By Kyleigh Melville

“Are you insane?!” 

This was the most common reaction I received from friends and family when I told them that for 3 weekends this summer, I would be staying up from 1:30 – 10:30 AM BST to teach Japanese high school students from my little attic room in London. 

And I am not going to lie, a couple days before our training weekend, I asked myself:

“Are you going to be up for this?” 

I have been working and volunteering in education roles since I was a teenager, but GEW 2021 was my first time teaching ESL. I was worried given the virtual nature of the camp, and my inexperience in this particular kind of teaching, that I wouldn’t be able to give my students an enjoyable and meaningful experience. 

But all of my doubts vanished as soon as I met my first group of students. Seeing their shy, kind faces and listening to their timid self-introductions reminded me of all those years back in my hometown of Toronto, where I spent every Saturday trying to learn Mandarin and would panic every time my grandparents asked me to order dim sum for the family in my broken speech. 

Seeing my students trying their best to speak through their own nerves … how could I not but bring it my all in return? Over the course of the program, these are some of the things that made remote teaching more enjoyable! 

1. Have a small whiteboard!

I wanted to show my students that I was present and actively listening. I think one of the worst feelings is when you are speaking about something important and your audience just fazes out. By having a whiteboard and markers on hand, I was able to take personal notes, draw or write out ideas for the students to consider, and play Pictionary and word games for icebreakers! Students (and coaches!) also appreciated whenever I drew encouraging notes to share after Life Mission speeches and at Closing Ceremonies. 

2. Break it down! 

As a psychology major, I know an effective method in helping students learn is to break down their learning task into smaller, more manageable chunks. Teaching virtually may not allow us to be in the same room together, but with virtual interfaces like Canva, you can break down learning material in an engaging and visually attractive manner. 

3. Get moving! 

Movement breaks are so important to help students (and coaches!) stay focused but also relaxed. Sitting in a chair and being on Zoom for eight hours isn’t the healthiest position to put our bodies in but with plenty of breaks, and the occasional Sid Shuffle, we can keep everyone engaged and energised for learning! (No flatmates were woken up by my dancing thankfully!) 

4. Be yourself! 

When my Homeroom leader suggested each of the coaches lead a hobby breakout room, I immediately signed myself up to lead an Anime and Manga room. And was it worth staying up an extra 2 hours to create a quiz? Absolutely. The students loved it and several wanted to show me their own manga collections, figurines and give recommendations on what I should read next! I also showed my students the view from my bedroom window, my bookshelf and my giant Totoro plushie. GEW is all about fostering global connections and meeting people you may not normally meet, and the students greatly appreciated whenever I shared pieces of my life with them. And I felt just as excited and happy whenever they shared pieces of their life with me! 

5. Smile! 

This may sound simple, but I when it’s 4 AM and you’re on your 3rd cup of tea and your discussing Sustainable Development Goals, it can be rough to keep the energy up. But in the messages my students left behind, there was one thing all of them kept saying: “Thank you for smiling the whole time, even when I was feeling nervous.” Teaching virtually can feel very detached, and this curriculum challenges students to speak about personal things in a language they don’t normally speak in. As their teacher, I wanted to make sure they could all see how happy I was to be there for this small, but significant, milestone in their journeys to becoming the people they want to be. And whenever they smiled back, I knew they were happy too. 

GEW 2021 was only 78 hours but in that time, I had the privilege to teach 18 wonderful students, each with their own unique mission to make the world a better place. I was able to be a part of Homeroom 6, a group of coaches and two leaders who made teaching through the night something I looked forward to! And I can’t thank TOSHIN staff enough for all of their support whenever one of my students would be lost in the technological void of Zoom breakout rooms. 

Now that it’s over, I think the most remarkable thing about GEW 2021 was that even though it was completely virtual, not for one moment did I feel alone. And in the midst of a pandemic, where being alone was a common painful reality for so many, I cannot express how special and comforting this experience was for me. 

I know now, more than ever, that teaching and working with students is my strongest passion and I can’t wait to teach on this program in-person or virtually next year!

By Justin Seymour, 2017-2019 Intern, @justy.ldn

1. Kabukicho Cyberpunk

So this first pic is my absolute favourite picture from all my travels in Japan. I love cyberpunk-style art, and downtown Tokyo is the perfect location to shoot like this. This is an iconic Tokyo location, and it’s at the centre of GEC in Tokyo - every intern has their own memories here.

Kabukichō, Tokyo

2. Shinjuku Motion Pan

I must have looked weird motion panning on a street corner trying to get this picture, but the trains are such an iconic part of intern life in Tokyo - it was definitely worth it!

Shinjuku, Tokyo

3. Senso-ji Night

Orientation is always held in Asakusa, with the Sensō-jī temple (one of the most visited religious sites in the world) really close by. One of the benefits of being there is being able to walk around after all the tourists have gone home, which allowed me to get this photo free from distractions.

Asakusa, Tokyo

4. Fukui Rocks

GEC is far more than just Tokyo, and in 3 summers I have been lucky enough to teach in Yokohama, Niigata, Okinawa and Fukui, as well as Tokyo. After the week of teaching was over in Fukui, we visited the Tōjinbō cliffs, with these amazing views. Japan rocks.

Tōjinbō, Fukui

5. Mt. Insana Fireworks

Outside of the program, I have been able to travel around Japan a lot, to places like Hokkaido, Miyagi, Kansai and Yamanashi, and I’d encourage any intern to do the same where possible. On my first day in Nagasaki, I took a ropeway to Mt Inasa at night, and by chance came across an amazing fireworks display in the bay below - a great end to my first day of solo travel in Kyushu.

