Live from Japan!

So last week I spent three days at the Gifu school for the deaf. I had been very nervous about this visit for several weeks. When I joined this program I had no idea how to teach english to students who could hear me speak english. I was somewhat terrified of trying to teach it to students who could not necessarily hear me. However, all my nervousness was not as important as I thought, for several reasons, and I ended up having a great time at the school.

Top reasons I had a great time at the school!

1. I had a chance to work with students of all ages. From 5th year Shogakusei (elementry students) to 3 year Kokousei (high school students). I was actually a bit nervous of this too, but I had a really great time with all of the groups. The elementary students were so genki and cute, it was positively delightful. I was able to talk to them about who I was (all of my lessons were basically self introduction lessons) then we sang some songs.
I know! Songs at a deaf school. Turns out all of the students are not entirely deaf, in fact that is really rare, most have some hearing, just not enough to get through every day life. For example one of my favorite student moments was with one of the elementary school students who was very excited. He apparently can hear well enough to hear himself talk, so long as he shouted. So he did, all the time! His english pronunciation was actually pretty good, just at a yell. Took some getting used to…

2. I met the cutest kid in all of Japan! Some people may disagree with my assessment, saying that I have not met all of the children in japan, and how could I possibly know. BUT THEY ARE WRONG!

He is the one in the middle just to the right of me, behind the teacher I co-taught with. I know, he may not look like much, you can hardly see him there. He is however, just exhibiting one facet of his cute-nitude. Simple shyness, not overwhelming shyness that prevented interaction, but just enough to keep him a bit reserved. He also suffered (actually not really “suffered” because I think it is cool) from Heterochromia (-edited per Nate’s comment). I think there must be some kind of link here because there were several different kids with Heterochromia at this school. He really sold me on his cuteness during a game we were playing where the students were racing to pick up the cards that matched the english words I was saying. He was giving this game his all, but in a serious I want to learn this stuff way. I was so, impressed. Cutest kid ever! moving on.

3. One high school girl both made me feel a bit bad, and also was one of my big reasons for liking my visit to the school. She was a third year in high school, and her english abilities were actually really good. (With the exception of spoken, but she is really quite deaf so her japanese is also really hard) What is more she was not afraid to try and use her english. This always really really impresses me. Many of the students at my school may have better abilities in english than this girl, but I would never know, because they don’t have the guts to use it. This girl came up to me the day after I taught her class, and said the following. “I was frustrated yesterday, because I wanted to understand what you were saying. But I couldn’t because you spoke to fast and I couldn’t read your lips. Can you eat lunch with me today so that we can try talking some more?”
I was floored. This simultaneously made me feel really bad and really good. I was so sorry that I had been speaking so quickly and without enough mouth movement. But also I was so excited that she had come to talk to me. So for lunch we sat and conversed, she had to write a lot of what she wanted to say down, and I did my best to speak slowly and with gestures. I was amazed by how well she could read my lips, considering how little she must get the chance to see english speakers talk. In the end we exchanged email addresses. I really need to email her.

4. I learned to say a few things in Japanese sign language. I only learned a few words, and how to sign my name. But everyone was so impressed. It was so much fun. In fact one of the elementary school students found out that I could sign it, and before I knew it there was a line of small students in front of my waiting for their turn to ask me my name. So cute!

Okay, I am going to leave it there. I have a bunch more that I could write, but suffice to say that far from being nervous for my next trip to the school for the deaf I am heartily looking forward to it.