Katsuhiko Kurita

STAFF INTERVIEW: Katsuhiko Kurita - Teacher, AIJP

The following was translated from the Japanese original.
Interview by Sugita-sensei from the OCJS and Shin-san from the International Office.

Sugita: Hmmm, today we'll be interviewing Katsuhiko Kurita sensei, a full time AIJP teacher. The interviewers are myself, Sugita from OCJS, and Shin-san from the International Office. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Kurita: Hello. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Su: Kurita sensei, how long have you been working at Yamasa?
K: Hmm, this is my third year now.
Su: And you've been teaching in the AIJP the whole time, right?
K: Yes, that's right.
Su: And what did you do before working for Yamasa?
K: Before coming to Yamasa, I taught Japanese at Kyong-buk University, in Taegu-city, Korea.
Su: Oh really? Actually, I also taught Japanese in Taegu-city.
K: Really? What a coincidence.
Su: So how was working in Korea?
K: Korea is a really easy place to live, and the food is delicious. I would have liked to have stayed there, but the early mornings...
Su: What time did the classes start?
K: They started at 6:30am, so...
Shin: 6:30?!
K: Yeah, the students would call and wake me up. "Senseeeeei, why aren't you at school?"
Su: That means you overslept, I assume.
K: Umm, yes... But the students try really hard. Everyone studies hard in that country, so it was easy to teach there.
Sh: Had you studied Korean before you went?
K: No, but while teaching at the university I studied Korean on the side.
Su: And how is your Korean now?
K: Umm, well, daily conversation, that kind of level is okay. I've forgotten most of it, unfortunately.
Su: But, since Korean has some similarities to Japanese, it's easier for Japanese people to learn it, right?
K: The word order is the same, so I thought it was a better fit for me than English.
Su: I felt the same way.
K: Yeah, if you just think about it a bit in your head before you speak, it works out well.
Sh: The flow of words is really the same, isn't it.
Su: Right, right. Now that you can speak Japanese, Shin-san, how about learning Korean?
K: I recommend it. Korean men are strong, which might also be good... I was always losing out to them, which was kind of difficult.
Su: The men in Taegu-city are especially strong, I felt.
K: A macho feeling.
Su: There are lots of manly types there.

Su:Okay, so what kind of feeling does the daily life at Yamasa have?
K: Daily life? Well, 90% is the feeling of doing a job. I've been here for 3 years, but there are lots of different class levels, and every quarter I teach a different class, so in the end it always feels like I'm doing a new job. On top of that, the job never seems to end...
Sh: How would you compare the Japanese level of Yamasa students to that of the Korean students?
K: At the Korean university, I taught mid-level and above, but this was the first time I'd taught at a Japanese language school, so it was difficult.
Su: Teaching at a university is different from teaching at a Japanese language school, I think. There are many different kinds of students at a Japanese school.
K: That's right. At Yamasa we teach everything, including from complete zero levels. At university, you teach one thing, and after that you expect people to go home and study the rest. At a Japanese language school, memorization practice is a part of the lessons, so it's harder.
Su: But, it's something worth doing, I'd say.
K: That's right.
Sh: And you can more easily see the student's progress because of it, right?
Su: Shin-san, you're quite good at summing things up.
Sh: Thank you.

Su: Kurita-sensei, do you have anything particular you try to achieve in class?
K: In class? Well, thinking about how to benefit the students, and thinking about what the teachers want to teach, those are two different things. But, of course, I have things I want to teach, so I think about how best to do that.
Su: Sure.
K: I don't want to sound self-important, but maybe it's like a bento box lunch from your mother, and she's snuck some vegetables inside the hamburger patty so you wouldn't notice. It's a normal class, but really there are a lot of helpful things put in there. I think about that sometimes while teaching.
Su: I think I'm learning something here.
K: Well, that's the ideal situation, anyway.
Su: Your students think they're eating a hamburger, but really they're being fed vegetables without being aware of it.
K: Right. Complete linguistic nourishment!

