From young, I dreamt of living and working overseas. I think this was the reason why I became an English teacher. I fancied myself teaching English as a Second Language to people whose native tongue was not English. So, when the chance arose for me to be an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Japan for a year, I eagerly embarked on a new life Japan without hesitation.
At that time, I neither spoke nor read much Japanese. I still remember how overwhelmed I felt on my first day in Kumamoto. I was looking at the recycling schedule at my apartment when panic overtook me. I couldn’t make head or tail of the information. I didn’t know the kinds of trash I could throw away on particular days of the week. I felt a lump in my throat. Would I be able to overcome the language barrier?
Luckily for me, I did figure out when I should throw away my rubbish. I then prepared myself to teach English in primary and secondary schools alike. My Japanese colleagues welcomed me with open arms. Recognising that I had been an English teacher in Singapore, they respected my ideas and encouraged me to try out-of-the-box lessons to engage their students. Among the unique lessons I conducted were games that allowed my students to play detective as well as conversational activities that let them conquer a particular prefecture in Japan if they answered a question correctly. Yes, this conversational game was modelled after the popular game called “Risk”!
Besides relishing the fact that I could be creative and innovative in my job, I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with my students. The primary school kids were very adorable. They could rush up to me and clamour to hold my hand, making me feel like a Korean pop star! Unlike their younger counterparts, the secondary school students did not come up to me directly. They actually appeared more shy than the primary school kids! Nevertheless, I broke the ice with many of them. These teenagers loved to tell me about their joys, troubles and even crushes! Thanks to them, I really learnt a lot about the mindset of a typical Japanese teenager.
My fun time didn’t end after work. Motivated to immerse myself in traditional culture, I joined a local yosakoi (Japanese traditional dancing) group. My dance mates were so talented and hardworking. They practised the dance steps conscientiously, aiming for nothing but perfection. I often felt chills flow down my spine when I watched them dance. What was most noteworthy to me was how they patiently guided me to master the steps. They even invited me to dance alongside them on stage during festivals and other occasions. It’s no wonder that these days, I’m not scared of dancing in front of people!
A year flew past in a blink of an eye, and before I knew it, it was time to return to Singapore. Looking back, I believe that my time in Japan has enabled me to grow significantly. Not only did I learn to carry out English lessons to foreign learners, but I also boosted my appreciation of Japanese culture, particularly yosakoi. It was scary venturing into the unknown but I’m really glad that my childhood dream came true.
