home

=__Pre-departure Language Immersion and Self-Assessment:__= __**Understanding: A1**__ I **can** understand familiar words and very basic phrases concerning myself and my family. __**Speaking: A1**__ __**Writing: -A1**__
 * Listening**:
 * Reading**: I **can** understand familiar names, and words written in hiragana.
 * Spoken Interaction:** I **can** interact in a __**very**__ simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase at a slower pace. I can ask and answer very simple questions.
 * Spoken Production:** I **can** use some simple phrases and sentences to describe where I live.
 * Writing:** Using Romaji, I **can** write my name and country.

= = = = = = =Programme Expectations and Goals:=

Teacher Knowledge and Skills:
• Increase knowledge of the target language. • Improve competence in the target language. • Increase cultural knowledge in your target language. • Be able to reflect critically on your teaching. • Increase your understanding of the curriculum.

Teaching Practice:
• Improve your confidence and competence in using your target language in class. • Use greater variety of effective teaching methods and change your classroom practice to reflect this. • Develop, select and use resource more effectively. • Include a greater international dimension to your learning.

Impact on Student Learning:
• Increased motivation and confidence. • Increased language knowledge and fluency. • More opportunities to achieve success.

Professional Networks:
• Increase your professional support networks. • Share your new knowledge, skills and ideas with colleagues at school. • Share your new knowledge, skills and ideas with colleagues at other schools.

Record of Experiences and Learning:
• Diary of reflections: • Blog • Lexique

Language Goal:
====//As a result of my immersion experience I will improve my language knowledge in listening, speaking, reading and writing in the TL. I will be able to carry out successful oral interaction with native speakers using both listening and speaking skills; and read and write meaningfully in the target language.//====

How well have I achieved this goal to date?
Within 24 hours of arrival, I was sat a placement test which included reading, writing, speaking and listening. I did not attempt the written and reading aspects of the placement test as I could neither read the text nor respond to it. Next, I had to record all the characters of both hiragana and katakana, which I attempted and was able to partly complete - very slowly. The final aspect of the placement test was an interview that required me to both listen and understand then respond orally. I was able to recognise and respond to questions such as: What is your name? Where are you from? When did you arrive? I did have to ask the speaker to slow down and repeat some of the questions as this was the first 24 hours in hearing native speakers of the TL to whom I had to respond. Previously it had only been recordings which I could control.

The course that I have undertaken has **three checkpoint tests** that include reading, writing, listening and speaking. It requires an 80% pass rate in all three checkpoints to achieve a pass into the next class. In the first test, although I achieved a pass in both the speaking and listening I didn't in the reading and writing (65%), therefore I could not pass out of this class even if I were to achieve 100% in the subsequent tests. The end result is that I will take this class again this coming semester. I am happy with this.

Gains have I made:
1. **Reading and writing:** Using hiragana, katakana and some kanji I can now write simply but meaningfully using the sentence structures and grammar as taught. **An example of my reading** is with the use of a series of readers that I have found that I am currently reading independently. These are graded readers for adults learning the TL. I can read meaningfully both level one and some of level the two readers. The texts include all three scripts and with hiragana and katakana support as the kanji is introduced. Level 1 includes a vocabulary of about 350 words and 400 ~ 1500 characters while level 2 uses 500 words and 1500 ~ 2500 characters. I have used a CD to support the development of accent, intonation and fluency.

2. **Speaking and listening**: I have been able to make myself understood when in the community.
 * Examples** of this have been whilst shopping, when I have asked for assistance and directions; enrolling at the city library and when I went to have my hair cut I had a simple conversation with the stylist, who initiated questions to which I could respond. It has taken some time to really hear and distinguish the spoken word as it has seemed so incredibly fast. Not only that, what you hear does not always match what you have learnt to read. For example hito and ryo are not pronounced as they look using romaji so some of the romaji is misleading. I will refer to this again and explain why romaji can be a hindrance.

Using the given scale of 1~5 to rate myself I would select **4** as I have made huge gains from pre-arrival because I now have knowledge of grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary; and an understanding of some of the cultural perspectives that underpin appropriate societal communication.

Culture Goal:
//As a result of my immersion experience I will improve my cultural knowledge through language and by exploring and reflecting on the culture around me.//

How well have I achieved this goal to date?
1. I have participated in omatsuris, found out the meaning behind these; visited numerous temples and shrines observing people's actions and asking why they do what they do; visited two very different schools (at their request) to discuss whaling with the students; weekly visits to the toshukan and participating in the monthly cultural events, such as one about the 'yukata'. This is a practical workshop to show how these should be worn.

