A Question from Fumi:

"Actually, I am student at Encare, and Jason's student. I appreciate your very kind-hearted help; someday I want to do something for you. Anyway, I have a question or want to know your opinion. Actually, I think that students at Encare are very motivated because of their desire and teachers such as Mune, Jason and Dylan. However, what do you recommend to do or advise for Japanese students at Encare or in NY, outside of the classroom? Especially me? Thank you so much."

This is such an important question, and one that is of course difficult to answer briefly, but I'll try. My answer may seem a bit general; but then perhaps another student (or Fumi!) might follow-up with a more specific question, and in this way we can create an on-going dialog.

I feel that if your goal in the U.S. is to learn English quickly and effectively, you need to immerse yourself in American culture. This means spending most, if not all of your time, with American people. Living with a host family is one way; having a job is another. I've known certain Japanese students who cut themselves off from the Japanese language and society while they were in New York. They only communicated with Korean and Spanish-speaking friends (using English), and made friends with Americans rather quickly.

To many people, however, these options may be impossible, or else sound too extreme. Doing volunteer work is another, perhaps more accessible way to connect to Americans and American culture. If you don't make or find opportunities to be in English-only environments, you can create them for yourself. Watch DVDs in English, using print-outs of scripts to help you; watch movies in Japanese first (to understand the plot and character development); then watch them again in English. Read, read, read!! Read only materials that interest you; it doesn't matter if it's a cheesy romance novel for teenagers, TV Guide, a book about sports, or a comic strip...or an English teacher's blog :). And read materials that are not so difficult for you--you'll stay more motivated and absorb more grammar and vocabulary that way. Finally, keep a journal in English (oh, yes: and practice your writing by sending your questions to me!)

"What is Passover?" (this question comes from Ami, a student at encare)

Passover is a Jewish festival of freedom remembering when the Jews were led out of Egypt and out of slavery by Moses. It's an eight-day festival celebrated at the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. According to legend, an angel "passed over" the homes of the Jews which were marked with the blood obtained from animal sacrifice. The same angel murdered the first-born son and first-born animals of every Egyptian family whose doorway was not marked.

Passover is always in March or April, around the same time as Easter. Many non-religious Americans celebrate Easter, but Passover is mainly celebrated by practicing Jews.

Although my father's side is Jewish (and I have a very Jewish last name--Levine), he didn't grow up in a Jewish environment. My mother's family is Protestant. To be recognized as a Jew, I would have to convert to Judaism because my mother isn't Jewish.

"Why do people dye eggs for Easter?"

This is from the Web:

The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians. From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs -- those made of plastic or chocolate candy.

My family wasn't religious at all, but we celebrated Easter (without going to church); most kids did, unless their families were Jewish. When I was growing up, we dyed eggs because it was fun to do an art project with your parents. The only chocolate thing we had was a chocolate bunny. These days, with how hectic people's lives are, I think it's less common to slow down and dye Easter eggs at home.

"Why is a bunny rabbit associated with Easter?"

From the Web:

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.

I also think that Americans connect rabbits with the idea of birth (they reproduce so quickly!); and I think spring is a time of re-birth (not only because Christ supposedly was reborn during this time).

The sky above Kyoto 

A view of Kyoto (taken by a student) 

"How do you celebrate your anniversary?"

My wife and I usually don't do anything very special or fancy--just go to dinner. We exchange cards and I sometimes get her flowers (we don't give each other any big gifts). Actually, our anniversary is April 12; we've been married for seven years. Last Wednesday, we had dinner at a restaurant in Montclair, NJ, close to our home. It was a beautiful evening, so we strolled around a bit before and after dinner. Because we spend a lot of time with our son, it was good to do something like that--just the two of us.

"If you go to Japan, which prefecture or city do you want to go to (besides Tokyo)?"

There are two places where I'd most like to go. One is Kyoto. I'm actually very embarrassed that I've never been there because my brother lived there for 8 years! There were several times when I almost went but then didn't for some reason. I prefer old, more traditional cities, so I think I'd like Kyoto more than I liked Tokyo. If possible, of course, I'd like to go with my brother.

I know I would also really like the outer islands of Okinawa. But who wouldn't like beautiful, unspoiled sub-tropical islands like the Keramas? I guess I'm not very original...

"Why isn't soccer more popular in the U.S.?"

I think this is a fascinating question--especially when you consider how popular soccer is throughout the world and that, up until high school, the most popular sport for kids in the States is... soccer (yes, it's true!).

So what happens when kids get to high school? One thing is that because soccer is not a big sport for adults, kids stop playing. Also, there aren't any really famous American professional soccer players to look up to.

But why aren't American adults more interested in soccer? I can think of a few possible reasons. One is that, unlike baseball, football, or basketball, soccer does not put so much emphasis on the individual; teamwork is much more important. This is not very "American". Also, it is less of a contact sport. And, traditionally, it is associated most with Europe (we often try to dissassociate ourselves from Europe!). Finally, there's an important reason why soccer games are not shown very much on TV: it's hard for networks to run lots of commercials during them! Baseball, basketball, and football are much more suitable for the amount of commercials on American television.

Can you think of any other reasons? Please leave your comments.

Questions for an American

I'd like to start something new on this blog. If you have a question about the U.S., American culture, or you just want to know what an American would think about a particular issue or topic, please leave it in the comment section or e-mail me directly!