EIL Intercultural Learning - Japan

EIL students make local Japanese news

michelle@eilireland.org — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:19:36 +0000

School in Tokyo

Rebecca Bourke — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:46:07 +0000

Thanks to my friends at Google Maps, few words are needed to explain just how fantastic the location of my school in Tokyo was.

Giant red circle = my school
Thing that looks like the Eiffel Tower = Tokyo Tower (for an explination of why Japan felt the need for its own version of the Eiffel Tower, see here see here.)

Big grey blob = Tokyo
A = Tokyo Tower

Pretty great, right?

The Tokyo Language Center is a school for international students who want to learn Japanese, with a focus on passing the Japanese Literacy Test (JPLT). There are five levels to the JPLT, level one being the highest (which most students of Japanese, including myself, dream of attaining). Once you have a level one cert under your belt not only are you considered to be pretty fluent in the language, you are also eligible to study full-time at a Japanese university - something which a lot of the students in my class were aiming to do. The test is not an easy thing to pass by any means; it is suggested that students need to spend at least nine-hundred hours in total to have a chance of passing. Cramming over 2,000 kanji, 10,000 words, and a hell of a lot of grammar into your head is no walk in the park.

Sadly, I haven't reached that level yet. On my first day in the school I sat a short exam to gauge my level of Japanese, and it was determined that, with a bit of help, I'd be able for the level 3 exam. I have to say, I was pretty chuffed with myself. Fair enough, I had already had six weeks in Suwa, but there were no formal lessons included in that trip and, despite what is commonly thought, you can't become fluent just by living in a country; there is a lot of work and study involved, especially in the case of a language such as Japanese, which is so different from our own.

With other Germanic and Romantic tongues the vocabulary and grammar tend to be somewhat similar, whereas Japanese and English are worlds (or at least continents) apart. I am by no means saying that other European languages are easier to learn, but that the method of learning them is quite different. In the case of French, it is possible to learn a lot simply by listening; the similarities between it and English will allow you to pick up the gist of what is being said most of the time. Even if the word doesn't sound exactly the same, there will generally be some correlation that helps to either to understand the word or remember its meaning once you discover it. A good example is the word for 'landing' - 'terrissage'. On first hearing it might not make much sense, but once you examine it a bit more carefully it become obvious: terrissage=terrace=ground=landing. No such luck with Japanese.

In Japan, if you don't know the vocabulary specific to a topic, understanding anything can be quite a struggle. True, there are plenty of occasions where the Japanese word for something has been taken directly from English e.g pi-ku-ni-ku is the word for picnic, ka-me-ra the word for camera, etc. but this tends to apply only to nouns, and even then only ones that have been recently invented/introduced to Japan. When it came to discussing things such as politics, history (which seems to be a pretty common topic of conversation), directions, local cuisine, cinema, novels, etc. I found myself pretty lost without A) my manic hand-gestures and impromptu games of charades, which were the basis of a lot of my communication, and B) my dictionary. Despite the fact that I was learning tonnes every day, there was no denying the fact that a lot of the time I simply hadn't a clue. At times it was a bit disheartening.

There is this supposition that if you spend any amount of time living in a country for purposes other than a holiday that you will come home practically fluent; many of my friends and relatives seem to think, despite my insistence to the contrary, that I might as well be a native speaker at this stage, when the reality is that I have a long, long way to go. Not that that is a bad thing; I love studying Japanese, but it is frustrating when people suppose you can attain a proficiency that takes natives a lifetime to achieve in a number of weeks. It belittles the hard work that all language students have to devote to their studies, be they in their own country or abroad, and it piles on the pressure. I can remember lots of times when I though I was a bit of an eejit for not being better at Japanese, though myself a fool for having been in Tokyo for four weeks and still be struggling with basic communication. Going to the country and using the language everyday is certainly the best way to learn, but it doesn't happen overnight.

Oh dear. This post was, in fact, supposed to be a basic overview of my time in school in Tokyo, but I seem to have gotten a little side-tracked. Oh well, I'd better get started on my next one so!

Tokyo Language Center

Rebecca Bourke — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:28:15 +0000

My School in Tokyo

On Learning to Say Yes!

Rebecca Bourke — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:53:53 +0000

Now that I've been home for a week, slept for most of it, and sorted out the inevitable bits and pieces that occur when one is away, I'm ready to start writing about my experiences in Tokyo for the past five weeks (knowing me I'll forget them if I don't!). Taking inspiration from Aran's blog (which I strongly suggest you check out if you haven't already) I'm going to take a stab at writing a bit about Japanese culture, though I have a suspicion my efforts will pale in comparison.

