Posted 4:28 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
UW-L is host to the group that has learned about U.S. culture and education over a three-week period.
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Japanese students pictured with a few of their UW-L "buddies." The visitors return to Japan Sept. 24.[/caption]
Meeting visitors to UW-L from Japan this month was life changing for UW-L Senior Sarah Crossman.
Crossman is one of 11 UW-L students who volunteered to be a “buddy,” and help show the group of students from Fukuoka University of Education around when they arrived on campus in early September. Now, nearing the end of their stay, Crossman says they’ve shown her so much about a culture she initially knew very little about, and she wants to know more. Crossman says they’ve influenced her to apply to teach English in Japan next year.
“These students are so friendly, funny, polite and caring,” she says about the Japanese guests. “They’ve shown me a preview of what I can expect if I go over there, and it's wonderful!”
UW-L is host to the group, which has learned about U.S. culture and education over a three-week period through tours of local attractions, classroom observations at local schools and UW-L, among other activities. They’ve also shared their culture along the way.
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Ayako Tsujita teaches origami to Logan Middle School students.[/caption]
Ayako Tsujita, an English education major at FUE, enjoyed teaching Japanese dance, origami and calligraphy to Logan Middle School students. Exchanging culture in classrooms is probably easier here than in Japan, she notes, considering American students don’t act as shy in class as Japanese students do. The Logan students had many questions, and even wanted to take selfies with the Japanese students and sit by them at lunchtime.
Similarly, while visiting a UW-L English as a Second Language class, the Japanese students were surprised how active students were, participating in class through language-practice games. Japanese classrooms are typically much larger, and involve more listening as opposed to active learning, they say. The more interactive classroom was something Tsujita hoped to take back to Japan as a future teacher.
Tsujita was also impressed that the students they visited at Logan were each issued an iPad to use in class. In Japan, they don’t have this luxury, and also typically do not have Internet access in the classroom, she noted.
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Takumi Tamura teaches Japanese calligraphy to a Logan Middle School student.[/caption]
Takumi Tamura, who studies international language and culture at FUE, says one of his favorite experiences so far has been trying new foods. One of his favorites was the new taste and texture of Couscous at a welcome luncheon with Chancellor Joe Gow.
Although during this visit the Japanese students did not take UW-L classes, UW-L’s English as a Second Language program is one of the best in the country, according to the group leader Todd Jay Leonard, a faculty member at FUE.
Leonard used to teach at Hirosaki Gakuin University in Japan, which also has a partnership with UW-L. When he moved and began teaching at FUE he wanted to initiate a new partnership with UW-L at his new school.
He has always been impressed with UW-L’s ESL program and Office of International Education. UW-L’s ESL program students are placed in classes based on their level of English proficiency — something not all universities have this flexibility to do, he notes.
In addition, he said coming to UW-L and the Coulee Region has always felt safe and friendly. “I’m more comfortable knowing my students are in the care of UW-L International Education and ESL staff,” he says. “I’ve built personal relationships here and they take good care of our students.”
One way that care is obvious is the UW-L student buddies like Crossman who are some of the first people they meet on campus.
“I know how good it can be to see a smiling face and have someone to show you around,” says UW-L Junior Alex Moser Vissoky, a volunteer buddy and international student from Brazil.
Japanese students pictured with a few of their UW-L "buddies." The visitors return to Japan Sept. 24.[/caption]
Meeting visitors to UW-L from Japan this month was life changing for UW-L Senior Sarah Crossman.
Crossman is one of 11 UW-L students who volunteered to be a “buddy,” and help show the group of students from Fukuoka University of Education around when they arrived on campus in early September. Now, nearing the end of their stay, Crossman says they’ve shown her so much about a culture she initially knew very little about, and she wants to know more. Crossman says they’ve influenced her to apply to teach English in Japan next year.
“These students are so friendly, funny, polite and caring,” she says about the Japanese guests. “They’ve shown me a preview of what I can expect if I go over there, and it's wonderful!”
UW-L is host to the group, which has learned about U.S. culture and education over a three-week period through tours of local attractions, classroom observations at local schools and UW-L, among other activities. They’ve also shared their culture along the way.
[caption id="attachment_36312" align="alignright" width="350"] Ayako Tsujita teaches origami to Logan Middle School students.[/caption]
Ayako Tsujita, an English education major at FUE, enjoyed teaching Japanese dance, origami and calligraphy to Logan Middle School students. Exchanging culture in classrooms is probably easier here than in Japan, she notes, considering American students don’t act as shy in class as Japanese students do. The Logan students had many questions, and even wanted to take selfies with the Japanese students and sit by them at lunchtime.
Similarly, while visiting a UW-L English as a Second Language class, the Japanese students were surprised how active students were, participating in class through language-practice games. Japanese classrooms are typically much larger, and involve more listening as opposed to active learning, they say. The more interactive classroom was something Tsujita hoped to take back to Japan as a future teacher.
Tsujita was also impressed that the students they visited at Logan were each issued an iPad to use in class. In Japan, they don’t have this luxury, and also typically do not have Internet access in the classroom, she noted.
[caption id="attachment_36314" align="alignleft" width="350"] Takumi Tamura teaches Japanese calligraphy to a Logan Middle School student.[/caption]
Takumi Tamura, who studies international language and culture at FUE, says one of his favorite experiences so far has been trying new foods. One of his favorites was the new taste and texture of Couscous at a welcome luncheon with Chancellor Joe Gow.
Although during this visit the Japanese students did not take UW-L classes, UW-L’s English as a Second Language program is one of the best in the country, according to the group leader Todd Jay Leonard, a faculty member at FUE.
Leonard used to teach at Hirosaki Gakuin University in Japan, which also has a partnership with UW-L. When he moved and began teaching at FUE he wanted to initiate a new partnership with UW-L at his new school.
He has always been impressed with UW-L’s ESL program and Office of International Education. UW-L’s ESL program students are placed in classes based on their level of English proficiency — something not all universities have this flexibility to do, he notes.
In addition, he said coming to UW-L and the Coulee Region has always felt safe and friendly. “I’m more comfortable knowing my students are in the care of UW-L International Education and ESL staff,” he says. “I’ve built personal relationships here and they take good care of our students.”
One way that care is obvious is the UW-L student buddies like Crossman who are some of the first people they meet on campus.
“I know how good it can be to see a smiling face and have someone to show you around,” says UW-L Junior Alex Moser Vissoky, a volunteer buddy and international student from Brazil.