Su: So, what was the original reason that you decided to become a Japanese teacher?
K: The cause? There isn't really a clear reason, but originally I wanted to be a Japanese teacher for middle school or high school, so I entered the Japanese department at university. While I was taking classes about Japanese education, I did some volunteer work.
Su: I see.
K: I taught classes for foreigners and the children of foreigners working in Japan, and it was really fun. And, since I think communication is one of my weaker areas, I really enjoyed being able talk to foreigners about all different kinds of things in Japanese.
Su: That's a great reason to become a Japanese teacher. And your original focus was teaching Japanese to Japanese students, right?
K: Right. And because of that I began teaching at an elementary school, but I found it difficult. So, I started taking a lot of classes on Japanese education at university.
Su: I see.
K: Now, teaching Japanese as a foreign language, it still feels a litte strange to me.
Su: But teaching Japanese to Japanese students and teaching it as a foreign language are quite similar.
K: Yes, that's true.
Sh: Which would you say is more difficult?
Su: Teaching Japanese as a normal subject in school versus teaching Japanese as a foreign language?
K: No, in the end it's the same I think, because I've recently been teaching the higher level classes. But, you don't really teach the rules of Japanese to Japanese people, of course. For that part it's a completely different feeling. But the final goal is more or less the same.
Su: And what would you say the final goal is?
K: Being able to effectively convey your message.
Su: Communication?
K: Yes, communication.

Su: So, do you have any advice for people who want to be Japanese language teachers?
K: Hmm... Well, there are many kinds of Japanese language teachers, so I think there are a lot of different possibilities. The kind of teacher you want to be... there are lots of possibilities. So, thinking about the kind of teacher you want to be while studying, I think you'll come to see the best way to achieve that.
Su: That's good advice, I think.

Su: Going back to a previous subject, you talked about learning Korean while you were working in Korea, but how about any other foreign languages?
K: Well, besides Korean there's English. I also went to Australia for one year.
Su: Oh really? Was that to teach Japanese?
K: Yes. I took a year off during graduate school to be a teaching assistant. So my English is also around "daily conversational" level.
Su: So, you understand both Korean and English.
K: That might be overstating things a bit.
Su & Sh: Not at all.
Su: So, do you have any hints or tricks for learning a foreign language?
K: Well... I don't want to sound self-important.
Su: Oh, it's okay.
Sh: Yes, it will be informative.
K: Well, of course, people who can learn by watching or listening should watch television dramas or listen to music, whatever they enjoy.
Su: Sure.
K: The best thing is to have something you can do continuously.
Su: Practice makes perfect?
K: Yes. If you give up, in the end you're left with nothing. That's why it's important to have something you enjoy doing.
Su: And when you were studying English, what did you enjoy doing? What was pushing you to continue to study?
K: Hmm... television dramas?
Sh: Movies?
Su: Australian girls?
K: Uh... but it was quite difficult.
Su: Haha. And how was it in Korea?
K: Korea was...
Su: Korean girls?
K: Ah, of course you become friends, you have a goal. Communication... How do you start up a conversation in a cafe, for example.
Su: "How do you start up a conversation in a cafe?" You mean hitting on someone?
K: Ah, well, I only hit on a girl once in Korea.
Su & Sh: Oooh, how did it go?
K: I got her number.
Su & Sh: That's great! And then?
K: Unfortunately, I couldn't write emails in Hangul, so in the end it didn't go anywhere.
Su: What a waste! Well, of course, that experience made you want to study Hangul more, so your previous advice is based on personal experience.

Su: Okay, let's get into your personal life a little bit.
K: My personal life? There's not much to talk about.
Su: Oh, I'm sure there's something. First of all, I've heard that you live in Okazaki now, but where are you originally from?
K: Shizuoka.
Su: So, can you see Mt. Fuji?
K: Yes, you can see it from the windows in the house.
Su: I'm jealous!
K: But when you see it everyday, you don't really appreciate it. But I like it, of course.
Su: And how was it to come to Okazaki from Shizuoka?
K: It feels strange that there's no ocean nearby. In Shizuoka both the ocean and mountains are close, so living in a place away from the ocean was difficult at first.
Sh: The closest seaside to Okazaki is in Gamagori?
Su & K: Yes.
K: Being away from the ocean was a strange feeling at first, but now, it's close to Nagoya, and I've come to like it.

