Wednesday, June 23, 2004

  • What to do in class; What to do in Tokyo...

    T

    oday and tomorrow, I go to a workshop for teaching foreign languages sponsored by the National Capital Language Resource Center. The topic is teaching culture in the classroom. I have basically been an opponent to teaching culture in the class, unless it has a direct correlation to the language. In Japanese, for example, calling each other by last name instead of first, or using the person's name instead of the second-person pronoun "you."

    I used to hate books that incorporated cultural aspects or situations in the dialogue and exercises. I mean, when I was studying French, I couldn't care less about the Champs Elysse or the Arc de Triomphe. I don't need extra clutter in my mind. I would rather learn words and phrases that would be applicable in my everyday life, so I can actually try to use them with classmates or with the teacher. Teach me how to borrow a book/video; how to use a computer; how to talk about food or movies. Something I can use with my classmates. How am I going to hold a conversation on something neither I nor my classmate have yet to experience? Oh, how old is the Arch of Triumph... Uh, how many restaurants on the Champs Elysse. Big deal. The conversation will end in 15 seconds. Give me something I can use.

    But I want to keep an open mind. There may be something that I have overlooked and so I'm going to this workshop to see if they can teach me something about incorporating culture into the classroom. If not, I will play devil's advocate and wreak havoc. heheheh Just kidding. Wreak havoc? Moi? I would never do such a thing... hehehehehe.

    whonose: Ok one question for you, although if its not answered by friday I wont be able to read it, because this fellow xangan will be in Tokyo! Any advice on what I SIMPLY HAVE TO DO while in your favourite Japanese city?

    O-man: Well, I'm off to the workshop and so I will answer this later, tonight maybe. But in the meantime, I'd like to ask you all the same question.

    When you go to Tokyo, what do you have to do? Eat something? Go somewhere? See something? Tell me so we can give this Britisher something to do while he's in Tokyo.

Comments (26)

  • silvermyst_ashke
    I've never been but if I did, I'd check out the street fashion. esp. on the Shibuya strip. then I'd stuff myself on sushi. then I'd run off to the countryside and visit some temples, then visit ALLLLLL my friends, and then try to make it to see Mt Fuji and soak in a spring! And if there's still time, I'D GO SHOPPING. and ask for makeup tips.
  • takunishi79
    since i'm a technology geek, i head straight for AKIHABARA. for the young crowd, shibuya, harajuku, roppongi, i would assume... but what the hell do i know?
    personally, i usually trek out to the kansai area... nara, hyogo, kyoto... check the historical landmarks. then again, that's me.
  • ekin

    I don't really like Tokyo, but as what Takkun said, if I was in Tokyo, I'd visit Akihabara and I guess also Kichi-jouji.

    I like Kansai much better, so if I were there, I'd hit Shinsaibashi (Osaka), Shijou (Kyoto), and also hang around Kobe. The temples get a little boring after a while, so I don't think I'd really visit a lot of those. I definitely go to those techy shops, like Yodobashi Camera or Pika Pika. I like to eat donburi, sukiyaki or teppanyaki when I'm there. But that's about it, since I'm not that fond of Japanese food.
  • Purin_kun

    >>I used to hate books that incorporated cultural aspects or situations in the dialogue and exercises. I mean, when I was studying French, I couldn't care less about the Champs Elysse or the Arc de Triomphe.

    Couldn't agree more on this with low-level stuff for the most part.  Do my students really care how tall some Buddha in Leshan is, or how many people can sit on its foot (to cite a recent lesson)  ?  I try to rewrite dialogs and reading selections to make them more interesting when given the opportunity. 

    >The topic is teaching culture in the classroom. I have basically been an opponent to teaching culture in the class, unless it has a direct correlation to the language.  

