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  9     April 29, 2008 - 7:56pm | ski_to_die

From the perspective of a student...

As a student of the Japanese Immersion program for the past 11 years I like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who is involved in its operation whenever I have the chance. This program has given me so many things. Now, and increasingly every year as I get older I realize more and more just how lucky I am to have had this experience in my life.
If you aren’t informed on the positive outcomes of learning a foreign language, and you just aren’t yet convinced of the benefits, or if you are a skeptical parent or student choosing your elective classes in high school, college, or even middle school I’d like to have the privilege to share with you just one of my most recent experiences.
I’d like to begin my story with this short disclaimer. I used to hear people, on occasion at the store, speaking in Japanese. Often times I would listen and try to understand everything I could. Despite my ability to hear and understand I was too shy to actually approach these strangers and strike up a conversation with them. But then one day along a ski trail at Glen Alps, seeing some lost tourists, I did. I just said hello and helped them find their way but that simple act led me to so much more. It was the first door of opportunity in Japanese that I really opened for myself, without my teachers or peers being around. The point of this statement is so that you, as the reader, understand that I am by no means a super-student, while I am not a recluse I am not outstandingly outgoing, and I definitely don’t yet speak perfect Japanese, but with what I learned and have taken from the immersion program, I am able to practice and function, to some degree around REAL Japanese people! It doesn’t take magic, like people might think it does, it just takes the courage to walk up to someone and say, “konichiwa”.
I spent some time on an athletic-related trip in Canada recently and there I saw the a member of the Japanese national team and their wax tech(for skis). Because I said hello and told them about myself; how I had come from Alaska and from the Japanese immersion program I was invited back to visit them in their preparation building the next day. I did go to see them, and with me I brought two gifts, small pins with the Alaskan flag on them that I had taken with me on the trip thinking they would be nice to give to some random Canadian kids I saw roaming around. I was excited to see them again and I was happy that I was barring those gifts, it made me feel very polite (gift-giving is big within the Japanese culture). Unfortunately they were not at the venue at the same time I was. In Japanese class you learn not to give up, so I didn’t. I was leaving that evening so I knew that I would not see them, instead on their team’s wax bench I left a note, in my best Japanese. It was simple because I didn’t have much time to write it out, for the most part what it said was, “It was very nice to meet both of you. I am happy to have had this expeience, it was one of the best parts of my trip. These two pins are for each of you, they are the Alaskan flag. Good luck in your race tomorrow I wish you all the best!” On the bottom I signed my name and wrote my email address. I was sad that I did not see them again, as I was really hoping to have another chance to talk with these awesome people.
The next day, when I finally returned home to Anchorage and had finished unpacking my bags, I checked my email. The wax tech had emailed me back. I was so glad just to hear from them and that they had receive the pins. Not only that was stated in the email either, it got even better! The woman who emailed me offered to pay for half of a round trip ticket (so one-way) to Japan for me to come and stay with her. She happens to teach English to young Japanese children when she is not working with the national team and said she would be happy to have me whenever I could come and join them for awhile. I was ecstatic! This has been by far one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me internationally.
I would encourage everyone to take up a foreign language, the sooner the better. Experiences like these could change your life in major ways. One of my favorite things about talking to Japanese people (I do it all the time now) is that when you first start speaking to them, they are so surprised and excited, that it fills you with energy too! They are always very happy to talk to someone who can understand them, so beyond being educational and fun, it’s very helpful to them. Whenever I talk to a Japanese person now, I am so excited and it just makes my day! It is so different to speak Japanese outside of the classroom, and when you go back to school it makes you realize why it is so important to pay attention specifically in that class.
I hope this story might leave some of you convinced, the world is a much better place when you can better understand what exactly is going on.
So to anyone and everyone who is reading this right now, which has in any way enhanced my learning experience thank you ever so much.
To my Japanese teachers:
Mrs. Kakaziki-who taught me the meaning of “no” in Japanese, and who sat with us in the pit in Kintergarden throwing colored bean bags around to each other and saying the color.
Mrs.Mahugh- The first teacher I ever had who really invested time into me outside of class.
Mrs. Kono- The first teacher I had who practically never spoke English in class, you were impossible and we hated you for it, especially when we needed to pee and couldn’t remember the words, but you did so much for our brains, looking back you were probably one of the all time best.
Mrs. Post-Who taught me most of all, to love pigs, if you follow someone around they will start calling you goldfish poop and how to do math, in Japanese. You’ll be happy to know, I can’t do my multiplication in English…3 kakaeru 3 will always be 9.
Mrs.Mikel-Who taught us science in Japanese, and always gave us second chances on our math tests. Also for getting class pets that were master escape artists.
Mrs. Hazumoto-For teaching us kids that teachers are people too. And that mastering kanji is going to be really tough.
Mrs. Imai- For pushing us to use sentence building structures every morning when we threw around the stuffed animal, sentence chooser for the day.
Mrs. Jenkins- Who pushed us way farther than our potential in every way. I probably learned more in two years of your class…well most of all I guess I learned to be meticulous and to avoid the word “deduction”.
Mrs. Gellert-Who’s smiling face and great energy makes it a joy to come to class and learn new things in a fun way every day!
Thanks to all the parents, administrators, volunteers, and classmates. This has truly been a great ride.

-Greta Anderson

  8     April 29, 2008 - 1:07pm | Jenniferholden

....?....

What a great program. Now when I go to walmart and need help finding something my daughter can translate for me.

  7     April 29, 2008 - 11:45am | aknqtpie

Immersion Students Lucky Now!

I was in one of the guinea pig classes of the Japanese Immersion Program. I am glad that I went through the program (as I gained alot from it), but the students that are goign through it now are lucky. Especially to have teachers from Japan come over and teach.

I hope the community and ASD continues to support the immersion programs. I agree that more students should be getting the opportunity to be in this classroom setting.

  6     April 29, 2008 - 11:01am | dougbrown47

No Chinese?

It would seem like Chinese should be taught in the schools today since China will be "the" central player on the world political and economic stage for at least the rest of this century!

  5     April 29, 2008 - 8:32am | ducbglk

Japanese Immersion Program

I have visited the Japanese immersion program at Sand Lake many times through the years. It is fascinating to observe the students learning their math in Japanese. Math is truely the universal language. Being bi-lingual will allow these youngsters many opportunities they would not have otherwise.

  4     April 29, 2008 - 8:05am | euro_smash

It should not be so selective

It should be the norm. Why aren't all of our elementary schools teaching more than one language? Elementary age is the prime time for humans to learn other languages, and it becomes more and more difficult as we age.

  3     April 29, 2008 - 4:34am | Bev1725

What do you call ...

someone who speaks two languages?

Bilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks three languages?

Trilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks one language?

American!

LOL

Didn't mean to intentionally offend anyone but really, even picking up a few basic phrases and common nouns in a different language really does open up a whole new mindset in your brain.

It's great knowing that classes are easily available in school now. When I was in elementary - it was unheard of - period!

I'm not fluent at all but I can ask for basic things in ASL, Italian, & Deutsche. My skills are sad and my accent terrible but the Germans really seem to get a kick out of me trying! Besides, I know the best words of all - SHOPPING terms! lol

  2     April 29, 2008 - 4:15am | BengalTiger

I respect other languages.

But here in the US we speak English and that's what I'll continue to speak respectfully.

But if I ever go to another country then I realize that I'll need to learn their langauge.

  1     April 29, 2008 - 12:21am | bumsonfire

Inupiaq immersion schools

Inupiaq is taught to kids as young as 4 in immersion schools in Kotzebue and Barrow. The schools are funded by the local tribal governments.