By Jasmine Parmley

Photo: Starr Sandoval

During training last week, my fellow interns and I were asked to draft a letter to our future selves. We were told to write about our hopes for the coming weeks, what we were excited about, what we wished to achieve through helping others learn English, and how we felt about meeting our new students. 

A time capsule in letter form. You know the drill.

We were to revisit these letters at the end of the program.

Perhaps we were supposed to write something heartfelt and emotional— something to help us reflect on our summer in Japan. 

Although I did not yet have a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve as an English Camp intern, I was certain that I could at least write a decent letter.

“Dear Jasmine,” I began. After staring blankly at the empty lines on my paper for far too long, I jotted down a quick sentence or two about needing to purchase sweat-proof makeup to survive the Tokyo heat and closed my notebook.

There is a saying that “less is more”, but unfortunately in this case, “less” was simply “less” and nothing more.

In my defense, I had just suffered through a long, humid, jet-lagged Tokyo morning, but this did not change the fact that I was not proud of my letter.

I had not given this incident any more thought until a couple days ago, when my students had the task of writing a letter to an expert about the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

During this activity, one of my students experienced a mild case of writer’s block. I advised him to include questions that he had about the United Nations and their goals.

When stuck, asking questions is usually a good place to start.

Remembering my own case of writer’s block that I had the week before, I took my own advice and tried again.

In lieu of my almost-letter that I wrote during training week, I filled the margins of my textbook with questions I had about my impact as an English Camp mentor. My words were addressed again to the same person that I had failed to write to before: myself. 

So far, my small collection of questions covers topics such as discussing gender equality with students, keeping motivation levels high, and being aware of the space I take up as a foreigner. I have yet to figure out how to approach these ideas, but they keep me thinking.

While these new questions to myself take a very different shape from the letter that I originally wrote, they still have the same purpose of helping me figure out how I can best contribute to this program.

I can’t wait to find my answer.

This month, we interviewed a few past interns about the English Camp program and their experiences in Japan.

What was your favorite teaching moment during the English Camp program?

Olivia: Playing card games with my students during lunch! I taught them Go Fish and Blackjack. One week we had an UNO deck, and they taught me various Japanese card games that I mysteriously never won, probably because the rules seemed to change against my favor every time I played. We also bonded through origami “competitions” during breaks to see who could fold the most perfect crane or jumping frog. Word of advice: bring your favorite card game or portable board game (chess, checkers, or GO, anyone?) to enjoy with your students during lunches and breaks. It was during these relaxed and “non-academic” times that I bonded with my students the most. 

Jendayi: My last group of students were by far the wildest bunch with such an amazing range of personalities. My favorite moment was at the end of my second week of teaching. One of my students became so overwhelmed with the program ending that he cried for an hour. He hugged me over and over and thanked me in English and Japanese and just could not stop crying. He was so earnest and sweet, so of course I cried, too. It was the moment I realized that what I was doing with these kids was something they'd all wanted but never had: someone to get to know them, to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and just care for them.

What is your favorite Japanese food?

Olivia: Tied between “Pablo” a cheese tart spot in Osaka (whose delicacies I craved so much that I made mock Pablo cheese tarts in my own kitchen in Chicago) with this restaurant in Osaka that serves mountains of karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and heaps on heaps of takoyaki. I honestly can’t remember the name of that place—whether it even has a name or if it’s some sort of divine intervention to earthly cuisine, I never will be sure—but drop me in Umeda and my internal compass and American stomach will guide my way to gluttonous paradise. Also, Ichiran has the best ramen in Japan; prove me wrong. I dare you.

Jendayi: The 100 yen bread in conbinis that is stuffed with sweet cream cheese is my guilty pleasure. It's just so perfectly fluffy and yummy!

Do you have any teaching advice for Global English Camp?

Jendayi: Patience. At the end of each teaching week, I always felt so close to my students, and I know I wouldn't have gotten to the level of personal comfort with them had I been less patient and understanding.

Julia: This camp is all about teaching confidence; a little kindness goes a long way, and will make the students remember you. Tell them they are awesome at English, teach them to compliment each other and themselves, and watch them grow.

What do you like most about Japan?

Julia: I love the omotenashi, or hospitality. I felt it when the owner of the school I taught at in Tokushima gifted me her family’s yukata. I felt it when I was lost trying to find my share house and I knocked on a random door and the woman who answered stayed outside with me in a thunderstorm until I found my share house. I felt it in my host family and with complete strangers. I also love the souvenir culture, where every small town has its own custom products. There were always too many tempting things to buy! Finally, okonomiyaki and endless yakiniku.

Why are you returning to English Camp? Why is this program meaningful to you?

