My girlfriend’s oldest daughter is in 9th grade. She’s been attending school in the US since 7th grade, when she first arrived and spoke no English. Now her English skills are quite good, and being a teenager, she’d also quite outspoken at home.
At dinner time, I often am laughing at the stories she comes home with, and her perspectives on American students, teachers, and school culture, and usually end up trying to give some rationale as to why things are done, or considered acceptable here. Unfortunately, a response like “Shouganai…” isn’t ever enough.
It has lead to many interesting discussions on how learning and student behavior differs from Japan, and a lot of laughter all around. Here’s a list of some of the questions I’ve gotten from her, you can tell how Japan differs, as in Japan, it isn’t done, or is done the opposite way from the US:
- Why do the students have to change classrooms, instead of the teachers?
- Why are girls hugging all the time?
- Why do boys burp all the time, and loudly?
- Why don’t the students pay attention? They don’t think of school to learn, just to meet their friends and text each other….
- The teachers don’t care if the students are talking or not paying attention, or eating or drinking or texting in class! Often the teacher is eating or drinking too!
- Why do people think I eat sushi every day? (she takes obento for lunch)
- Everyone wears too much perfume and cologne, it smells terrible everywhere!
- I hate it that people fidget (binbouyusuri) in their seats – and so many people do it!
- Not enough time to go to toilet!
- Cafeteria is to small.
At school she tends to be very quiet, but she is really quite opinionated. Although she has a couple of friends, she would prefer it if no one talked to her and everyone was more focused on studying. she doesn’t want to hear personal stories from the teachers, she just wants to sit and learn.
She is concurrently homeschooling all of the required Japanese schoolwork as well, so it’s like she’s attending two schools at the same time. I’ve never seen anyone study as much as her. Currently she wants to become a veterinarian after she graduates. She tends to like animals more than people. She really doesn’t like boys at all, and I already feel sorry for the first boy that approaches her to ask her to a dance, or whatever, because I’m sure she’ll eviscerate his fragile ego without mercy and leave it torn an bloody on the dirt. But I’m sure she’ll be a good Vet.
