International Video Conferencing with a Middle School in Osaka, Japan

These Japanese students wowed us with the dedication to their English presentations about tourist spots, food, sports, and so on in Osaka.

Thanks to Yuuki, a Japanese AE E-Teacher alumnus I met in San Diego last summer, my students and I had an unforgettable Skype session with our counterparts in Osaka. There is no doubt they spent lots of time working hard on the topics. Props like hand-drawn pictures, posters, photos, and English descriptions, helped a lot with our understanding of their oral reports. 

Yuuki's students were well-prepared for the content. A variety of topics, such as Universal Studios Japan, Sumo, Takoyaki, Arashi, and others, were covered. Their introductions were structured and organized, and obviously, they spent quite some time rehearsing. My students and I were especially impressed by their hand-drawn pictures about what they shared. 

The vibe throughout the whole session was relaxing and even playful. Students from both schools were timid and stoic at first, but soon they became lively and playful when a group of Japanese students began to sing and demonstrate Sumo moves. My students then responded with a spoof of Coffin Dance, which they did for fun during recess recently. 

We did not have time to properly prepare for this session because the final exam was coming. I called on some of my students who were more willing to speak to do a simple self-introduction. They talked more clearly but too fast because they were nervous. It was an exciting experience for them to feel what it's like to communicate in the language. 

My quick closing speech went like this: The main idea of Skype sessions is for our students to feel the need and fun of using the language to appreciate our differences and promote the beauty of our culture. It's not our first language, and we will make mistakes and carry an accent as well. However, why bother learning a foreign language if we don't get to use it outside of the classroom? 

P.S. 

We started the session with my apology to everybody because I remembered the time frame wrong. I wasted my counterpart's at least a full hour waiting. Not only that, my gift students' preparation for talking about Taiwanese celebrities also went in vain. I panicked and thought of nothing but "shit" and "stupid" to myself when realizing what a big mistake I made. I was only relieved when the session ran well, and my counterpart reassured me that it was okay.