The project is finished, and I got to see my survey put into action. By the end, we’d had 35 responses, up from the 20 I mentioned last week, which gave me a much fuller picture of what students and teachers wanted. 

For the test run, we decided the best approach was to have English speakers use Japanese and Japanese speakers use English while answering a set of conversation cards. It went a lot smoother than I expected. Everyone was in the same boat, stumbling through a language that wasn’t theirs, and that levelled things out nicely. It was exactly the kind of interchange people had asked for in the surveys. 

It started with an observation that English and Japanese learning felt like two separate worlds, and it ended with a survey, 35 responses and a real attempt at bringing them together. I’m proud of it, and I’m grateful to the teachers who agreed with my observation and to the students who answered honestly.

Saying goodbye was harder than I expected. We had a farewell picnic in Higashiyama Park at sunset, with a barbecue and a game of football, and for a couple of hours it felt less like a send-off and more like a proper community, which is exactly what I’d been hoping to see more of. They also gave me farewell gifts: matcha, Japanese snacks and a pair of chopsticks. I’ll be using them for a long time, and I’m fairly sure I’ll be thinking of everyone every time I do. 

I came here to teach, but I think I learnt more than I taught. Here’s what I’m taking home:

- Effort counts more than fluency

- Community is built on small things 

- Lifelong learning is real 

- Keep the kimono colourful 

Six weeks ago I was lost in translation. Now I’m leaving with a bit more Japanese, a lot more perspective, and a lot of people I’ll remember. Thank you for following along, and thank you, Japan. またね! 🇯🇵