I did my internship at a secondary school called Van Veldeke. I attended a third-year English class for the classroom observation and a second-year English class for the practical training. Secondary schools are like a combination of junior high school (12-15 years old) and high school (15-18 years old) in Japan. The class time was long, 80 minutes per class, but I was informed that this is not the norm for Belgian schools and that in most cases the class time is 50 minutes.
What I felt through my observation of the classes
Both teachers and students always spoke English in class. During group work, they basically spoke in English even if the teacher was not watching them. It was a big surprise for me that the teacher told the students who were speaking Dutch not to speak Dutch. In Japan, it is common practice to teach English in Japanese. That’s why students do not know if the teacher can speak English fluently or not. Basically, there is an English exam to enter high school and university, but only a listening and reading exam. Therefore, grammar-centred classes are developed in order to get good test scores. In terms of the content of the grammar lessons, Japan and Belgium were at the same level, but the level of speaking was significantly different. Personally, I thought that because Dutch and English have similar grammars and scripts, it would be easier for people who use European languages on a daily basis to learn English compared to Japanese people. However, I still thought that Japan's language education system needs to be changed.
Students could go outside the classroom when solving a problem and think about the problem with several students or alone. When working with more than one person, they consulted with each other and worked together to get the answer. Of course, this consultation time was also spent in English. Students who studied alone also consulted with the teacher or asked other friends if they did not understand a problem. In Japan, listening to the teacher’s explanation is the norm, and group work is rare, and even if it is, students rarely get up from their assigned seats. It was very strange for me to have group work for almost an hour, and I wondered if students could really learn the grammar. However, the teacher gave individual feedback many times, and I thought that by dividing the students into groups, it would be possible to clarify what they didn't understand. I was also surprised that students could decide whether they wanted to work alone or in a group. Another difference between Japan and Belgium is that students speak up a lot in class. In Japan, as I mentioned earlier, it is common to listen to the teacher's explanations, so there are almost no opportunities to speak up.
With regard to teaching materials, I was surprised that each student had a computer. I had never owned a computer until I entered university and had a hard time learning how to use it, so I was very envious of that. I also thought that the students could listen to audio through the materials on the computer, which would help them to become more familiar with English. I was also able to observe a test, and was surprised to see that they used real news programmes actually broadcast in English-speaking countries for the listening test. In Japan, we basically use test-specific audio that speaks clearly at a slower speed for Japanese people to easily understand. Also, in the reading test, some students asked questions about the meanings of words. In Japan, the teacher basically checks which words have been learnt in class and makes sure that words not learnt are not used, and students are not allowed to ask questions about vocabulary or grammar during the test. In Belgian schools, rather than learning vocabulary, students seemed to acquire words naturally through conversation, which made me feel a difference in the education system.
Classrooms were slightly smaller than in Japanese schools and the number of students in the same class was also smaller. (Belgium: about 25 students, Japan: about 40) I thought the small class sizes created an environment where it was easy to ask questions. In Japan, the classrooms used are fixed and it is common to basically take the same classes with the same students for a year. (The teacher changes depending on the subject.) Therefore, I was personally surprised to see that every break time, none of the students leave the classroom. Everyone was eating or taking a break in the working space, whereas in Japan, whatever you do will be in a designated classroom. Also, in Japan, school lunches are provided, but this is not the case, and it was impressive to see the students gathering together to eat. The existence of the working space itself was strange to me, but I thought it was a good place where students could get involved with many people. It was also strange that two people had one desk in the classroom, and that they used a computer during the test so that the answers could not be seen. In Japan, each person has their own desk and each one is far apart. When doing group work, they move their desks by themselves.
My internship experiences
I gave an explanation about Japan. I was very nervous because it was my first time to explain something to children, but as I was getting ready before the class started, the students started talking to me. First I gave a brief self-introduction about myself. Then I asked them to think about what country I am from. They all knew that I was Asian and within three times in every class they guessed that I was from Japan. At this point, I was very happy to see that they were not shy towards me, who they had never met before, and that they were willing to talk to me. In Japan, I am sure that only a limited number of people in the class would talk to me on such occasions, but at the Belgian school, almost everyone in the class did. When I asked afterwards if there was anything they knew about Japan, many people gave me a variety of opinions (not only about food, but also about bonsai, anime, judo, etc.) and I was impressed by how much they knew about Japan. In particular, Japan is an island country, so there are no opportunities to come into contact with other cultures, and when studying about other countries, most of the knowledge is about history, so it is rare for students to have knowledge about the present day.
Next, I explained about the Japanese language. I thought it might be boring to explain about the Japanese language to the second year students at the secondary school because it is very difficult and the characters and grammar are completely different, so I wasn't sure whether I should introduce it or not, but I decided to give it a try. At first, they didn't seem to understand, but gradually they showed interest. I was very happy to hear them ask questions such as "How do you say 'Hello' in Japanese?” and "I want you to introduce yourself in Japanese!" I was especially happy when one student looked up and greeted me in Japanese after class.
Afterwards, I introduced a variety of foods, from famous items such as sushi, which can be found in Japanese restaurants in Hasselt, to foods that are eaten in Japan but are rare in other countries, such as raw eggs and horse meat. It was especially interesting to see the reactions and expressions of the students when I introduced the unusual foods, and I thought I was able to explain them in a way that made the students aware that what is commonplace in Japan is not commonplace in Belgium.
I then introduced them to famous places in Japan. I wanted them to be as interested in Japanese sensibilities as I was in seeing the buildings when I first arrived in Belgium. The students had been to the Japanese Garden and seemed to know a little about Japanese-style houses and temples. I thought it was very cute to see their eyes light up when I explained about Japanese amusement parks.
Finally, I introduced Japanese schools. I introduced various things related to daily life and school events, such as the fact that everyone wears the same uniform and that most of the students participate in club activities. I was very happy that some of the students said they would like to visit Japan, and I think I was able to spend very meaningful time with them, learning directly from their reactions. I once again understood the importance of teachers who nurture and support students' interests.
Material used in the internship:
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