Mari S. Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Mari! Would you introduce yourself briefly to the Cafetalk community?: A. Hi, everyone. I’m Mari, and I teach both English and Japanese at Cafetalk. I first started teaching English right after graduating from college in Japan. After a few years, I decided to move to the US to pursue a graduate degree. In 2004, I began teaching Japanese in the US, and in July 2016, I joined Cafetalk which has made it possible for me to teach both languages.
Q. You are originally from Japan, but currently you are teaching Japanese at colleges in the US. Can you talk a bit about your life and experiences in both countries?: A. I've been living in California for more than a decade now, but when I first came here, my strongest impression was that cultures coexist together. When I was a student, I had the opportunity to live in a house with people from many different countries. Experiencing these different cultures with their different values, changed not only my views but also had an impact on my values. The part that I think changed the most after coming to the US was my consciousness of what in Japan is called “uchi” and “soto” or, in English might be called “in-group” and “out-group”. For example, in the US, when you are in trouble, strangers will often offer you help right away. I really appreciate the value of helping someone in need without thinking first about who that person is and whether they are an insider or an outsider. In observing and experiencing these different cultures and values, I was able to begin viewing Japan more objectively. It was during this time that I also began to realize and appreciate again the uniqueness and beauty of Japanese culture. For example, in Japan, a lot of communication and understanding happens without words. I think this custom of reading between the lines out of respect for a listener is beautiful. When I was teaching English in Japan, I was communicating with the students with a very “western” cultural style and atmosphere. The Japanese classes in the US are the exact opposite, an “eastern” cultural style and atmosphere. Not only were we learning the language but also the culture behind it.
Q. What are you usually up to when you’re not teaching on Cafetalk? What are your hobbies or interests?: A. In my free time, I enjoy taking on DIY projects. I’m an “amateur carpenter” and I also garden. Basically, I like to make things. So it’s probably not surprising that I like making lesson plans, too, which is one of the reasons that I became a language teacher. This past fall, I harvested red wine grapes that I’ve been growing for the first time, and I’m going to give winemaking a try! Aside from this, I also play the guitar, play with my two cats, and enjoy travelling to new places any chance I get. When I’m in Japan I use the JR Pass and take trains all over Japan.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about the atmosphere in your lessons? It seems that you value both structure and efficiency. How can students benefit from that?: A. My goal is to create a relaxed atmosphere in my lessons in which students will have a lot of opportunities to talk and feel comfortable. I’m trying to make lessons where students will think “I had a lot of fun” at the same time they are saying “I feel like I really learned a lot during this lesson.” If learning a language is fun, students have a much better chance of continuing to study. Having content-rich lessons leads to steady improvement and progress. I also use textbooks in my lessons which I believe helps to create a structured curriculum that allows students to steadily achieve small but significant milestones continuously. To keep the material from being dry and repetitions, I always integrate a lot of practical, real-world practice into my lessons.
Q. Your most popular lesson is your "English Speed Course". What's your secret to teaching English efficiently?: A. To make it meaningful. As an example, the typical first sentence that English students learn in Japan is “This is a pen.” But saying “this is a pen” while holding a pen is not a situation that typically happens in real life. In my lessons I introduce structures in a real-life, conversational situation. In this example, if “this is a pen” is the answer to the question “what is that?” when someone is holding an unknown object, then this sentence will truly have meaning. This type of meaningful interaction is how I introduce new structures, phrases, and so on. My lessons basically follow 3 steps: (1) Introduction of the structure →(2) mechanical drill →(3) application of the structure. In other words, first you learn the structure in a real-life situation. Following that, you have repetition practice using different vocabulary. And finally, you will be able to talk about yourself or some topic using that structure. With these steps, the goal for students is to be able to take what they have learned and apply it in a real-world, outside-the-classroom situation.
Q. Next to English, you also teach Japanese on Cafetalk. You offer a variety of courses, but what do you think sets your Japanese lessons apart from others?: A. In order to acquire a language, you have to learn structure by structure in an organized, sequential way. Using a textbook helps to facilitate this. On the other hand, trying to learn a language by reading a Japanese book or manga from the very beginning is difficult, if not impossible. In a book or a manga, not only are there difficult kanji and vocabulary, but there are also different kinds of structures mixed together. Basically the learner must learn at random and all at once. If I were to express the difficulty in numbers from 1 to 10, then in a single page of a book or a manga, the grammar introduced would look something like this: 94852137294. However, using the structured lesson plan of a textbook, you will learn the structures sequentially 12345678910 and will then be able to read a Japanese book or manga. As a part of this learning progression, if I am teaching a student at level 6, I talk using everything they’ve learned so far and then push the lesson slightly above their level, let’s say, to 6.5. By adding just the right amount of additional challenge and added difficulty to the conversation that we are having, the student’s motivation and participation level stays high because there is still a new challenge, still something new to learn. But, at the same time, the challenge is not so high that the student grows discouraged and questions their ability to learn.
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for your current and future students?: A. When you are able to communicate, a language is fun. The world that expands through a new language is exciting. I find that the happiest moments as a teacher come when students feel that communication is fun. With me I hope you never feel nervous thinking about whether or not you can speak correctly. We’re all beginners when it comes to language, so let’s have fun learning it together.