Common Questions from Japanese Students

Heads up to all those who are going to start teaching in Japan! Here are common questions from students.

1. How old are you? 
Tell them you're 100 if you don't want them to know your age.

2.What is your favorite food? 
They'll laugh at you when you say ordinary Japanese food such as takoyaki,melon pan,onigiri etc.

3. What is your favorite sports? 
You'll make soccer players happy when you say soccer,it's as if they suddenly found a special connection with you.

4. What is your hometown like? 
You're goin to introduce it anyway, just remember to use simple English.

5. Why did you go to Japan? 
Coz I love Japan then wink!lol They might want to hear something interesting from you.

6. How many people are there in your family? 
Weird but it's a very common Japanese question, sometimes they include their pets when answering this question.

7. What do you like in Japan? 
They'll be glad to hear good things about their country.

8. What is strange in Japan? 
Try not to make a face when you hear this,haha..In my case, I talked about Japanese gestures such as pointing their noses when referring to themselves, waving their hands in front of them when they say no [which means "smelly" for us] or anything that you can think of because they really don't know those.

9. When will you go back to your country? 
Rude right? But they don't mean to make you go home,they just wanna know how long are you planning to stay with them. You might as well avoid saying that you just wanna stay for a short time so you won't disappoint them.

10. Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend? 
The ice breaker! I remember I was asked if how many boyfriends do I have and I unconsciously gestured "stop" using my hands but my students understood it as "10 boyfriends!" lol

Just have fun guys! You don't have to be very serious in answering their questions,make it light because your students might be 10x more nervous than you! Try not to reveal your country right away, ask them to guess then give hints (the magic word for The Philippines is "banana"!). When you make a speech, keep it short and simple then smile!

Gambatte kudasai!Yoroshiku ne!

Tips for New ALTs

                     
                         Being a foreign teacher in Japan is quite stressful yet it's a rewarding experience. A lot of first timers get nervous and confused when they start going to Japanese schools. I also used to feel disoriented on my first few days here so now that I'm on my second spring semester in Japan, I'd like to give some pieces of advice for new ALTs.

1. Dress to impress.
                 First impression lasts so it's better to show a nice image of yourself on your first day at school. ALTs are usually required to wear suits but in some rural areas, it's ok to wear sweatpants. Just to be safe, it's still better to wear suits on your first day and ask the teachers if it's ok to wear sweatpants next time. Be sure that you don't look tired or sleepy, it's always better to show a happy disposition at school. Japanese are very observant so you might also want to clean your fingernails, shave your beard and have a proper haircut before going to school.

2. Always be on time.
                 You should neither be very early nor late at school. (Well, maybe at least 15 minutes earlier is ok). Time is money for many Japanese so please don't be late or should I say, please don't steal money from them. It's also good to go to classrooms at least 5 minutes before class hours so you can talk to some students freely.
           
3. Be polite and friendly to everyone.
                 You might be the only foreigner that the teachers and students at your schools know so show a good example of someone from outside Japan. A lot of them might really be nervous when you are around, some might even avoid you but try to be friendly with them. A sincere smile can never fail you. If possible, it'll be great if you can memorize some common Japanese words such as ohayou gozaimasu (good morning), konnichiwa (hello/good afternoon), sumimasen (excuse me/sorry for troubling you) and otsukaresamadesu (thank you for your hard work). They wouldn't expect you to say them but they'd be glad to hear you say those words.

4. Put your feet on the ground.
                 Being down to earth is a must in Japan if you really want to have a harmonious relationship with your workmates. In relation to teaching, some of us might feel quite aggressive at times because we think we are better than the Japanese teachers but please try to control yourself. Observe everything first before you speak, you might be surprised with the difference of Japanese education system with the one that you have in your country. If you really can't stop yourself, then try to ask the Japanese teacher in a very subtle way. Make suggestions and talk about what you are planning to do instead of sounding authoritative.

5. Don't be troublesome.
                 Mendokusai (troublesome) is a common Japanese expression. And no you wouldn't like to be one. Japanese teachers are often busy so as much as possible, don't disturb them. Ask for help only when you think you have no choice but to do so (such as when using copiers etc).

6. Ask for permission.
                  Everyone is careful when using the school's materials so it'll be appreciated if you'd ask for permission first before using some things at school. Just say kore o tsukatte mo ii desu ka? (May I use this?).

7. Watch your moves.
                 Because that is what people around you are doing. Try not to be absent-minded while at work. Even staring outside the window for a few seconds would make your workmates think you have a big problem though you really have no reason for doing it.

8. Keep yourself busy.
                 You might not have classes sometimes but try to do something other than using your phone or sleeping. It's awkward to do nothing in the middle of hardworking people. Think of English lessons, study Japanese, talk to some school staffs, check students' papers etc.

9. Observe and imitate.
                  This can save you from many problems. When you are unsure of what to do (such as how to eat an unfamiliar school lunch), just observe the people around you and you might find the answer to your question. In this way, you can save yourself from shame.

10. Bow sincerely.
                   Last, don't forget to bow! It's the best way to show how humble you are in Japan. Don't forget to use your back instead of your neck when doing this.