We're all familiar with Mrs. Doyle's 'ah go on, ah go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on' skit from 'Father Ted', and as ridiculous and exaggerated as it is, there is a lot of truth in it. Generally speaking, and I do mean generlly, when offered anything by a host, be it a cup of tea or a Jacob's biscuit, the typically 'Irish' reaction is to say 'no' or 'I'm fine, thanks', regardless of whether or not we in fact fancy what's being waved under our noses. To me, this seems perfectly reasonable and normal. As a guest, we don't want to put our host out of their way, would prefer to cause as little trouble as possible. It's almost a way of expressing gratitude, a common courtesy. For me at any rate, it's not a conscious decision, it's ingrained somewhere in the back of my mind; it's automatic. Whenever somebody who isn't a close friend or relative offers to do something for me, the words 'it's alright, thank you' form in my mouth of their own accord. It's quite a distinctive aspect of the Irish mindset, and certainly a contrast to Japan's.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Japanese people are greedy and selfish, willing to put others to any amount of trouble for their own benefit, but I am pointing out the fact that their way of showing thanks and appreciation is quite different. Rather than insisting that you don't need another slice of that delicious cream cake, the polite thing to do is, in fact, accept it THE FIRST TIME IT'S OFFERED! In Ireland, when somebody says no, a lot of the time we assume they really want to say 'yes', but don't want to cause trouble. In Japan, a 'no' is taken for its dictionary definition. When you refuse what is being offered by a host, you are saying that you would not like it, that it doesn't appeal to you.

Let's look at it from the Japanese host's perspective: 'Duty' is an incredibly important concept in the Eastern philosophy. When somebody comes to stay with you, it is your duty to look after them, see that their needs are met, and ensure that they have a good time. If your guest is constantly refusing what you're offering you worry that you're doing something wrong, that your planned excursions/meals/relaxation aren't appealing to them. If your guest is saying 'yes, yes, yes' all the time it means they are enthused about your proposals, having a good time and enjoying themselves. You have peace of mind as you know you've done your duty.

It took me a long time to come to this realisation, and even longer to start acting upon it. Actually allowing somebody to pay for my meal in a restaurant, not waving my hands about like a mad person and insisting 'no, no, no' when my host mother offered to use her day off to take me shopping, asking for another glass of iced tea, etc. all these things felt WRONG to me. I felt like I was being rude and demanding. However, as opposed to when I did the Irish thing and 'just said no', it seemed to put my hosts at ease.

So next time you're in Japan (!) think twice before saying no to that second slice of cake...

Dinner Time!

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:50:24 +0000

Traditional Japanese Meal

THAT'S a cocktail

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:49:19 +0000

Not-so traditional drinks in a traditional-style Japanese pub

Hundreds of Buddahs

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:47:30 +0000

Hundreds of tiny Buddah statues outside the temple near my school

Kaminari Street

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:45:55 +0000

The street leading up to the Kanarimon Gate

Kaminari-mon Gate

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:44:55 +0000

The famous Kaminari-mon Gate

Now that's what I call shopping

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:43:39 +0000

The inside of a rater bizzare shopping center that was designed to look like an Italian villa!

Sayonara, sensei

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:42:38 +0000

Last day of school with one of our teachers.

BBQ

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:40:15 +0000

The most wholesome barbique I have ever been to; we harvested the vegetables from the garden, washed and cut them, then cooked them! Barbiqued rice-balls are surprisingly delicious!

NOM NOM NOM

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:38:13 +0000

It was delicious, but we couldn't fit it in the fridge it was so huge!

Old Friends

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:37:19 +0000

Hanging out with friends I made last year in Suwa

Nice View

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:35:49 +0000

The view from my shool!

Cat Cafe

Rebecca Bourke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:30:50 +0000

Hanging out with friends in a Cat Cafe in Tokyo!

Travel Award Workshop 2010

Brendan Kelleher — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:39:52 +0000

A workshop including sessions on how to deal with culture shock, living with a host family, health & safety and other important subjects was held in Cork on June 18th.

Tags:

Exchange Programmes

Heading for The Land of the Rising Sun

Brendan Kelleher — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:42:50 +0000

So... Hey everyone! This is my first blog for EIL, so I'm not quite sure where to start... Well, I'm still on a high after hearing I won the trip! I still can't believe it... it doesn't feel real! But the letters and emails are starting to pile up, so it's kinda starting to hit home that I'm actually going. But, to be honest, studying for the Leaving Cert hasn't left me much time to think, never mind plan or anything! I can't wait until I'm finished. A little over a month left, that's all! And just over a week later I'll be (hopefully, provided the volcano doesn't start again...) flying out! So, a pretty intense few weeks in store for me!

