Again, it has been a long absence...
I have been busy again, preparing for my business, building several web sites, and also starting new job at a Japanese school.
Our nearest Japanese school started high school which they haven't had before, and I became their first high school class teacher. I teach Japanese, including classics, and of course mathematics, which is my speciality.
First I was hesitant to accept the fact that I have to teach Japanese. When I was in Japan, I have taught Japanese to elementary to high school level. But now I feel I have been losing my language sense as a Japanese during my long absence from Japanese language environment... You know, I have been away from my country, Japan for seven years. I visited Japan only once since 2002. That was fairly short visit that I had only five nights in Japan...
So I felt I needed to brush up my Japanese language sense to teach high school students. But I also thought it would be good opportunity to recover my mother tongue skill.
It is not just about the language, but the culture. I have adjusted myself to the Western culture through my life in English speaking countries, but at the same time I had to cut off some Japanese customs and culture from my life. These traditions still live deep in me, but I need to consciously bring them forward to teach the language, after living in totally different society for several years.
So I really think it is a good chance to remember my identity as a Japanese.
And it is ALWAYS fun to learn/study something new or fresh.
It may sound strange for you that I said Japanese as something new/fresh. But I really feel so. The proper formal language that appears on the Japanese text book is not the everyday casual language which you read on the web or bestseller books. I read some books which are hard to understand sometimes, but it is hard because of the contents. The language itself is not very sophisticated nor beautiful. The language on the text book is proper, and more beautiful than those I usually read.
So I enjoy reading Japanese text books and also enjoy teaching Japanese as a high school subject.
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- chamokayo
- I am a Japanese female living in a small city in England with a husband and two lovely sons. I started writing this blog to improve my English. I still struggle with the foreign language though I enjoy writing about my life in English. Your heartwarming comments will encourage me writing more journals! Thanks.
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2 comments:
Hi chamokayo:)
It's good that you've been busy on your business, and great to hear you became a Japanese teacher!
I used to teach Japanese in Japan, not as a school teacher but as a private one. Language is like a living creature, it grows, changes and dies. Teaching is a good opportunity to learn up-to-date Japanese.
I sometimes teach Japanese to foreigners, this is quite interesting as well.
Anyway, good to hear you are having nice and busy days, I'll talk to you again soon:)
Thanks for your comment, Anima.
I have been busy on my business although I have not actually started making profit at all. hahaha.
Just getting ready for a new business require quite big energy. It is a lot of fun to do, though.
I have taught Japanese as a foreign language just a little bit before. It was an interesting experience as well as you said. I felt it much more difficult than teaching "first language Japanese."
I am not language kind of person. But I know that the language is very important for all. It is not just a tool of communication but a tool of our thought.
I try that the young stars learn active Japanese that they can really use in their lives.
Talk to you soon!!
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