Matsugaya High School has accepted visits from a Taiwanise High School three times in the past.
Here, we introduce the activities of 29 students and 4 teachers from Taiwan to Matsugaya High School as part of school trip on October 24th 2016.
On this day, after lunch and orientation, the Taiwanese students participated in 2 class lessons (English, home economics, or physical education) and club activities (tea ceremony, basketball, or badminton).
In the class, students from Taiwan and Japan divided into groups of approximately 5 students each, with a total of about 10 students, with Japanese students supporting Japanese students in English.
Furthermore, some Japanese students communicated not only in English but also in Chinese, and in addition to introducing themselves, they asked the other party about their favorite sports and club activities to deepen their friendships.
In Matsugaya High School, as a part of multilingual learning, they have foreign language learning club activities and accepted 30 hours of instructor dispatch in Chinese.
About 10 students are participating in foreign language club activities.
Most of the students have been studying Chinese since last year.
The club members aimed to interact with students in Taiwan, deepen their knowledge and understanding about their schools and Japanese traditional culture, so that they can explain it to Taiwanese students.
They learned Chinese words and phrases so that they can deepen exchanges with Taiwanese students in Chinese.
In the library, they have read English books for extensive reading learning.
In home economics classes, they made OTEDAMA (traditional Japanese toys) and experienced Japanese traditional games play.
After that, they participated in some club activities (for example, the tea ceremony club, basketball club, or badminton club).
They talk to each other playing with OTEDAMA（Students wearing vests are from Taiwan）.
Taiwanese students imitated Japanese students and practiced Japanese tea ceremony.
The students from Taiwan enjoyed tea ceremony with Japanese students.
Japanese students communicated with Taiwanese students in Chinese and English.
Taiwanese students played Japanese anime songs.
Students of Matsugaya High School demonstrated taiko drums for Taiwanese students.
This time it was half day exchanges.
However, the students quickly became friends communicating in English and they talk about not only the lesson topics but also hobbies, club activities, families and so on.
Matsugaya High School students said, "I was surprised that Japanese high schools have more club activities than Taiwan." "I communicated positively with Taiwanese students.”
Principal Hirano said that he would like to increase exchange with foreign travelers visiting Japan, and place emphasis on enhancing international understanding education.
Principal Hirano emphasizes enhancement of international understanding education through exchange with overseas students.
“I would like to set up opportunities for students to be active.
Students can motivate themselves to learn more actively with the goal of communication with foreign students.
If students have such an opportunity, they can be assertive , further they are self-motivated and proceed to the next step.“
Participating students said, "I've been learning Chinese with the goal of communicating with Taiwanese students, but I'd like to be able to speak more, so I'd like to continue learning from now on." , "I could communicate actively with Taiwanese students."
