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Post by マイJake - 島人ぬ宝 on Apr 20, 2016 9:43:14 GMT 9
Hi everyone, I am going to give a presentation on how to be an community 国際交流員 to old people today.
Here is my current list of things to talk about, but I want MOAR so please add to this for me.
I will begin my presentation by talking about what a 国際交流員 does and what parts of my job they can help with. Namely helping foreign residents.
Emphasis on residents, because I am not here to help randos trying to see the Daibutsu take the right train to Nara. I am here to make sure all the foreign residents are happy and feel welcome.
- The first step to being a 国際交流員 is to make foreign residents feel welcome. It is important to treat them like your Japanese residents.
- If you see a foreign resident, start with small talk, like the weather, just like you would with a Japanese person.
- Keep in mind they may understand Japanese, so in general start with Japanese. They also may not understand English. (I will briefly mention how some non-English speaking foreigners don't like being randomly spoken to in English here)
- If they don’t understand Japanese, then feel free to try English.
- Before asking their name, always introduce yourself first. (I will talk about how this may seem 当たり前 but its actually something many people forget)
- Before teaching them something, always ask questions first. (Some people have lived in Japan for a long time, and you may be telling them something that many people have already taught them)
- Foreign residents tend to get told the same thing, every time they meet a new person. To become hulemdos, avoid topics they may hear all the time. (Similar to previous point)
- Then thinking of a Do/Don't section
Well let me know if you have any other ideas!
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Post by telly on Apr 20, 2016 10:16:44 GMT 9
Sounds good and like an interesting topic, but I have a slight problem with the "if you see a foreign resident, start with small talk..." stuff.
It sounds like giving them permission to just talk to them without knowing if they want to be talked to.
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Post by むちゃRABU❤ on Apr 20, 2016 10:18:04 GMT 9
Ahh Japanese love their Dos/Donts sections.
I think "before teaching, please ask questions first" is a good lesson but how would you go about doing it?
(just curious)
Also if you are talking to old people, isn't it in their nature to "lecture" or intruct others (younger people Japanese innlcuded)? So I don't know if it would be effective to tell them "avoid topics they may here all the time" (like what?)
Er, any other ideas-wise.....
- Invitations. Foreign residents would like to be part of the community. Feel free to invite them to events that you are aware of. If there is a neighbourhood 町内会 etc, get them to be involved. Especially during festivals etc. Not just events, you can also invite them to take part in your daily routines (e.g. go grocery shopping together, go for 朝運動 together or what-may-you)
- If you are curious and want to know more about the person, tell them about yourself first before you ask them about their lives. For example, tell them about your own grandkids (if any) before asking if they have family (for example). Say that you are good at cooking XX dish and you would teach them before asking them what dishes they like.
- Perhaps if you already know what country etc they're from, research more about their place of origin so you have interesting things to ask them when you meet them again.
(hm i think i am repeating a lot of your points hue. this is a useful thread though, thank you)
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Post by King Quailbee on Apr 20, 2016 10:19:46 GMT 9
Sounds good and like an interesting topic, but I have a slight problem with the "if you see a foreign resident, start with small talk..." stuff. It sounds like giving them permission to just talk to them without knowing if they want to be talked to. I think small talk is okay, but it needs to be appropriate timing or not in a situation where the foreigner might feel creeped out. Maybe go over different situations/timing/appropriate topics.
Like I feel comfortable if I am having a nice little stroll around on a sunny day in the local neighborhood and I make eye contact...
I'm not comfortable if I'm being asked a bunch of questions while I'm waiting for a bus at 10pm...
I always feel sad whenever I try to make a 挨拶 in the neighborhood and they ignore me outright. Like they stare but don't reply. That always hurts a little bit.
[Edit] I love the invitations idea. I've been invited to a lot of things by local ladies and that always makes me super happy. But when giving an invitiation, also maybe provide contact information?
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Post by tomoe on Apr 20, 2016 10:20:02 GMT 9
Maybe teach them about active listening? I've found that people here generally haven't been taught about it, but are interested to learn. And it's a good way to also nudge them away from doing that "let me ask you a question about a controversial subject relating to your home country but really I just want to say my opinion" thing that is super uncomfortable.
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Post by マイJake - 島人ぬ宝 on Apr 20, 2016 10:25:24 GMT 9
Oh good call to cover times and places that foreigners would be open to being talked to. My usual go-to is to explain that foreigners feel the same way as Japanese people about this, and typically if you would find it odd to be talked to in a certain situation, then they probably would too.
