Comes with the job
Comes With The Job
As a foreign teacher, in addition to the responsibility of helping the kids improve their English, we often find ourselves in the position of ambassadors to all things alien to Japan. Comes with the job. But I relish this, feel it’s of greater value than English, quite often. I’d be more satisfied if a student emerged from my instruction questioning some of the bizarre notions that are being implanted in their hearts and minds (via propaganda vehicles like the government approved textbooks) than if they could utilize a new grammar point they likely won’t use til death do them part.
So, just like the textbooks serve a duo purpose, when possible, I make my lesson plans do the same. Here’s (see attached) yesterday’s and today’s lesson, representative of my third title, this one self-given: Anti-Propagandist.
Reviewing “Is he/ she_____?”and introducing “Does he/she ______” with 1st year students is a great opportunity to get them thinking about what it means to be Japanese (I told myself, as I do with just about any grammar point). So, With a little help from the lovely and talented Arianna Miyamoto, I endeavored to get the point across.
”Does she speak Japanese?”
“Yes she does. She is Japanese.”
After the class students came up to me with follow up questions.
This is where it really goes down, when you find out if you’ve planted seeds on fertile soil with potential to sprout and grow into forests of thoughtfulness, or if you just dropped them on a busy sidewalk, soon to be crushed under step.
One boy standing before me with his clique around him asks:
“Is that your girlfriend??”
“No. “
“Ex-girlfriend?”
“No.”
“You sex her?”
“Hotto ite!” (Piss off!)
A LOT of seeds end up on the concrete here. It’s rare to hit true pay dirt.
I turn and there’s another student waiting patiently. She smiles and says in Japanese: “I saw her on tv before. She’s ha-fu but she’s so pretty and she sounds just like Japanese! Sugoi!”
“Because she is Japanese, deshou?” I say.
“Sou dakedo...” (I know, but...)
“No buts!” I say. “She’s Japanese.”
The student looks at me right in the eyes for a long sec, then seems to realize something and says, “sou da ne.” (You’re right).
It’s hard to know when and if you get through. Only time will truly tell.