美國空軍學日語

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:

米空軍士官学校の生徒たちが２３日から約１カ月間、山形県鶴岡市内にホームステイして、日本語研修を行う。国の重要無形民俗文化財・黒川能やしな織りの体験など、地元の人たちと交流し、江戸以前の文化や中山間地の暮らしを学ぶユニークなプログラムだ。
　研修生は１９～２３歳の男女１２人。日本語レベルは中・上級という。同校日本語担当のグワハルト・ユミコ准教授が、国際交流のＮＰＯ法人スターティングプレース（千葉県船橋市、高橋徹代表）や旧知の伴和香子・元鶴岡市教育委員長と企画、準備を重ねた。 同校では４年前から、日本各地でホームステイして語学学校に通う研修をしている。今年も和歌山市と金沢市で従来方式の研修を行うが、鶴岡市だけは初の試みとして、地域に入って言語の背景にある文化や歴史を学ぶ。「地域社会の体験に参加し、奉仕活動など教室の壁を越えた研修にしたい」とユミコ准教授。
　一行は２３日に来日。温海地区にホームステイして午前中はタケノコ狩りやしな織りなどを体験、午後はプログラムにちなんだ日本語を学ぶ。後半（６月５～１８日）は旧櫛引町、旧羽黒町、鶴岡市などに場所を移して、庄内藩酒井家１８代当主で致道博物館の酒井忠久館長（６３）の話を聞き、藩校致道館で小学生と一緒に論語の素読にも挑戦する。

Starting from the 23rd students of the School for the U.S. Air Force Officers would do the home stay at the Yamagata Prefecture Tsuruoka city for about one month to learn Japanese. It is a unique program to experience the important intangible folk cultural property, the Kurokawa play, and to exchange experience with locals and to learn their culture before Edo period and the living at Nakayama.

The trainees included 12 men and women aged between 19-23 years old. All had Japanese language level from middle to high. The Associate professor responsible for Japanese language of this school, together with a Japanese agency that promote international exchange (a city representative from Chiba Prefecture) and an old friend Kaoru who was the former Tsuruoka City education committee chairman, all repeatedly made the preparation. Since 4 years ago, the training was done using the home stay in various parts of Japan through the language school . Although training method used so far was adopted in Wakayama City and the Kanazawa city this year, Tsuruoka City was the first attempt to enter a region to learn its culture that had language background and its history. The Associate professor was saying that " we hope to participate in the experience of the regional society, and to make training and volunteer works to go beyond the wall of the classroom".

They would come to Japan on the 23rd. The home stay would be done in the Atsumi district, and in the morning bamboo shoot hunting would be experienced, and in the afternoon Japanese studies related program would be held. In the latter half of the period (June 5 to 18th), the location would be moved to the old Kushibiki town, the old Haguro town, and the Tsuruoka city, etc. , and to hear the story of Shonai clan Sakai family present 18th generation master Sakai superintendent (63) of the Itamichi Museum, and to face the challenges of reading the Analects of Confucius without construing, together with the primary-school students of the Itamichikan clan school.

As US Air Force officers in Japan, these 12 young men and women are required to understand the culture and language of the local people. I think their home stay in Japan is a good opportunity for them to broaden their horizon.