And yeah, I get that a lot of old people have kinda of a lecture-y nature, but I am just trying to quell issues like telling someone about local sightseeing spots if they live in the area.
Thanks for some good ideas! I will start adding these to my list.
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Post by no yark shark on Apr 20, 2016 10:34:22 GMT 9
Invitations are okay, but try to think of an activity that would be fun for both parties/both parties can benefit from instead of basically just asking for eikaiwa right off the bat/demanding they teach you English.
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Post by マイJake - 島人ぬ宝 on Apr 20, 2016 10:38:03 GMT 9
Invitations are okay, but try to think of an activity that would be fun for both parties/both parties can benefit from instead of basically just asking for eikaiwa right off the bat/demanding they teach you English. Yeah, i have some stuff on invitations too. I will add the Eikaiwa part. The thing that bothers me more is being invited to a day long one on one outing. Its very uncomfortable and then I get this awful vibe from them when I say no most of the time. |
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Post by telly on Apr 20, 2016 10:47:06 GMT 9
Sounds good and like an interesting topic, but I have a slight problem with the "if you see a foreign resident, start with small talk..." stuff. It sounds like giving them permission to just talk to them without knowing if they want to be talked to. I think small talk is okay, but it needs to be appropriate timing or not in a situation where the foreigner might feel creeped out. Maybe go over different situations/timing/appropriate topics.
Like I feel comfortable if I am having a nice little stroll around on a sunny day in the local neighborhood and I make eye contact...
I'm not comfortable if I'm being asked a bunch of questions while I'm waiting for a bus at 10pm...
I always feel sad whenever I try to make a 挨拶 in the neighborhood and they ignore me outright. Like they stare but don't reply. That always hurts a little bit.
[Edit] I love the invitations idea. I've been invited to a lot of things by local ladies and that always makes me super happy. But when giving an invitiation, also maybe provide contact information?
I don't know...I do not like small talk and I think this might be a point to make as well, that the mileage will vary with those points. Like, we might all be from NATO countries, but that does not make us all the same. If we live in the same appartment complex, I will greet you and then we could talk about the weather and develop a hulemdoship from there, but do not seek me out to talk to the foreigner. |
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Post by King Quailbee on Apr 20, 2016 10:52:16 GMT 9
telly I'm the same way. But I guess as Jake stated earlier, treat foreigners like how you would treat other Japanese - don't be too "OH MY GOD FOREIGNER. NOW I CAN SHARE MY PRIZED COCOA BEAN COLLECTION AND ASK ALL SORTS OF INTIMATE DETAILS" And it is good to show how different cultures have different comfort zones (like that one photo of a Swedish (or Finnish?) bus stop)
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Post by telly on Apr 20, 2016 11:06:34 GMT 9
telly I'm the same way. But I guess as Jake stated earlier, treat foreigners like how you would treat other Japanese - don't be too "OH MY GOD FOREIGNER. NOW I CAN SHARE MY PRIZED COCOA BEAN COLLECTION AND ASK ALL SORTS OF INTIMATE DETAILS" And it is good to show how different cultures have different comfort zones (like that one photo of a Swedish (or Finnish?) bus stop) Yes, I agree that that would be the most important point, treat them like you would a Japanese person. |
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Post by マイJake - 島人ぬ宝 on Apr 20, 2016 11:17:19 GMT 9
telly I'm the same way. But I guess as Jake stated earlier, treat foreigners like how you would treat other Japanese - don't be too "OH MY GOD FOREIGNER. NOW I CAN SHARE MY PRIZED COCOA BEAN COLLECTION AND ASK ALL SORTS OF INTIMATE DETAILS" And it is good to show how different cultures have different comfort zones (like that one photo of a Swedish (or Finnish?) bus stop) Yes, I agree that that would be the most important point, treat them like you would a Japanese person. I will make sure to point out that not everyone likes small talk. Honestly I think more people would be open to small talk if the discussion actually interested us. Most foreigners don't actually care about the nuances their native language, or how awesome Japan is/ crazy their home country is. I for one could talk about food, beer, and computers all day long, but try talking to me about something I don't really care about and I will probably zone out and start silently praying to whichever god will listen for the conversation to be over as soon as possible. |
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Post by CaptainSeery on Apr 20, 2016 13:32:29 GMT 9
Good point about asking someone's name. I find oftentimes people don't offer their name and it's really uncomfortable.