                   I hope these reminders can help you to have a better teaching experience at school. It's not necessary to follow them but they can help you to have a better life at your workplace. Gambatte kudasai (Please do you best)!

A very surprising message on my first day at my JHS. :)

Leopalace

                    Most ALTs from Interac stay at Leopalace Apartments. These apartments are all around Japan. They are good for those who just moved to this country because they are fully-furnished and rent includes internet connection. Above all, there is no need for a guarantor to rent a Leopalace apartment. 

                     One can easily identify a Leopalace apartment because most houses have the same designs anywhere in Japan. 

                    Usually, Leopalace in cities have lofts while those in countrysides have beds with storage shelves underneath.  Rooms on ground floors have big sliding doors while rooms on second floors are carpeted with smaller windows. 

                         Each apartment has a tv, airconditioner/heater, intercom, microwave and washing machine. It also includes a small kitchen with narrow counter top and an electromagnetic stove.  Bathrooms (with dryers) and toilets are usually separated.

                         These shots were taken in Hatogaya, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama. Hatogaya used to be an independent city in Saitama but it's so small the government decided to combine it to Kawaguchi. Hato means dove so there are pictures and statues of doves almost everywhere in this place.

                   
                         

Arrival and Training Period

                         The 12 of us finally arrived at Narita airport. Thanks to Delta Air for the comfortable and hassle-free flight. We didn't have problems with the immigration too so we looked for Interac's staff  right away and we quickly found him at our meeting place.

                        Our eyes wandered freely as we rode on a limousine bus to Tokyo. We still can hardly believe that we were already in Japan. Dream came true indeed! The sudden change in temperature reminded us that we were no longer in our tropical country.

                       
                         We stayed at Korakuen Garden Hotel in Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo. Each of us was given a nice room. That was my first encounter with a Japanese bidet, it's definitely life-changing! haha Everyone was hungry so they looked for a restaurant as soon as we dropped our luggage but I stayed because I was waiting for my best friend who I haven't seen for four years. The hotel staffs called me when she arrived, it was quite hard for me to understand them. My best friend explained later on that they are Chinese, most of the guests in that hotel are Chinese too. Anyway, I was quite emotional when I saw her but we only talked for a short time because it'll be the start of our training the following day.

                         There were four free breakfast sets to choose from; American style, Japanese style and Chinese style porridge and noodles (no picture). Most of us liked the Japanese style; salmon, rice and miso soup.

                         Someone from Interac picked us up and guided us to the office, it was only about 15 minutes away on foot. The training period started and we were all busy with our demo lessons. I can  never forget our head trainer, Cedric, the South African guy who is quite strict but seriously knowledgeable in his field of expertise. I think of him as someone like my professors in university, he might be harsh in giving comments but I really learned a lot from him. I'm very grateful that he was one of my trainers.

                        During lunch time, we ransacked Japanese cheap restaurants and convenience stores. I didn't have much money so I only bought onigiri. It's cheap, filling and easy to eat. I wasn't good at using chopsticks yet so it's quite shameful  and annoying to go to restaurants whenever I'm really hungry.

Ready, Set, Go to Japan!

                         Newly-hired ALT? Congratulations! Now there's the nerve-wracking waiting period before deployment so it gives you nothing but stress. Well, relax and use that time in preparing yourself before going to Japan.  I made a list of things that you can do before starting your journey as an ALT. 

                           

1. Research about Japanese people and Japanese culture so you can know what to expect in this country. Study Nihongo too, being able to speak and understand survival Japanese can make a big difference! Memorizing katakana and hiragana can also make your life in Japan less miserable.
2. Prioritize the papers (birth certificate, marriage certificate etc.) that you have to bring with you. Also, know how to pay your taxes and or insurance in your home country.
3. Get a driver's license. It'll be hard and expensive to get one in Japan. For those who will not have driving contracts, you can probably practice riding a bicycle because it might be needed in your placement. 
4. Remember the things that you have to bring; medicines, toiletries, pictures that can show your country's culture for future lessons etc. 
5. Try to get a credit card. It's very hard for foreigners to get a credit card in Japan. Japanese usually use cash but credit cards will be great for online transactions such as buying flight tickets.
6. Think of the money that you have to bring. Where are you going to change it to Japanese yen?
7. Learn how to cook for yourself. Try to bring the ingredients from your country that you probably can't find in Japan. One more thing, start using chopsticks! You can practice this skill by picking up grains of rice (it took me three months to get used to it). 
8. Think of how are you going to connect to your family and friends online once you arrive in Japan. You might also want to start cleaning up your social networking sites.
9. Beautify yourself, it’s pretty expensive in Japan. 
10.  If you still have much time, travel! It might be hard for you to go home again and you'll always regret not being able to go to place you always want to visit.

                         On a different note, Japan finally opened its door to Filipino English teachers. I'm always thankful to everyone (Chesham Recruitment Agency and Interac) who exerted much effort to make this possible. Luckily, I was included in the first batch of Filipino ALTs who were dispatched to Japan. Imagine our excitement, fear, joy and stress for being the pioneers. 

(sorry for putting those weird glasses,haha)

Good luck to all of us! Gambarimasu ne! ;)