Julia: I am returning because of how meaningful I felt last year; I was sometimes the first foreigner that my students had ever talked to. In the future, I want to work in public diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, and this gave me great experience in cultural adaptation, in representing America, and in learning about the benefits of educational exchange programs (which I would love to be involved with in the political sphere).

These statements are from the perspective of one past intern. Your experiences on this program will vary. Every student is an individual with their own life experiences and personalities; therefore, each will contribute to the program differently. These are generalizations I have come across that may help you prepare for or better navigate classrooms. We go over most of this in orientation, but this blog post aims to give you a taste of what you may experience.

The first day takes a lot of courage—not just from the students, but the interns, too.

Classrooms are much quieter on the first day than the fifth day. For the most part, these kids have never spoken to a foreigner before. They are excited for the opportunity but are also terrified—but necessarily terrified of you. These students might be more terrified about making mistakes in front of you, as any language-learner typically feels in front of a native speaker. You should consider that you are older than these students, too, so they may be shy for that reason as well.

The Japanese public school system focuses on reading and writing English, so they rarely speak English in the classroom. Speeches and presentations are also not commonly given in either Japanese nor English in school, yet the English Camp program focuses on developing these skills. Not only are some of these kids giving speeches and presentations in English for the first time, but they may also be giving a speech for the first time in general.

I don’t know about you, but the first time I gave a speech in my first language, I wasn’t sure if I would stay standing until the end. The memory is so engraved in my head that I can remember what the speech was on (the macaw), where it was (my 5th grade classroom), and why I had to present it (It was a current events assignment. The macaws were going extinct.).

I also have not forgotten how I felt after giving this speech. I was so happy. Because I did it.

When I watch my students beam with relief and pride after finishing their speeches, I am always reminded of this same day. These students were able to do something new and challenging (and in their eyes, impossible), all because of the English Camp program.

The second, third, and forth day take a lot of courage—especially from the interns.

On these days, you present your life mission to the students, why you are studying what you are studying, where you plan to end up someday, how you wish to contribute to the world, why these students should care about your life mission, and why these students should be inspired by you.

It’s a lot.

Try to keep in mind that your goal is to open the students' minds about studying abroad, globalization, and their own life missions. More importantly, keep in mind that you should be talking about these topics SLOWLY and CLEARLY. If your major is neuroscience, show them images of optical illusions; not eloquent descriptions of the brain. If your major is music, play them a bit of your music and talk about why it makes you happy; don't go into counterpoint theory and chord progression descriptions. Make your speech interactive. Ask them questions. Encourage them to ask you questions. Play games. Don't lecture them for twenty minutes about your campus courtyard.

The final day takes a lot of courage—not only from the students, but the interns, too.

Because you cry.

My favorite quote about the 5th day comes from Justin, a past UK English Camp intern, who said this:

“During the orientation, when an American started talking about the 5th day and how you cry a lot, I was like, ‘Oh, they’re being overdramatic because they’re American.’ But then I had to say goodbye to my kids the following week, and I felt tears well up in my eyes.”

Or something along those lines.

It’s true. You bond with these kids even though you only have them for five days. You’re talking with them about world issues, about their goals and dreams, and about yourself. You really get to know each other and impact each other's lives.

Confidence is key.

Yes, this is English Camp, but it’s also a confidence-building camp. At the end of the day, the goal isn’t for students to say, “Wow, I learned so much grammar today.” We want kids to say, “Wow, I learned how to say my opinion in English even though I was really nervous,” or, “I stood up in front of the class and sang Ariana Grande lyrics at the top of my lungs with three other students.”

The 80% / 20% rule.

You should be talking 20% of the time. The students should be talking 80% of the time.

The more the students talk, the better their English will naturally become. Whether you get them to talk during a serious UN discussion or during a casual lunchtime chat, both are important successes. We want them talking as much as possible. When else will they receive such a unique experience to talk one-on-one with a foreigner?

Don't talk fast.

Seriously, don't talk fast.

You're still talking too fast.

If you don't slow down, I am going to thwack a textbook at your head.

I would say that this is the #1 issue interns struggle with in the classroom. Even when interns think they are talking slow enough, they aren't. If you're weary about your speed, check in with your students and ask if you're talking too fast. Keep in mind that your students may say no even if you are because they don't want to be rude or admit to not understanding you. In this case, check in with a member of ECMA (returning interns) to see what they think. They're more than willing to sit at your table and give you feedback about the way you're teaching.

Work alongside other interns.

Yes, you have your own table for the week, but you are also surrounded by other tables filled with their own interns and students. My suggestion is to interact with those other interns and students. This can fuel the spark for more classroom games and eventful lunchtimes. Always make sure the environment welcoming and fun!