2024.11.27

Report on the 4th Activity

Today's fun time has flown by. It is time for a break! But they are serious about learning, not taking a break. We will be introducing voices from supporting staff, learners, and visitors.
The next meeting is Sunday, December 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
I am supporting a group of elementary school students . Some of the children can speak Japanese well and seem to have no problems in their daily lives, but when it comes to writing, the hurdle is much higher. The complexity of kanji, the difference between on-yomi and kun-yomi, homonyms, and the use of kanji, hiragana, and katakana. We who have been raised in the Japanese language can do these things as a matter of course, but I think again, “Japanese is really difficult. But I must support them as much as I can because they are bright, honest, and hardworking children around the age of 10 who are boldly taking on this challenge! I must support them as much as I can! I hope that they will do their best to acquire a certain level of Japanese and live happily and robustly in this society, even if it is difficult for them now（Hashimoto mari）.

Everyone enjoyed learning and interacting with each other very much. On this day, a new learner came to the class. One of the new learners, a child from the Philippines, joined the “elementary school group” and quickly became friends with children from other countries and seemed to enjoy learning together. I supported a foreign woman in the “adult group” who was about to take a certification exam. We solved past problems of the exam together, and many of the problems were difficult to understand “phrases peculiar to the Japanese language. The woman's perseverance in learning while juggling work and housework seemed precious. During breaks, she would tell me stories about her children, and we were full of smiles as we talked with other. This school is not only a place to learn, but also a place for the heart(Toida kimiko).

It was my first time to participate in this event and I am glad that I could deepen my understanding about night school. This time, we learned about Japanese women and kanji, and about hiragana and katakana with a girl from Nepal. We not only learned but also listened to stories about the past and discussed them using Japanese and English. The Nepalese girl came to give me a high-five at the end of the class, which made me very happy. It was a meaningful time for me to interact with the other learners. It was good to know that this kind of activity was around us. I would like to participate again if I have the chance（Yano ayane, Tochigi Girls’ Senior High School, member of JRC）.