Nihongo no kyoushi naritai hodo suki yo!

Well, that wasn't much fun--my Japanese Education teacher test. It was about what I expected, though. I guess I'm just under-educated in certain areas that, unfortunately, are important on the test but might not be pertinent knowledge to a classroom teacher. Perhaps. At least, that's how I feel. But maybe I'm just bitter. ^^;

So, more specifically what I'm talking about is, for example, the question that asked me to point out and describe with specifics three differences between the English and Japanese sound systems. ...sigh... So, well, I've never officially studied anything quite like that, so I just had to kinda figure it out/make stuff up. And I'm sure this is all stuff I know, like, subconsciously, right? But not having the words to say this stuff is really frustrating. At least, thank God, I could write answers in English. That, hopefully, helps me sound like I know what I'm talking about.

And then, some of the multiple choice questions really got me. Like one asking, what would be the best benefit for a new Japanese teacher joining a national organization of Japanese teachers?
A) Being able to get inexpensive-good quality teaching materials'
B) Learning about professional development opportunities in the area
C) Being connected to a group of professionals who could act as a mentors
D) Being able to stay up-to-date with current research in secondary language acquisition theories, etc.... BLAH!
Aren't they ALL great reasons?? What the heck? And, personally, wouldn't, like, individual people get different stuff out of it? RARGH. I'm not the only one who thinks a question like that is rotten, right? There were a few others a bit like it.

Well, whatever. :P It was tiring and frustrating but it's over. And if I have to take it again, at least I have a better idea of what I'm up against. u_u

PS: Oh, the title today is part of a tanka poem I wrote for Japanese class. (A tanka is like a haiku... actually, it starts with a haiku, then has two extra 7-syllable lines.) It means:
I like it so much I want to be a Japanese teacher
(..."it" meaning, Japanese itself.... but you knew that... right?)
So the real thing went:

日本語の　Nihongo no
教師なりたいほど好きよ　Kyoushi naritai hodo suki yo
どうぞよろしく　Douzo yoroshiku
おねがいします　Onegai shimasu

(When sensei corrected it for me, she put the second and third lines together, as one. I guess I figured she did it for a reason, so that's why it's only 4 lines, instead of 5 like you may have been expecting.)

Spring reflections

Happy April to you. I sure hope this means Michigan is done with snow. The seasons have gotten so weird these last few years it seems, doesn't it? I think Al Gore is right: our planet is in big trouble. ):

Well, on a lighter note, I got to spend Saturday afternoon babbling on about my time at the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, or JCMU as we lovingly call it. I spent the summer of 2002 there, studying Japanese intensively (I earned 10 credits in 9 weeks!) and exploring Japan for the first time. This past Saturday, future students embarking on the JCMU adventure came to MSU for a pre-orientation of sorts. I've recently been in contact with Kate Simon, the program coordinator at MSU, and helped her out at the session, along with three other JCMU alum.

It was a lot of fun, and reminded me a bit of the other orientation I attended not long ago. It's so fun to see the students so excited and nervous about this new chapter in their lives. I got kind of jealous again! ^_^ I remembered my excitement, my nervousness, my fear, my joy. I remembered my new teachers and my new friends, and all of the places I went and things I did. I have been to Japan twice since I left for JCMU... but the feeling isn't the same, in a way. Now it's like I'm "going back"--instead of "going there." Maybe this doesn't make sense...? But then, to those of you who have studied abroad... it probably does. ^^;

I reflected, too, a bit on where my experience at JCMU may have taken me. I feel like it's had a great influence on my life, and my attitude towards Japanese and Japan. I wondered a bit, what my life would be like if I hadn't gone... And I wonder now where JCMU will lead its new students.