Cultural and Student Exchanges

A big part of the premise for Samurai Awakening deals with what happens when a young American joins an exchange program and ends up surrounded by a culture and language he does not understand.  Since immersion is perhaps the fastest way someone can learn a foreign language, it has become a popular option for many students seeking a better understanding of the world and themselves.  As a fifth year member of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, I can see every day how cross cultural exchanges effect both parties.  While it is true I’m an adult with a college degree, there are also many programs for students of various ages to travel and live abroad.

Why Have Exchanges?

“…many former JET participants use their experiences … to continue enhancing relations.” JET Programme Website

“…Study Abroad Programs became popular after World War II…  Have the aim of helping to increase the participants’ understanding and tolerance of other cultures, as well as improving their language skills and broadening social horizons.”  TwoWorldsUnited.com

Essentially, countries realized after the major world wars that we needed better understanding between languages and culture.  Young people have the best chance at broadening their language skills, and often get the most benefit from exchanges.  While it is definitely effective to learn about other cultures from books, movies, and other mediums, it does not compare with the full exposure that one can receive from living with a host family and truly experiencing things first hand.

Take the JET Programme as an example.  As Japan grew in economic strength during the 1980’s the government realized that there were difficulties in working with other countries due to language and cultural gaps.  The Japanese government instituted a program to bring young adults to Japan so that they would learn about the country and then return to their home counties with a better understanding of Japan.  They got the side benefit of getting native English speakers to teach the youth of Japan English and help inspire Japanese people to learn more about the world outside Japanese boarders.  The JET Programme has been a huge success in grassroots internationalization, with thousands of participants over twenty-six years.

Many JET Participants know little or no Japanese before they enter the programme, though it is preferred they know a little bit about the country since they will be working there for at least a year.  I studied Japanese language and culture for several years before entering the programme, but my language skills were not strong.  It wasn’t until I arrived and was immersed in the culture of a small island that I quickly began picking up the language.  Even with years of study I could understand very little when I first arrived, but then I am not a natural linguist.

Programs

International exchanges have become a great way for young people to learn about other cultures.  There are tons of programs out there for all ages.  When I was in the Phoenix Boys Choir, we routinely hosted choir members from other countries as they toured and were hosted during our international tours.  This enabled both groups to travel more cheaply, but also to get more out of their experiences than just a place to stay.  The opportunities help broaden perceptions and create shared experiences between people of different cultures.

Many schools also have exchanges and opportunities for students to travel from anywhere from a month to year or more.  Every summer Kume Island sends three junior high students to America for a month to study English and learn about our culture.  These students study English beforehand, but are rarely confident in their speaking ability.

Two students also came to Kumejima for a month with no previous language skills.  Though they were high school students, and they may have had difficulties understanding everything going on around them, I’m sure they value the experience.

The Case of David Matthews

I have been surprised by some reviewer comments about how believable it would be for David to go on an exchange with little or no language/culture ability in Samurai Awakening.   While I fully support all reviewers’ right to their opinion and value the time they took to read Samurai Awakening and more so write about it, I wanted to share my views on exchanges, and why I think David’s experience is not far from reality.

Learning a language is difficult, but many people go through the culture shock and adjustment David experiences.  I hoped to show a dramatized version of what many people really experience.  I would definitely suggest anyone seeking to do an exchange learn about the language and culture, but there are definitely plenty of cases where it just doesn’t happen.  Even those well prepared will still run into surprises.  It is difficult, but that experience is a powerful force for change in a student’s life.

The act of stepping into the unknown is very often a larger reason for an exchange experience than growing language skills.  Giving students stressful (hopefully positively) and challenging situations can be an effective learning experience.  .  It is not uncommon for new exchange students to have a rough time at first.  The initial difficulty of an exchange pays off exponentially as the student quickly begins picking up the new language. While some might use an exchange to escape, most exchange students simply go to explore a new culture

Humans have amazing potential.  I’ve experienced a limited form of immersion and it really has changed my life.  While the argument might be made that David is too young to be in a full-year program, the younger the student is the more chance they will have of becoming bilingual, and after all.  It is a fantasy.  The website I quoted above, along with many other programs offer full year exchanges with minimal or no qualifications.

David went to Japan on the spur of the moment, taking a last-minute opening to see more of the world.  He was part explorer, part escapist, but his experience, while dramatized, isn’t far from reality.

Have you been on an exchange?  I’d love to hear your perspective.  Thoughts on the way David’s exchange was portrayed?  Let me know!

Resources:

The JET Programme Website

Two Worlds United Educational Foundation

Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program