Thursday, March 8, 2018

Eighth Call, Japan


Hi guys! As we connect with our speaker from Japan, (a teacher speaking from Inage, an international high school), we join her conversation with Flower Mound High School's 24 hours tour, and discuss some key similarities and differences between schools in America and Japan. One boy asks, "Do you offer advanced courses?" She responds by explaining that Japan doesn't have advanced courses, because all the students are placed in particular high schools based on test results; so all the students are placed with similar level students, making education more tuned to their particular needs. When discussing some of the pros and cons of this style of organization, our speaker reveals that while the integrated system allows students of varying skill levels to collaborate and work together, having a similar level among all the students of a high school make teaching each student easier and more effective. As the conversation progresses, the topic of testing comes up.  While we have 2 major exams per semester, Japanese schools have 4 exams. The scheduling is also different, and students from Flower Mound 9 explain the two semester-four course schedules of Texas high schools. We both have certain classes that students are required to take in order to graduate, and we are surprised to see how similar our curriculums seem to be. For example, we both are required to take a foreign language other than English, and courses such as Chinese, French, and German are offered to students in both countries. When a boy from FM9 tells the teacher that many students already speak second or third languages, she seems delighted. The students explain that one main reason for this is the fact that many students already speak languages other than English at home, and one girl reflects on how culturally diverse our schools are here in Texas. The teacher is curious about school lunches, and discusses that students in Japan bring food from home. Then a student from FM9 inquires about uniforms in Japanese schools, since we don't have uniforms ourselves. The teacher shows us a yearbook displaying the students' uniforms, and the FM9 students consider PE uniforms as well. From there, we tell her about school mascots (Marauder Pride!) and the meanings they hold for each school. When a girl asks about the Japanese school's name, "Inage", the teacher explains that it is the name of a significant place in the history of the school, and she shows us a map of where the place is located. She asks us about class size and is very surprised to find that our high schools have over 3,000 students total! While Japanese schools organize students into classes of 40 students, sometimes the students are split up, in classes such as English. Here, our speaker informs us that she herself is an English teacher, and the students talk about English classes in Texas (and particularly out humanities experience). Soon after, it is time to go, and we say our goodbyes as we enjoy our delectable Chik-Fil-A nuggets! It's time to prepare for our call with India!