I'm ramping up the Japanese study, too. Hopefully I'll be able to handle general conversation and stuff through Japanese. I want to avoid relying on my English for absolutely EVERYTHING, but we'll see how it goes. I'll be armed with my trusty notebook and pocket dictionary anyway! Japanese is my last exam (25th), so I wonder how much of my frantic cramming will get retained after a week?

Japan itself should be good craic. One thing I'm wondering about is how should I address my host parents? Okaasan and otousan (Mom and dad) sound a bit too formal, but haha and chichi (you use these to refer to your own parents) would be way to familiar. Just some of the cultural things I'm gonna have to get used to, I guess. I don't know much about where I'm staying, who I'm staying with or even the specifics of what I'm doing yet, but as long as I'm told everyone's names before I show up at the door it can't go too badly wrong, can it? :-)

I think you could definitely say I'm looking forward to the trip - to this adventure! I've never done anything like this before, but that's much better, I think - no preconceptions, no expectations, nothing like that. Going in blind sounds more fun, anyway! I plan to update again before I set off, provided I don't get sucked into the black hole of LC despair. Here's hoping!

Travel Award Certificate 2010

Brendan Kelleher — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:37:19 +0000

Travel Award Certificate 2010

EIL Travel Awards 2010: deadline this Friday and new awards!

Piers Meynell — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:46:15 +0000

The deadline for applications to the main group of EIL Travel Awards is this Friday (5pm 26th March). There's still time to get your application to us and there's a further group of Awards with deadlines in late April which you can apply to too. This later group includes two late additions to this years Awards: the opportunity to go to school and live with a family in Germany and the chance to be nominated for a scholarship to spend three months volunteering in Argentina.

Who are EIL looking for?

If you are a young person or student who has an active interest in world affairs and think that you would benefit from a challenging adventure in another culture then one of these awards could be for you. This year we are offering 18 fully funded awards where EIL covers all the programme costs and 12 partially funded awards where most of the programme costs are funded by EIL.

What is EIL looking for?

In assessing the applications we receive, volunteer or other community involvement as well as leadership potential will take priority over academic capacity. Awards are open to a range of different age categories starting from 16 years old and successful applicants need to be available to travel during the summer months.

What Travel Awards are available?

Individual awards: Fully funded

(Age 16-18): 6 weeks in Japan or 4 weeks in Ecuador
(Age 18+): 6 weeks in Mexico or 10 weeks in Argentina

Group Awards

(Age 16-18): 12 nights in Vermont USA (Full Funding for 5 participants)
(Age 17-22): 9 days in Hong Kong (Partial Funding for 8 participants)
(Age 18-25): 3 weeks in Eurocamp Germany (All costs in Germany covered plus €120 towards flights for 2 participants)

Other Awards

DEIS or Youthreach students: 4 fully funded places to join Hong Kong group
ACCESS students: 3 fully funded places for 2 months on a Volunteer Abroad programme of choice
Jack Wallace Scholarship (new): an opportunity to be short listed for the Jack Wallace Scholarship, a three month partially funded volunteering project in Argentina.
Secondary School in Germany Scholarship (new): live with a host family and go to school in Germany from a semester to a full academic year.
Global Awareness 8 weeks in South Africa or Nigeria: 4 partially funded places available

How do I apply?

Visit the Travel Award's web page and follow the instructions: typically you just need to download and complete a short applicaiton form and write a short essay before posting both to EIL. You can apply for as many Awards as you wish: though you do need to make a seperate application for each one e.g. you could apply for two travel awards by completing two application forms and writing an essay for each.

When are the application deadlines?

The deadline for the bulk of the Travel Awards is 5pm on 26th March 2010, this Friday! However there are three Travel Awards with deadlines in late April:

Jack Wallace Scholarship (5pm on 23 April 2010)
Hong Kong (5pm on 30 April 2010)
Secondary School in Germany Scholarship (5pm on 30 April 2010)

Who is EIL?

EIL is the oldest educational exchange organisation in the world and the Irish office is based in Cork city. EIL coordinates a range of programmes including study abroad, volunteer abroad, development education, group educational travel opportunities and other cultural immersion activities for about 2,000 people every year. This year The Trust for Education in International Living is pleased to be able to offer almost fifty thousand euros to help 30 people take part in EIL's programmes.

For full details of the Travel Awards and to download an application form log on to www.eilireland.org/travel-awards