The Language Teacher
July 2002

Summertime Things Japanese

James W. Porcaro

Toyama University of International Studies

<porcaro@tuins.ac.jp>


QUICK GUIDE

Key Words:Things Japanese, speaking, writing
Learner English Level: Beginner to advanced
Learner Maturity Level: Junior high school to adult
Preparation Time: Varies, depending on preparation of handout
Activity Time: Varies, one or more lesson periods
Materials: Copy of handout described in this text, realia (optional)


Since the appearance of Basil Hall Chamberlain's Things Japanese in 1890, countless books have been published explaining to foreigners things Japanese - customs, manners, artifacts, food, special events, everyday items, concepts, and words. The Japanese seldom need to speak of these elements of their life and culture among themselves, let alone do so in English. Yet, as they are increasingly engaged in various international arenas, they encounter more and more inquiries from non-Japanese about aspects of Japan. English is usually the language of communication in these instances and it often seems Japanese people find it difficult to answer some of these questions.

English teachers can profitably respond to these circumstances by incorporating lessons dealing with things Japanese into their courses of instruction. Such content-based lessons also stand by themselves as part of an important instructional approach to English as an instrumental language that draws upon students' familiar base of social and cultural knowledge and experience.

Summertime things Japanese

The seasons have always been considered very important in Japanese life. Within each season there is a plethora of particular things Japanese from which to draw for content-based English language lessons. Summertime, for example, yields the 20 items in the following list, which I include as part of an attractive handout paper for students that contains a picture for nearly every item. (The brief English description is added for this article only.)

Lesson ideas

Especially for younger learners, realia are important, hands-on learning material. For summertime, uchiwa, fuurin, shochuu-mimai and katori-senkou are readily available items that can easily be brought to class for students. Simple descriptions and answers to questions on their uses can be more easily elicited from students with the objects before them. Pictures of all the items listed above can be gathered from the many books about things Japanese, and also from magazines.

In my university classes, I give students the handout described above. Working in pairs or groups of three, they are directed to explain, describe, give basic information about, and tell of personal experience with the items as if they are speaking to non-Japanese who know nothing about these items. While some reference to dictionaries certainly is allowed, I encourage students to use the simple English that they already know. Of course, before the groups begin to engage in the speaking task, I give a few model presentations, with items not on the given list, of the content and manner of expression I expect them to produce. During the activity I move from group to group monitoring, facilitating, modeling further, if necessary, and providing feedback and encouragement for their work.

Some of the summertime items listed above are well suited for practice with how to do language. For example, students can try to explain in detail how to visit the family grave (ohakamairi), i.e., what to do when there; how to play suika-wari at the beach; or what one can do at a bon festival.

Summer in Japan is also the time to tell the wonderful eerie and ghostly tales of old Japan that chill our spines and relieve for the moment the tormenting heat of the day or night. Student recitation of some of these stories is enjoyable and effective speaking practice. I like to use the ending of the story, well-known to almost all students, Mimi-nashi Hoichi and the very short story Mujina, available in simplified English in Stories from Lafcadio Hearn published by Oxford.

Finally, there are a number of follow-up writing tasks that can be assigned at the sentence, paragraph, or short essay level, for explaining, describing, and discussing things Japanese. This could also be done in the form of letters to imagined friends in other countries. In addition, especially for a class of younger students, they could write their tanabata wishes on tanzaku (colorful strips of paper) and tie the strips to hang on sasa (bamboo branches) as is the custom. They can also give shochuu-mimai to each other with short, simple messages they have written in English.

Lessons with things Japanese can be both enjoyable and productive while also providing an opportunity for genuine two-way teaching and learning, a special sharing between the (non-Japanese) teacher and students. Students may provide the teacher with a wider and deeper understanding of some of the items, while the teacher helps the students to improve their use of English to communicate that knowledge and familiarity. There is mutual appreciation of the joint effort and the achievement of the task.

References

Hearn, L. (1983). Stories from Lafcadio Hearn. Tokyo: Oxford University Press.


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