of it is fairly standard. https://www.citylab.com/life/2017/03/the-school-lunch-program-putting-all-others-to-shame/519792/
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As always, there's a lot more that I could talk about, but this is all the writing I’ve got in me for now. I’m sure I’ll notice more similarities and differences as the year goes on; I haven’t even been to half my schools yet.
Tomorrow I’m going to a tiny school on an island. My classes will have three to seven students, and I have to get up a bit early to drive somewhere and then get on a boat. I’m actually looking forward to it quite a bit, though I’ll feel better once I’ve made it to the boat in time.
Thanks for reading!
I am so amazed at your ability to speak Japanese. I’m sure I missed out on a lot because I knew so few words.
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