Su: So which part of Shizuoka are you from?
K: Now it's part of Shizuoka city, but the place I was born was part of Shimizu.
Su: If I think of Shimizu city, I think of soccer and Chibi Maruko-chan.
K: Yeah. The J. League club S-Pulse, and Chibi Maruko-chan. The landscapes in Chibi Maruko-chan are just like Shimizu city. The schools, stores, mountains, all the places I used to go to.
Su: I heard that there's a student studying in SILAC, a big fan of Chibi Maruko-chan, who went to visit Shimizu city last weekend.
Sh: Just because of the show?
Su: Yes. They visited Chibi Maruko-chan's elementary school, the museum, all kinds of places.

Su: Okay, next question. What are your hobbies and interests?
K: Hobbies... recently it's been soccer and tennis.
Su: Is that watching or doing?
K: Doing.
Su: I see. But soccer isn't something you can do by yourself.
K: Of course not. I play with friends near Nagoya. Tennis I play with other Yamasa teachers.
Su: At Minami Koen?
K: No, uhm, we play at Chuosogo park. I started after I started working at Yamasa.
Su: Have you started winning yet?
K: No...
Su: So who's the best player among the teachers?
K: Hiroe sensei. Everyone is novice level, but Hiroe sensei is the only good player. Well, Nose sensei is also good. Hikosaka sensei also.
Su: The soccer must run in your Shimizu city blood.
K: Yeah, I've been playing forever. But when I was a kid, I went out for Kendo, which I regret a little.
Su: Probably everyone in Shimizu can play soccer.
K: Half of my class was soccer players. It was soccer during breaks, soccer during P.E. So anyone who couldn't play soccer was uncool.
Su: You were expected to be good.
K: Yeah. So, why did I start Kendo? I regret it a little. In Kendo you can't take a breather. It's definitely not for relaxing. And it stinks...
Su: Shin-san, did you know that Kendo stinks?
Sh: Yeah, I've heard that.
Su: You haven't smelled it yourself?
K: It smells, it hurts, it's cold...
Sh: It's cold? Why is it cold?
K: Well, in winter you have practice in the morning, for example, so it's cold.
Sh: Yamasa—
K: It's just like working at Yamasa!
Sh: No, no, not that. There have been Yamasa students who were really into Kendo.
K: Ah, right. I've taken students to do Kendo before, at the city gym. I'd like to do that again if I had the chance.
Su: Yeah. It would be fun to get all the students together who want to do Kendo and form a Kendo club. Of course, Kurita sensei would be in charge.
K: I'd like to try that.
Sh: But that's great. You're able to do all these sports while working.
K: It's just the opposite. When you're busy, it's better to get out and exercise.
Sh: That's true. I just lay around at home...

Su: So what kind of music do you like?
K: Well, recently I bought an IPod. It's a Shuffle, the cheaper one. So I download music to it.
Sh: Japanese music?
K: Yeah, Japanese music...
Sh: Korean music?
K: I also listen to Korean music. I've received a lot as presents. I also listen to some English language music.
Su: So on your days off you listen to music, play tennis with Yamasa teachers, play soccer...
K: Yeah. It's pretty lonely.
Sh: What? You call that lonely?
K & Su: No, no, no, it's just that there's something missing...

Su: Ah, well, let's not pursue this line of inquiry any further. Well, just this one last question, maybe. Uhm... can you tell us what type of women you like?
K: My type? Someone with a good head on her shoulders.
Su: Can you be more specific?
K: More specific? Well... I'm not the most organized person, so someone who helped me manage my schedule, for example. A detail-oriented person.
Su: A person who minds your business for you is good?
K: Maybe?
Su: By the way, are you the youngest child?
K: Yes, I am.
Su: So, a meddlesome older-sister kind of person?
K: Why an older sister?
Su: No reason...

Su: Well, our time is getting short, but can you tell us something you'd like to achieve within the next five years?
K: Within the next five years? Let's see... I'd like to have a lifestyle where I can drive a four-wheel drive car. I'd like to have a family with whom I can spend time outdoors. I want to go camping. As for work, I'd like to become the kind of teacher who can better see all aspects of a person.

Su: I see. Okay, finally, anything you'd like to tell Yamasa students?
K: I'm in your debt! Also, whether you enjoy the food or not, please eat.
Su & Sh: Thank you for spending such a long time with us.

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