    Dunno about this.  Integrating culture can be great for building students' interest in a language.  Not everyone starts studying a language after becoming interested in a culture that uses the target language.  My students all *must* take English, so I try to make it less boring for them.  There usually is some tie - for example, I bring in American money and an empty "Super Size" french fry pouch from the US and tell the students a little about them when we do a dialog that takes place at a fast food resturant (ƒ}ƒbƒN don't have super size, only us fatties in the US). 

    Where do you draw the line on what's relevant and what's not?
  • Purin_kun

    ...funny side note, teachers and students in my area almost always use first names when talking about students, as there are often multiple kids with the same last name in one class.  ah, inaka. 

    >>or using the person's name instead of the second-person pronoun "you."

    this is an obvious point, but something no one ever mentioned in any class i've taken (including japn 003).  dunno why.  it's important to explain this difference to japanese too...i remember getting a really creepy english email from a japanese girl that invoked my name at least a dozen times. 
  • zettonv
    my japanese teacher calls everyone by their last names, for the most part, some he calls by their first names, he calls me and my brother thompson-san, and it gets confusing some times and he points his finger as to who he's talking about haha
  • enygma81
    I wonder if foreign language instructors teach the cultural aspects because Americans tend to be fairly ignorant of other cultures.  Although, because Spanish is spoken in more than one place, we were over-inundated with the culture of Spain, Mexico, South America, and Central America.  Not like I remember any Spanish and/or Spanish culture. :D
  • kizyr

    I have a brilliant idea: you can go to the conference and push forward the idea that culture doesn't exist as a concrete enough concept to actually incorporate it into a lesson plan. You can successfully have everyone leaving the conference confused out of their minds.

    Anyway, I've said before on my Xanga that although Tokyo is nice it's way too big for me. But, if you simply must go to Tokyo, here're a few things you must do:
    EVisit Akihabara: my absolute favourite place in the city. But, if you're not much for electronics then you can skip it. Though, I can spend an entire day just going around browsing used game shops in this place.
    ECheck out Shibuya and Roppongi at night: if you're more for the party or club scene, then you don't want to miss out on these spots. Shibuya is more for the younger crowd (maybe 16-22), Roppongi is more for the older (18 or 20 on up); so, Roppongi stays open much later.
    Enbsp;Get out of the city someplace and visit a nice onsen (hot spring)--an outdoor one, preferably. A rotemburo (open-air bath) is also good.

    Other hot-spots in Tokyo, depending on what you like, would definitely include Ginza, Ueno, and Asakusa at the very least. Try to see if you can make it out to Mt. Fuji while you're there. KF
  • gt_ninja
    First thing I do is hit Akihabara, haggle for some nice shiny but ultimately unneeded gadgets then I head over to my favorite Ramen-ya for some good eats.

    Do not leave Japan without having Real Ramen!
  • ddsb2000
    I always liked learning random culturally things about that have to do with the language but it is frustrating that its not as useful say as learning how to order food or ask for directions. Its weird but sometimes I learn random things easier than more useful things. Like last summer I remember blanking out on umi. I felt like such an ass. But I just remember hearing kanransha on one occasion and for some reason it always pops up in my head.
  • cgran

    Sadly I've never been, but if I were to go I'd want to check out Kyoto and Nara first.  Or go see a real onsen...  But thats not really helpful for Tokyo is it...

    Akihabara is supposed to be great fun, if half of what I have been told is in fact true...
  • EndlesSkye
    true, what's the use of knowing phrases/words, when you don't even have much chance of using it?

    that's how i'm attempting to learn japanese..
    it'd be a lot easier if i had a situation to learn it in..like
    go to japan, as a foreigner..and learn how to survive
    ha ha

