春休みがはじまって、高等部1年生と2年生の8名がHorshamにあるCollyer’s Collegeへ1週間の短期留学に行ってきました。生徒たちがどんなことを体験し、どんなことを感じてきたのかを共有したいと思います。
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MONDAY 3/10
First, we were shown around the school. There were many buildings, which means lesson places were divided by subject, so I was likely to get lost. Moreover, Collyer’s College had a wide field.
I thought the environment was similar to Rikkyo. Collyer’s College’s library was large and suitable for study. If I have enough time and opportunity, I would like to go there.
Then I had lessons for international students. I learned English idioms. We tried to choose the meaning while watching pictures. One idiom that left an impression was “like a dog with two tails.” It means “happy.” The teacher taught us that dogs wag their tails when they are happy. The explanation was easy for me to understand.
In addition, there was a little bit of chatting, and I learned about languages of many countries.
My first lesson was biology. I learned about translocation of sugar (in plant cells), and I thought about the process of translocation. I thought I could understand a few things, but it was difficult because the lesson was all in English. I could only understand biology vocabulary.
After the lesson, I had lunch and communicated with a Collyer’s student. I asked about school, hobbies, and so on. It was a good opportunity to use my English.
For the last lesson, I had film studies. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the teacher was very kind, so I liked it. However, in the lesson, we did Kahoot, and it was so difficult that I couldn’t answer. The questions were all in English. Moreover, I thought I couldn’t answer even in Japanese. I thought it would be difficult if I didn’t know about foreign films.
My senior students in Rikkyo usually chose film studies, so I thought it was easy to understand, but it was harder than I imagined. I was given a text by the teacher, so I will read and try hard tomorrow.
TUESDAY 3/11
I had an English lesson. I thought this lesson would have chances to use my English, but it was an A-level literature lesson. Also, the students had a mock test, so I received a textbook from the teacher and only read it today. It was not as difficult as I imagined. It was about many people such as authors, journalists, and writers who spent their lives in Paris. I read about these famous people’s lives. It was exciting.
Then I had pro study, so I studied the film studies handout which the teacher gave me yesterday beforehand. It was about an American movie, “Get Out.” I translated specific film vocabulary that I did not know, and I learned many details. Therefore, I could join the next film studies lesson.
However, “Get Out” was a movie about race, and it was difficult to understand when I watched it. A student sitting at the same desk spoke to me, so I could learn about this movie more and communicate with him. I was so happy about it.
Film studies was about thinking about scenes and sound. For example, in the party scene, how the sound was heard and why it was chosen. I had never thought about movie technology, so it was interesting to me.
After lunch, I also had a film studies lesson. The lesson was watching and discussing with students.
My team’s question was: How far does your chosen film demonstrate the importance of visual and soundtrack cues in influencing spectator response?
I couldn’t understand even the Japanese meaning. It was too specific. But the student who sat next to me was kind, so I could learn a lot of things and tried to understand by myself. I will do more study, and I utilized the pro study time.
WEDNESDAY 3/12
Today I had no lessons until 4, so I went to Horsham. After going to Horsham, I had an English lesson.
Today’s lesson was not the same as the teacher the day before yesterday. What I learned was also different. I read the textbook and I heard the teacher’s explain. However, the teacher was speaking too fast to follow, and I couldn’t understand the text’s contents as it was a continued story from before. The contents were too difficult to understand.
The teacher was kind to me, so she taught me about today’s lesson after the lesson, but I could understand only a few words.
After lunch, I had the same lesson. One student asked me about myself, so I could communicate with a Collyer’s student. I was so happy because one of my goals was to talk with the same lesson’s students, and it was achieved.
He was as kind as the teacher, so I could join the second English lesson more relaxed and concentrated. I had only 2 lessons, which were English.
I felt through today’s experience that my English was so shallow. Moreover, I thought my English skills could not be proud of myself.
Today, I couldn’t say it was a success day. I learned about my English by going to a foreign school which uses English commonly. I will think more about my English skills from these experiences.
THURSDAY 3/13
I had a biology lesson. I learned classification of a lot of things such as animals and foods. I could understand in Japanese, so I could follow easier than before lesson.
There were many classifications, I thought. I was happy to respond with an example. Therefore, today’s biology lesson was precious and exciting for me.
After the lesson, I went to Horsham. I ate lunch with my friends and talked with them.
After spending a good time, I had an English lesson. However, it was not held because the teacher had gone on a college trip. I didn’t hear about it, so I was so disappointed.
A student who was in the same English lesson yesterday asked me. I explained how I had nothing to do. Then, he stayed with me until I went back to Rikkyo school. I was so impressed by his kindness.
Moreover, I had been hoping to talk with him again since I had talked to him, so I asked a lot of questions. I also answered his questions, for example about Japan. He is so interested in Japan, so I was excited to communicate with him.
I will not forget this happened, and it was the best memory in my Collyer’s memory.
FRIDAY 3/14
Today, I had a film studies lesson. The students will have an essay test, so we practiced. The theme was about “Get Out”, which I watched on Tuesday.
I learned how to write, and I was taught more detail about how to write instructions for an essay by the teacher. I thought learning how to write essays will be very useful for my job in the future.
Also, I was very interested in writing in English, so I was so happy to learn about it. It was about the basic way to write an essay, so I could follow that lesson while thinking.
After this lesson, through film studies lesson, I was impressed by the word “ideology.” I had not known its meaning, but I searched and I could understand. “Ideology” is very important, so I will not forget.
I had two biology lessons. It was about white blood cells. I had never learned about it in my school (biology lesson in Rikkyo), so I couldn’t understand.
I couldn’t ask the teacher or students, which I regretted. However, I tried hard to understand. There were many unknown cell names and their functions. I thought A-level biology was so difficult for me to learn.
Through these experiences, I want to study more beforehand in the future’s biology exam.
Through this experience, I realized that my English skills are still shallow. Therefore, my motivation for English has increased.
Also, my goal was to be proactive when I joined this program, but I couldn’t say I was able to achieve it.
Besides, I could not make effective use of time, so I regretted. I thought it was necessary to be proactive in order to increase the opportunity to use English.
However, the friends and teachers who I talked to during this term were very important and precious for me. These experiences are very important things in my life.
I could spend exciting and precious times. Thank you for providing an opportunity.
(High School 1 Girl)
