Hard at work in Aoi Hall

STAFF INTERVIEW: Chieko Hase (Teacher - Extension)

Chieko Hase is a member of the Extension faculty at Yamasa.

Jon: Hase Sensei, I've been asked by the Director of the International Office to interview you for the Newsletter this week. Have you got a minute?
Hase: Yes of course..

J: How long have you been teaching at Yamasa?
H: 2 years....I think.......
J: You've forgotten?
H: No....it's been about one and a half years........I think.....

J: Do you live in Okazaki?
H: No, I live in Chiryu.
J: Which is?
H: To the west of Okazaki
J: And do you live there with your family?
H: Yes, at the moment there are 7 of us living in the same house!
J: Seven?!
H: Yeah. My two younger brothers (21 and 23 years old), my parents and my two grandparents. It's a very lively household!
J: I can imagine!

J: So, what were you doing before you were teaching at Yamasa?
H: I taught Japanese in Thailand.
J: And how was that? A good experience?
H: It was really enjoyable, the food was great, the place was lovely and it was a brilliant experience but the job was quite hard.
J: Why?
H: There were no textbooks and there was at least 500 students per teacher, we had to make our own teaching materials and the pay wasn't great.

J: I think you are exaggerating on the 500 students bit....Anyway, why did you go to Thailand in the first place?
H: When I was a student, I wanted to do some kind of volunteer work. I also wanted to go to a country where English wasn't spoken because my English isn't very good.
J: Probably on a par with my Japanese.....how about your Thai?
H: I can speak Thai. I didn't study it at a school, just in my spare time. Unfortunately I think I've forgotten a lot of it.
J: Does that mean you're not fluent?
H: Well........not really but.........
J: Do you think Thai is a more difficult language than English?
H: I think Thai is easier - at least for me the grammar is much easier than English grammar.

J: Can you speak any other languages apart from Thai?
H: No.........but if I can I would like to study English properly sometime in the future. At the moment I don't have the time or the money.
J: Any future plans?
H: Ehhhhhhh!
J: I take it that you haven't given it much thought.....
H: Well yes, my immediate plan is to continue teaching and perhaps teach in another course at Yamasa. I'd like to deepen my teaching experience with some teaching in the Acceleration or AIJP. They are very different curricula to SILAC. That way with a bit more experience I'd be able to continue working when I get married.
J: You intend to get married soon?
H: I intend/plan to get married, but who to? I don't know..... As for other plans, for my next holiday I want to go to the jungles of Malaysia.
J: Isn't that a bit dangerous?
H: No not at all!

"Yapi" graduates. Omedetou!

J: So what are the good things about the job?
H: Everything!
J: Um, everything?
H: I wanted to be an elementary school teacher but I changed my mind and I'm glad I did. The other teachers are great, the students are great.......

J: And the 'not so good' things?
H: I'd like a bit more time to myself because after I go home from work, I'm still doing preparation for classes.
J: Really?
H: Yes, and the other Extension teachers do the same as well.
J: Taihen....

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