2. I have had discussions and observed the people around me to try to understand their views of the world; their cultural perspective and what underpins many of their ways. What stands out as a motivating influence is the lack of space. This appears to drive innovation to ensure full utilisation of what they have and this is reflected in the home and and community. For example the vehicles are small as the parking areas are miniscule; housing does not sprawl as it does in NZ; generally housing is smaller, often multi-level; several generations live under one roof; the modern conveniences are built to be compact as the internal house area is small; every little piece of dirt is cultivated to produce food and if you don't have garden are you create it with baskets and pots. Individual housing is much closer than in NZ and often the front door opens almost onto the footpath so some of the potted plants actually sit on the pavement. People take great care of their surroundings so it is clean - kirei. You will often see people sweeping their road frontage including the gutters. Cleanliness everywhere is a value that is highly prized.

I was led to believe that Japanese are not direct. This is not entirely correct as I have experienced direct questioning and comments such as I wouldn't use with others at home. However, I have also witnessed indirectness about a commencement time for an event to occur. In this instance a 2.30p.m. time was set for an event to occur by the organiser who then changed this time, ignoring the agreed time and the 'other party's' responses to this change. This occurred for several communications till finally the 'other party' stated she would come at 2.30p.m. until she could be replaced. The end result? 2.30 was OK.

The language reflects the levels of society and what is appropriate at home may not necessarily be so here. A simple example of this is the use of 'And you?' Anata wa? This is included in the language kit as a means of keeping a conversation flowing, however, it is not appropriate as 'you' would only be used if you were angry or talking to your dog. My teacher explained that is is not acceptable and the person's name should be used (John san wa?).

With regards to whaling, I have a slightly better understanding of Japan's stance. The stance is linked to the political system. The rural sectors carry more weight in decision making because they have a higher proportional rating than the urban areas. For each electoral area there are 2 representatives, irrespective of the population of the area, therefore, combined, the rural area has greater political influence and as such, government policy supports whaling as an economic activity. People in the urban areas apparently are not so interested in politics because it is felt that their voice is not heard above the rural sector.

I have observed and followed the guidance of those around me. As a result I have a better understanding of meal time etiquette including what must be said before and after a meal; what is expected within a household so that it functions smoothly; and that punctuality, courtesy and cleanliness are highly prized values. A notable aspect is the readiness of people to offer assistance time and time again, putting your needs before their own. This has happened several times such as when I have been lost and people have approached me and gone out of their way to guide me to my destination; and a driver stopped to offer assistance to deliver a very large parcel that I and a friend were struggling to take home.

Gains have I made:
Using the given scale of 1~5 to rate myself I would select 3 as I have made huge gains from pre-arrival but also realise that I am not necessarily seeing what people really think. One cannot come to know people in such a short time.

(Increased knowledge of theory, research and practice relating to effective language teaching and learning.) //As a result of my immersion experience I will improve my second language pedagogy by: • Developing fluency of the TL. • Collect and adapt resources. • Liaising with schools. • Observing and discussing teaching and effectiveness of strategies and activities.//

How well have I achieved this goal to date?
1. Developing fluency - see goal 1 above. 2. I have found some excellent readers that I will purchase here because they are cheaper than in NZ. 3. I have visited two schools so far. An elementary school and a junior high. At the elementary school I simply observed, whereas at the junior high I was invited in to discuss anti- whaling. The students wanted to know why so many people are against what they view as their culture and therefore see anti-whaling as a racist issue? 3. In my class at Yamasa there were several students who, like myself, have a teaching background so we discussed the programme and its implementation. What really stood out was the structure and timing of each lesson. It worked to a set structure and was timed to finish by the last minute of the lesson. Teachers had their questions written and ready to move the lesson along. It would move very fast and not allow for any distractions or variation from the text. It is prescriptive and almost rote, however, you are also guided to some self discovery. Teachers are extremely good at 'wait time' when they ask a student a question. If a response is incorrect they move on until the correct response is given. There was little variation with the activities and teaching style so if it did not suit the student that was unfortunate - recommendation study some more. Sometimes there was an attitude that if it has been presented once then you should know it//.//

An interesting change is occuring at Yamasa. In 2010, teachers are being made to refer to each student by their first name (Lyn-san) and conversely students refer to the teacher as 'name'-sensei not just sensei. This is not usual and has been brought about because we are to be seen as customers not just students. It is to eliminate the hierarchy that previously existed. Not only that but all staff that you encounter know you by name even when they meet you for the first time.

4. My classes have been conducted totally in Japanese and this has given me much to reflect on and how I will teach; not only international immersion students but all students. The activities must open doors in the mind so that connections can be made to develop understanding. Some of the activities here enable one to 'bark at text' without necessarily understanding the content.

When I return I will not use romaji as I have previously as it has been a distinct handicap for me. Mnemonics can assist in the unlocking of the sounds of the characters and then one can progress from this to reading and writing simple script. Also, as noted earlier, some of the romaji is misleading as it does not give correct pronunciation because kana sounds cannot always be replicated with romaji.

This coming semester I have requested that I be able to go to the local elementary school every Friday afternoon, firstly as an observer then as a helper. I am looking to develop a relationship with the school and through the school to the community, because many of the children live in the buildings around me. The benefit of this will be many: opportunities to observe pedagogical practice; communication to develop fluency in the TL and culturally by being included in the community.