Mt. Inasa, Nagasaki

Follow Justin on instagram (@justy.ldn) for more great pictures from his time at Global English Camp in Japan (and more!).

Do you have any favorite photos from your time in Japan? Don’t forget to tag @comeonoutjapan if you post any memories!

I spent half of Global English Camp working in Tokyo, a bustling metropolis; the other half was spent in Tochigi, a quiet, rural prefecture. This is a comparison of those two experiences.

The day I received my acceptance to work as an intern for Global English Camp was very exciting. I had put a lot of time and effort into perfecting my application so I was pretty attached to the idea of working in Japan for the summer. I eagerly accepted the position and excitedly told my friends and family that I would be spending my summer in Asia. “Awesome! Where in Japan will you be staying?” they asked me, to which I responded with a shrug and, “Not sure yet, but hopefully in Tokyo.” (We did not receive our weekly placements for the camp until much later.)

Hopefully in Tokyo, she said.

Tokyo was really the only Japanese city I knew of at that point in time. I had heard of Osaka in passing (i.e., I watched the Street Food: Osaka episode on Netflix), but that was about it. From the pictures I had seen and what I had heard, Tokyo was the place to be. It has bright lights, 10-story malls on every corner, all the izakayas and Gong Cha’s you could ever dream of—I wanted to explore every corner of it.

Thus, I was delighted when I found out that I would be spending half of Global English Camp in Shinjuku, right at the heart of all the action. I was less delighted when I learned that I would be traveling to Tochigi for Week 4.

Tochigi?

I had never heard of such a place in my life. I asked my students in Shinjuku what they knew about it, but most of them had either never been to Tochigi or knew little about it. Even when my three fellow interns and I Google searched it, nothing much came up besides Tochigi’s signature gyoza (more on this later); we worried if we would enjoy our time there or quickly fall into boredom with nothing to do after classes.

One year later, I regret ever having those worries. Believe it or not, you do not need to be in a huge, flashy city in order to have fun and create lasting memories. The week I spent in Tochigi was filled with tons of laughter, fun, exploration, and even tears; some of my fondest memories from Global English Camp come from the time I spent there. 

I would not say, however, that I preferred one setting—rural Tochigi vs. urban Tokyo—over the other. My experiences in one of the busiest cities in the world were very different from my experiences in quiet, humble Tochigi, but I enjoyed working in both locations. The experiences were unique to the location; they were different, not bad.

Upon further reflection, I recognize that the major differences between working in urban Japan vs. rural Japan can be sorted into two major categories. I hope to use my experiences to help those considering working in or visiting Japan in the future:

1. Work

Tokyo: We have all seen the pictures of the crammed Japanese train cars—I experienced that firsthand while I was working in Tokyo. Mornings were always super busy, and our commute to work was long. In the classroom, every mentor usually had 5-6 students. Multiply that by a dozen or so mentors and what do you get? A lot of students! The Tokyo venue for Global English Camp, however, was big enough so that everyone could fit comfortably.

Because the Tokyo camp had so many mentors and students, it was hard to get to know everyone. I became familiar with the mentors as time went on, but I never really got to know the other students. 

Tochigi: Four mentors, fifteen students. As you might imagine, we all became very close. In Tokyo, I could look across the classroom and recognize only a handful of other students. In Tochigi, I had the opportunity to talk to everyone at least once. At the end of the week, I even received gifts from other mentors’ students!

The other interns and I formed close bonds with the staff as well. One of my favorite memories from working in Tochigi was getting dinner with the Toshin staff. We bonded over ramen and Tochigi’s famous gyoza, sharing stories from our lives in America and Canada and listening to their experiences living in Japan.

Working in such a small venue also forced us four mentors to assume bigger leadership roles. Not only that, but we had to practically double our energy and enthusiasm for the students since there were no other leaders to share that responsibility with us. It was difficult at first, but, with appropriate preparation [and sleep] beforehand, we were able to successfully, enthusiastically guide our students through reading and writing activities, group projects, and individual presentations.

2. Social life

Tokyo: It is hard to be bored in Tokyo because there is so much to see and do. You do not have to look far before you come across a new animal cafe, arcade, or museum you have not visited yet. My friends and I made a point to visit different parts of Tokyo every day after classes and on the weekends. Because of this, every day was filled with new experiences; we went home after hours of exploring exhausted but fulfilled.

Tochigi: You have to be a little more creative with your time in rural settings. Unlike Tokyo and other major cities, smaller Japanese prefectures do not have nearly as many cafes, restaurants, or other popular tourist attractions. I remember looking for places to eat with my fellow interns every night and sometimes having to walk several blocks before finding any new restaurants.

To be honest, this did not bother me, the lack of commotion and high energy. If anything, I found solace in the slower pace of life and did my best to make the most out of the small things. Whether that meant checking out an eerily quiet mall in the middle of nowhere and making a mad dash for the last bus home; going to every Lawson, 7/11, and Family Mart in the immediate vicinity until we found our favorite ice cream; or walking way too far to find the nearest shrine; I savored living in the moment and making the most of my time with genuine and kind people I now call my friends. 

3. Conclusion: Visit both!

I hope this article has given you some insight into what it is like working in different settings in Japan. Don’t get me wrong—I love Tokyo and will visit again when it is safe to do so! I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, but ended up having an equally enjoyable time in Tochigi.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to Japan, I encourage you to travel to some of the smaller cities and explore. There really is more to Japan than Tokyo; don’t miss out on what the Japanese countryside has to offer.

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Written by Larissa Nam, 2019 Global English Camp Intern / 2020 COOJ Marketing Intern