先週の金曜日、関西外国語大学から来ていたインターン2名のインターンシップ期間が終了いたしました。 1・2年生の全クラスと、3年生の一部クラスにも少しずつ顔を出しました。さらに3年生のクラスにも所属し、文化祭の準備なども手伝ってくれました。 こちらは彼らから畷高生への最後のメッセージです。
少し難しいかもしれませんが、まずはAIに頼らず、自力で英語の読解に挑戦してみてください！
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Our Internship at Shijonawate High School -- A Final Reflection
① Sharbel
Hi! After finishing my exchange semester at Kansai Gaidai University, I simply wasn't ready to leave Japan. So I applied for an internship and got placed at Shijonawate High School, and what followed were three of the best weeks I have had in Japan.
From the very first day, I felt completely at home. I spent my time visiting different classes, helping out wherever I could, and just spending time with the students. In music class I got to play guitar and sing "Over the Rainbow" together with everyone, and in cooking class we made dumplings and tea from scratch before cleaning up together. Small moments like these are the ones that really stick with you.
Midway through my internship, my co-intern Nemo and I got the chance to plan and teach our own lesson. We decided to introduce the students to Norwegian folktales and had them act out one of the most famous ones, Ashlad and the Hungry Troll. Afterwards they made their own characters and sketched out short storyboards. It didn't go exactly as planned, but honestly it couldn't have gone much better either. Seeing the students get into it and have fun made all the preparation worth it. I also got to try Shodo,Japanese calligraphy, for the first time and even made my own design on a traditionalfan. My result was nothing to brag about, but I had so much fun trying something completely new.
The last big event of my internship was the school's 文化祭, the culture festival. We don't have anything like this back in Norway, so the whole experience was something really special to me. In the days leading up to it I helped my homeroom class 3-2 with props,gave feedback during rehearsals, and just tried to be there for them as much as I could.
On the day itself I ran around trying to catch as many performances as possible, and some of my favorites were Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, the tea ceremony and the aikido club's demonstration. Watching all the students perform after seeing how hard they had worked for it was genuinely moving.
To everyone at Shijonawate High School and Kansai Gaidai University, thank you from the bottom of my heart. The students were kind, welcoming, and made me feel like I truly belonged. The teachers went above and beyond to make sure I had a great experience. These three weeks have given me memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Kind regards,
Sharbel
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② Nemo
This experience at Shijonawate has taught me so much about the Japanese school system, and how different it is compared to my own upbringing in America. The commute, structure, and classes are a little similar, but it's the environment that is incredibly different. The students are far more energetic, far more willing to learn and engage than I was in high school. Getting to know them through the small interactions in the hallways and classroom was an amazing experience and made me more certain in my decision to become a teacher in the future.
The most unique experience that I had was by far the culture festival last weekend. The day before the festival started, I had the chance to walk around and talk to each class about their projects, whether it be a play or a unique series of games. Getting to see them put everything together, working efficiently and quickly as a unit while still having fun was inspiring to see. I helped out my homeroom class as well by transporting their materials and props to the proper storage spaces and cleaning their room when they needed me to.
Once the festival actually started the next day, I tried to watch as many plays as I could. I found it to be a good way to practice listening to Japanese in order to enhance my understanding of the language's intricacies. I found it interesting that the 2nd year students made plays that were far more absurdist and physical with their comedy, rather than relying purely on dialogue. Because of that, I thought those plays were far easier to understand, and there are some great comedic actors among the students!
This isn't to take away credit from the 3rd year students, of course! I found those plays to be wonderful in their atmosphere, musical numbers, and acting. I watched quite a few of them, and my homeroom class did an incredible job. Even though they only won the gold medal for their poster board (which was fantastic), I still believe that they should be proud of what they created.
Aside from the plays, I loved the various games and activities that were happening for those two days. The "Las Vegas" room was my personal favorite. The "horse racing" game was very unique and quite fun! I also bought a book of short stories written by students. As an aspiring writer myself, I felt it was a no-brainer to support those who share my passion.
The opening and closing ceremonies were also a lot of fun! I enjoyed watching all the various dances and introductions, and the final awards ceremony was something I wasn't expecting. Overall, this was a unique experience that I will remember for years. I love that schools are encouraging young people to work hard to create something, and while some won't win awards, it is still a fantastic effort that they should be proud of. Though I had my own inspiration and opportunities as a teenager, I never got to do anything on this scale. It's inspiring to see!
Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of it!
Nemo
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GL部 ジョージ