BoeingHigherEducationProgram

2014 Visiting Kofu Higashi High School Report ５March 11, 2014

　We went to Yamanashi prefectural Kofu Higashi high school to do one-day communication activity on March 11th, 2014. The main content of the activity is to introduce culture and feature of my own country to students in that school, something about my university, study process and major, and in the same time to get information about Japanese traditional activities, festivals, characteristics and things about high school students themselves. The language used in this communication activity is English, in this way, the ability to use English to communicate and speak will be upgraded, and also it is one part of high school’s international communication.

　We got a warm welcome by high school teachers after we arrived there, teachers gave us notebooks which are designed by high school students, some bookmark and advertisement about school and Yamanashi. We also enjoyed delicious Yamanashi rice cakes and some soft drink. Then we listened to the teacher to understand main content and arrangement of this day activity and made sure of the thing we should do. When I first arrived at the classroom, I feel a little nervous and had no idea what to say and communicate with the students, but with the time went on, I found out the students listen to me carefully and eagerly, and they also prepared their own presentation carefully. Some one drew beautiful comics, some one made paper bird, some one did performance about Kyudo to make me understand it better. The things the presented varied from Japanese traditional Kimoto, Hinamatsuri to Kotatsu and Dogeza, some of them I had known before, but I found out some thing new and very interesting, which I did not know before from their presentation. They also told me things about Yamanashi, some delicious food, beautiful view of Fuji Mountain, I also like Yamanashi, Fuji Mountain and Yamanaka Lake very much before, and I can see they love their hometown so much from their expressions and words when they showed in their presentations. Every student has his or her own characteristic, most of the students are willing to communicate with me, and they just try their best to show me their thinking. Some students even help me to find the next classroom I should go to for I am not very familiar with layout of the school. They answered me questions and shared me their thinking and views of their own. Also there exist some students who are introverted, but this may not be his or her characteristic but not very good at using English, they speak little but when I saw the paper they prepared for this communication activity, I found out they were earnest and tried their best. Students so young as grade 1 and 2 high school students, who are willing to communicate with foreign students by using English is something happy, they tried their best to do it and the content is interesting and helpful, I find out I learn so much from this activity.

　Also I got the chance to have lunchtime together with the students and to clean the classroom with them, this was a good chance to experience Japanese high school students’ daily life and this turned out to be impressive. They all took lunch made by their mothers to school, and ate it when talking about something they were interested in. In the time of cleaning classroom, they helped me to take part in the clean process and told me how to use tools and the process of clean. The time in high school that day ran so fast, at 3 they finished their day’s lesson and began their club activity, this was also the time we left there. In summary, I think although I introduced them something about my country, my university and major in English to help them learning and practicing, I learn more from them, not only the traditional Japanese cultural and matters, but also attitude and pattern of communication, living and study, this makes me call back my life when I was in high school.

　I think this activity is meaningful, and high school teachers’ thinking to give students more chances to practice and use English to do international communication is also right and helpful. Every student has his or her own feature, there is no need to make introverted one to be extroverted, and there is also no need to keep the extrovert be quite when he wants to say something, everyone just keep as himself or herself and does things eagerly and earnestly, they will be successful one day in the future. High school time is always some time I think the best time of my life until now, in that time, I had no big dream or some clear target, but to do things, simple but earnest, by my own way, maybe the meaning of doing as this will be known ten or even longer years later. By this activity, I give them a chance to practice English, but they also give me a chance to know high school life in Japan, know things they are interested in and their condition of daily life and attitude of living, also I know something about Japan, about Yamanashi, it is interesting and some beautiful and meaningful things, papers they gave to me, which I will keep carefully and forever as with the day’s memory.
　我们一行人来到了山梨县立甲府东高等学校进行一日交流活动。交流活动的内容主要是介绍自己国家的文化和特色，自己的家乡和学校以及学习的专业和研究情况。而高中的同学们则向我们介绍他们的家乡和日本的传统特色。这一过程所使用的语言将是英语，通过用英语交流提高同学们的英语会话能力，促进学校的国际交流。

　我们到达学校后，学校的老师热情地接待了我们，并给我们分发了由学生设计的笔记本，还有书签，宣传资料以及当地的点心和饮料。我们一边看着学校的宣传册一边听着老师关于这次活动的具体安排，很快就确认了自己负责的内容。来到教室起初感到有些紧张，也不知道如何和同学们交流，但很快就发现他们非常认真地听我所说的内容，也很认真地准备了自己要介绍的内容，有的人画了精美的画，有的人折了纸鹤，有的人亲自表演了，而介绍的内容从日本传统的和服，女儿节，到被炉及日本特殊的道歉方法，各个方面都有所涉及，即使是之前已经知道的话题，我也学习了解到了许多新的知识和内容，觉得非常有趣。也有同学向我介绍了山梨的美食，山梨的美景，富士山等内容，我也非常喜欢山梨，喜欢富士山和山中湖，从他们的介绍中以及和讨论山梨时候的热情都可以看出他们非常喜欢自己的家乡。每个学生都有自己的个性，大多数同学都热情并乐意与我交流并努力表达自己的想法，有的同学甚至主动帮助我寻找下一个要去的教室，告诉我我所询问的问题，并用各种方法努力传达自己的想法。也有少数同学比较内向，但也可能是因为不擅长英语交流，说的内容比较少，但看他准备的小报，可以发现他也用心准备了。高一高二的学生愿意用英语和留学生交流本来就是值得高兴的事，他们对待这件事认真且用心，内容也非常有趣，让我觉得自己学到了许多。

　除了交流以外还有了和学生一起出午饭和打扫教室的机会，难得的机会体验日本高中生的日常生活，让人印象深刻。他们都带着自家做的精美便当，说着轻松的话题。在打扫时，他们也热心地让我参与进去并且教我如何使用打扫工具和打扫的顺序。这一天的时间过得很快，下午法学后他们开始参加部活动，而我们也要结束一天的活动回去了。总的来说与其说我介绍给了他们我的国家学校和专业，与他们说英语，不如说我从他们身上学到了更多，不仅是日本的传统特色，也有交流、生活、学习的方式和态度，让人不禁想起自己的高中时代。

　我觉得这个活动非常有意义，而学校老师对于给学生们更多的机会练习和使用英语，进行国际交流的想法和提案也非常正确。每个学生都有自己不同的个性，没有必要要求内向的人变得外向而侃侃而谈，也没有必要让外向的人安静而一言不发，大家只要保持自己的个性，认真且热情的话，将来一定会学有所成的。高中时代一直是我所认为的自己至今为止最好的时代，并没有什么大的理想，也不懂目标到底是什么，但只是为了简单的一个目的，用自己的方式认真去做，很多年后的将来才能知道这样做的意义。通过这个活动，或许我给同学们提供了一次练习英语的机会，但更多的是让我体会到了日本的高中生活，接触了高中生并了解了他们的学校情况和学习状态，也知道了很多未知的关于日本，关于山梨的有趣内容，还得到了同学们精美的小报和制作，我定会好好珍藏这些以及这一天交流活动的回忆。