    that's how my dad learned english, and he's pretty good
    xD
  • bane_vixen
    i've never been to tokyo, or any of the Japanese islands for that matter.  but i've heard so many good things about it.  from what i've heard/read/researched on Japan, it seems to be a perfect meld of antiquity and modernity.  a lot of Japan's natural beauty seems to be intact, from the hot springs to the pagoda-looking temples, etc.  i'm thinking it's because Japan is an archipelago and is separated from the rest of the world.  their culture and way of life appears to be mostly undisturbed, like their indigenous religion, shinto, among other things.  their isolation is even reflected in how japanese literature is clearly delineated, from the Heian period (Tale of Genji, Pillow Book, senryuu poems, right?) and then the development of kabuki plays and noh and kyogen theaters.  (forgive me if i botched them up.  it's been a while since i read up on japanese literature.)  main point is, i think learning the culture is just as important as learning the language.  if one's brain can't retain all that information, then learning the names of famous places might be useful, so that one can nonchalantly ask, "Ou est-il du Champs Elysse?" haha
  • ChiisanaHoshi

    Bonjour, Onigiriman. Ca va?

    I like to learn about culture when I study language. I'm pretty easily distracted so I need something that will hold my attention and not be straight through work. I'm taking French now, I'll be entering my third year of it this fall. I used to love it but it's starting to lose it's appeal. I was going to take Latin but our school is too poor and/or cheap to hire a new Latin teacher for next year. And as bane_vixen said, learning famous places is a good thing if you ever get lost, seeing as the metro stops are named for the famous places closest to them. It'd be alot easier to ask where a place is then to walk around for hours looking for it.
  • BarbEric_Bojo

    hmm never been but, wish to hear what tehre is to doo

    http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milano-Cat/7098/okome001.html

    is this funny or dumb? i cant understand
  • BarbEric_Bojo

    oh this one too

    http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milano-Cat/7098/okome002_making.html

    sounds funny to me, forgive me if its bad
  • BarbEric_Bojo
    oh no.. i pray for your students.. hah jk mang, im sure you'll make it fun to learn culture.. or something
  • whonose
    I'M ONLY GOING FOR A WEEK PEOPLES!
  • pallyatheart
    I would love to go to Japan!  My mother's friend won $10,000 in BINGO and took her daughter to Japan to celebrate with the money.  They were going to stay for 2 weeks but wound up coming back after one week because they spent ALL of the money!  AHHH!
  • Grom
    Harajuku & Kabuki-cho are the must-see parts of Tokyo.
  • EnderSatomi

    I'm not much of a Tokyo fan (Hiroshima = RAWK!!!) but I have to admit the National Museum in Ueno is a MUST SEE!!!!!!!

    That and go to Asakusa for some cheap shopping =D
  • onigiri

    hmm, i've never been to tokyo before, so i'm no help.

    and that's good that you're going to the workshop. if you've realize that it was a total waste of time, then go ahead and raise hell. if it wasn't, then you've gained some new knowledge. win-win situation, right? (well, maybe not if it was a TOTAL waste of time.)

    and as for webcomics, i'd suggest that you check out space coyote's webcomic --> [www.saturnalia.keenspace.com] its a sci fi sort of story and the art is wonderful.

    well, just start there for now and see how it goes. have fun in tokyo!

  • SammyStorm
    One thing that I would do if I ever get back to Tokyo, is to just walk around the streets and watch people.  Sounds boring, but I find that observing people in Japan is one of the most fascinating (and cheapest) way to get a taste of the wonder that is modern Tokyo.
  • bane_vixen
    ryc: um, no.  i'd choose onigiriman over HIM any day.  what possesses these old geezers to hit on young women?  do they expect to score pity dates?  yech.  and what's so silly, school girlish about kissing a guy on the stomach??  especially when it's close THAT spot.  aren't guys sensitive in that region slightly above the SPOT?  well, i know women are.....
  • No1watching

    hmm i missed tokyo when i was in japan...hmm

    i'm just wierd but i like going to the local market and look at what's there.  man, i swear the fruits from japan looks so unreal.. isn't the square watermelon from there? 

    he should just try whatever... try getting a massage.. try what he does in his home land and see the differences in japan.. for instance, mcDs.. it doesn' taste the same does it?  hehhehehe.. and the menu, oh my.. whatever floats his boat cuz being anywhere in japan is a wonderful, new and exciting feeling

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