Learning thus Far:
Personally, at times I have had to deal with an overwhelming sense of failure. It is as though the boat is disappearing towards the horizon while I am still on the dockside. The system here does not recognise what one has learnt and I need to be robust to keep in mind what I have achieved in this time. The system does not differentiate between learners, or seek to help those who might need a further explanation. Because of prior knowledge some students only had to learn 3 ~ 4 new vocabulary while I had to learn a list of 30 ~ 40 every two nights and also be able to write them. Often instructions were unclear or not given and time for task completion was inadequate. If you were given some cards to use with a partner they were whisked away before you had finished. Most of the class felt that we were often busy working out what we had to do rather than focusing on the actual task. Within two weeks of arrival we were all expected to read and write; interpret our weekly schedule and figure out how the texts and CD material interrelated. This was no easy task and slowed me down to the point I was struggling. Once behind and stress builds there was little to no chance for catching up. I have since dealt with this issue and feel ready for the next semester. = = = = The most significant area of learning for me has been the awareness of the need for the appropriateness, variety, frequency and duration of activities to enable all learners to make the connections that bring about meaningful learning. Also, there is a need to not only expect students to apply themselves to learning the necessary vocab etc but provide scaffolding with which to effectively do so. Students need to be successful in retaining vocabulary so that they can then use it meaningfully.

Self Assessment:
I have just completed the first quarter of the year at Yamasa Institute; I attend Saturday afternoon review classes at the library and have just completed 11 private lessons to assist application of the knowledge. I am not going to rate this as I believe I have already rated my gains under the language goals and stated how well I think I am achieving.

Sharing my NZ culture.
Thus far I have done little in this area but am hoping that this will change when I go into a local school.

Support:
As yet I do not have a host school so I cannot comment. The host language provider for me is the Yamasa Institute. There is little support here. If you succeed great; if your struggle then so be it. I sought the assistance of Flavio Yamashita (international students' office) as he speaks English so that I could explain my concerns. I am following his advice having had a conference that included my principle teacher (I had 5 teachers). As a result I think I am ready to face this next semester.

I have used Skype to communicate with Prue, when I felt I needed to explain that I was not yet in a position to go into a school. Having moved on I have requested that a weekly visit be set up starting this term. Other than that I do not know that I need support from AFS as I have a pathway ahead and an understanding of why I am here.
 * AFS NZ**

From when I was offered the award there was little communication and no clear pathway ahead. I recognise that there was a change in personnel however, a pathway ahead would have been helpful, especially to get documents ready, and an overview of what was to be expected in terms of study. The study of Japanese that I did last year at UNITEC is a far cry from the language school here. I don't think I was ready for the intensity of it or being a student in such a different teaching system.
 * Preparation:**

An improvement would be to have a time line of all the things that the recipient could do that would help an application into a language school go smoothly when the time comes for that. A clear description of the year in terms of study and school interactions is needed. Also, if the recipient is a beginner in their chosen language they really do need some sort of serious tuition before leaving home, much more than the night classes offered at UNITEC. Apart from those suggestions, I have to say that all of the 'housekeeping' (flights, accommodation, enrollment etc) have gone smoothly. My accommodation is great and doesn't include too much housework.

This is very carefully worked out by customer services here in Japan and is an excellent service. My experience was very positive and I go back there from time to time to gain language support and friendship. The Institute also offers free weekend home visits for which I have put my name forward. Being hosted was a very useful as it took pressure off while adjusting to student life. (No shopping, cooking etc), however, I did go with the house mother when shopping and assisted in whatever help was asked for within the home. A major difference here is that the house mother deems it her job to support studying by not expecting the student to have to do daily chores. She had a distinct routine into which I was slotted.
 * Host Family:**

I will repeat the same class as last semester with the goal of passing all three tests. Perhaps in December I will be ready to sit the JALPT level 5 test. I will attend a local elementary school hopefully on a weekly basis; attend an after class language exchange support group; continue attending the Toshukan language revision classes; participate in the monthly cultural events at the Toshukan; and attend any other cultural events through the year as offered by the local community. I have made a buddy of a woman volunteer tutor at the Toshukan, who has invited me to communicate with her outside of this venue. This is unusual but a real bonus. I would like to break into the community, which I may be able to do through the elementary school visits. I may also choose one of the optional cultural classes - dance; learn a traditional musical instrument; or cooking this next semester. To make this immersion really count I have to do the things that I cannot possibly do in NZ such as participating with as many people and cultural events as I can while here. I am looking for a club of some sort which I can join as a means to further expose myself to the language.
 * Looking Forward:**
 * Goals 1/2/3:**

I will keep a log of the teaching practices that I see within the schools that I visit.

I may also continue with private lessons for a while longer (this will depend on my budget).