Also, yes to offering information about yourself instead of just asking questions, but for the love of god please don't ramble for five minutes straight without letting them get a word in edgewise. And if you are going to ramble at least check that they know Japanese (or English) first. I've been rambled at in a language I don't understand a word of, or understand very little of, and it's the most uncomfortable thing.
Ditto what everyone said about not approaching someone just because they're a foreigner - we want to be treated as a person, not just a novelty.
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Post by BlueKat on Apr 20, 2016 13:34:24 GMT 9
One thing I like to do is talk about personal cultures. I think it's a good icebreaker as well and gets people started talking about what culture is really all about and what it means to be "foreign."
Basically just try to break down the idea that culture = nationality. Define what culture is, then talk about how someone living in rural Japan has a different culture than someone living in Tokyo, then about how even people living in different parts of a city or town would have different cultures based on their neighborhoods, then finally about how even people raised in the same family have different ways of thinking shaped by their individual experiences. One thing I like doing is the "draw a picture of your culture" exercise although that can be difficult sometimes so writing words that represent important parts of your culture is OK too. It can be really interesting to see how many things are different between even people raised in the same town.
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Post by songbanana on Apr 20, 2016 14:58:20 GMT 9
I really like how much you emphasize "like you would do with a japanese person" and "like you would like done to you". A lot of times seeing my face sets off FOREIGNER!! alarm bells and people forget their manners, blurting out whatever makes it through their panicked minds. Everyone knows that "where are you from" is not a greeting you call out on the street. But sometimes people panic and forget this and it robs everyone of a chance to interact hulemdolily. Anyway mostly agree with your list but I think you should prioritize these things over "don't small talk" because I think that might discourage some people from talking to foreigners at all, thinking they're bothering them. Also one thing I liked from Sparkles's presentation she posted a while ago that I saved (I think?) was instead of Do/Don't, it was "Instead". So it might say "Do you like Japanese food?" →Instead→ "Do you like to cook?" It phrases it positively rather than negatively and gives a concrete example to encourage brainstorming other suggestions. |
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Post by telly on Apr 20, 2016 15:28:13 GMT 9
Yeah, I like this phrasing of questions. I hate when people give me a question with "do you like NANINANI", but just saying yes or no is not enough, I fear.
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Post by マイJake - 島人ぬ宝 on Apr 20, 2016 15:43:43 GMT 9
Well I just gave my presentation and it turned out well. Had some very constructive questions, as well as some completely off base ones that implied that alot of these grandparents think Japan is going down the shithole.
Some how we ended up talking about the yakuza for about 10 minutes.
In the end they all seemed happy with the discussion and I was told that I will be sorely missed and I am the first CIR to go more than once to their salon.
Glad this started a good discussion between us, but not like everyone on here wasn't already pretty much on the same page about all of this anyways.
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Post by BlueKat on Apr 21, 2016 13:49:49 GMT 9
Well I just gave my presentation and it turned out well. Had some very constructive questions, as well as some completely off base ones that implied that alot of these grandparents think Japan is going down the shithole.
Some how we ended up talking about the yakuza for about 10 minutes. In the end they all seemed happy with the discussion and I was told that I will be sorely missed and I am the first CIR to go more than once to their salon. Glad this started a good discussion between us, but not like everyone on here wasn't already pretty much on the same page about all of this anyways. Expound ください |
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Post by マイJake - 島人ぬ宝 on Apr 22, 2016 13:02:43 GMT 9
Well I just gave my presentation and it turned out well. Had some very constructive questions, as well as some completely off base ones that implied that alot of these grandparents think Japan is going down the shithole.
Some how we ended up talking about the yakuza for about 10 minutes. In the end they all seemed happy with the discussion and I was told that I will be sorely missed and I am the first CIR to go more than once to their salon. Glad this started a good discussion between us, but not like everyone on here wasn't already pretty much on the same page about all of this anyways. Expound ください Basically they were saying things like "Everyone says Japan is safe, but recently during the Bear Origin earthquakes, there have been people breaking into houses and stealing things. Does that not change your opinion on the safety of Japan?" or "You mentioned gangs being run mostly by young people in the U.S. now, and we think that it is becoming that way in Japan as well. Have you noticed any particularly bad changes now that this is becoming common?" |
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