“What do you think?”

            A theme that emerged me was the cultural differences between Japanese and American teaching styles, and how I learned to deal with these differences since I came here. Also I would like to cover a few basic descriptions and comparisons of Japanese culture especially focusing on the difference between Japanese and American teaching style.

            On September 18^th, 2007 I moved to Portland and started school. As I studied my major, my hunger for the language continued to grow. I started to research the Linguistics program as a possible route to deepen her knowledge of English, and settled on the TESL program. I am now a full-time student in the program and supposed to graduate this summer.

            Here is a little information that I searched for this column. Japan as a nation went through a major change in the twentieth century with the dissolution of the empire in 1945. The subsequent redistribution of wealth and power, as well as American expenditure during the Korean War, opened the doors for the Japanese to grow their economy by industrializing their cities and promoting trade. Surviving the energy crises of the 1970’s, Japan became one of the three greatest financial centers of the world in the 1980’s, and despite an economic downturn in the 1990’s, remains the second largest economy in the world today. With this economic growth has come some of the same issues we see in the U.S. today. Japan now faces pressure as one of the largest oil importers of the last half-century. The country also saw a similar “baby boom” in the 1960’s, and now must find a way to deal with the growing older population (O’Brien, 2002).

            One of the biggest culture shocks for me was experienced here in the U.S. which was the huge difference in teaching styles. In Japan, teachers are given more formal recognition of respect and power, and there is no personal familiarity with their students. Students are not allowed to ask questions during class, but are to come to the professor afterward for any clarification. The information given in lecture is expected to be memorized and reiterated by the students exactly as it was given to them, without opinion or comment. This style leaves no room for personal interpretation or opinion, but is very efficient at communicating information in an exact way. Coming from this perspective, my first class at PSU was quite a shock, as my teacher constantly solicited student participation and input. Occasionally it seemed as if an entire class period consisted of nothing but individual questions from students. What would normally be considered rude and disruptive in Japan turns out to be the status quo in America. But I kept my chin up and learned how to utilize this new student-teacher relationship. I thought that my teachers helped me “cross a bridge” into a world of self-teaching, where I was able to tackle the information, form my own opinions, and round out my ideas as I discussed them with my instructors. In a feat of assimilation, I have learned how to take advantage of the American teaching style and to recognize the opportunities it provides to work with other students. The shock, though, is still heard in my voice when I recall the question they posed to me in my first class discussion: “What do you think?” Giving my opinion in an academic setting, I wanted to claim, was something completely foreign to me! For native American this seemed difficult to understand, but actually I never have written paper before. You understand? I wasvery strange to me that a “fill-in-the-blank” style of teaching was the only one I had experienced before the age of twenty-five. I have adapted very well to my new setting, and list as an advantage the collaboration of students and teachers.

            Then, I realized how wonderful thing it is. To make one class together with the teacher and student enhances students’ motivation to study or learn more. It is very important things for me to be 'an international competence'            through my classes. I hope to learn more about not only the U.S. teaching style, but also about the roles students and teachers play. My sense of adventure and excitement about life are uplifting and contagious, and I can't wait to be involved in American culture as my life journey.