Inuyama Mutilingual

NewsPublished by Inuyama International Association
Date of Publication: March 31, 2023
English version (No.6)

Active in the Community Through Supporting Foreign Students at School!
Ms. Gisele Cristina PrataYoshida
Nationality: Brazil
Status of Residence:
Permanent resident
Coming to Japan: 1995
Work: Guidance support at
Junior high school

Current job: I have been providing guidance for Brazilian students at a junior high school in
Minokamo City for the past four years.
Support provided in the classroom: In the classroom I tell the students what the teacher is saying.
Since Brazilian students do not understand Japanese very well, I translate the important contentof the teacher's speech and support Brazilian students who have trouble keeping up with the class.
We also teach kanji characters that we know the stroke order for and simple math.
What other work do you do?: Advice and support for schools with their support for foreign
students.. We also provide interpretation for three-way meetings with parents of students who do
not speak Japanese well.
Difficulties at Work: I have never attended school in Japan, so when I first started interpreting theteacher's explanations, I had trouble understanding the content of the lessons. For example, thenames of Japanese historical events. So, I learned together with the students.
What I am trying to do: I make a notebook for each textbook and write down everything the teacher
explains in class. If I can't translate something right away, I look it up in my free time and tell thestudents the next day. This allows the students to learn as well as myself.
What I want to tell my students: I tell students that if they do their best they will find more
opportunities in the future. I tell students who have difficulty making Japanese friends at the sameschool because of the language barrier that if they study a little more Japanese, they will makeJapanese friends and have more fun. I want them to enjoy their school life.
Good things I'm doing in my job: Interacting with students means learning too. I like to interact withpeople, so I am happy when I can help them and make them happy. I am glad that I have studied
Japanese.
Please tell us what has inspired you to do your best: I am grateful to the Japanese people whocared about me and tried their best to talk to me when I first came to Japan. That is why I am theperson I am today, and why my interest in the Japanese language has grown. When I wasstruggling, I was blessed with good friends who helped me get back on my feet. Otherwise, I might
have gone back to Brazil.
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A Useful Online Resource Sites on Raising Children
1.Mother and Baby Support Series (Research Association for Multicultural Health Services (RASC)/2020)◆Supported language: Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Korean, Nepali, Portuguese,Russian, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese
https://www.rasc.jp/momandbaby/

2. Movie: Japanese Parenting Series for Foreign Residents (Kanagawa International Foundation/2017)◆Supported languages: Chinese, English, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese
https://www.kifjp.org/child/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/movieflyer.pdf

3. Kindergarten and Nursery School Guidebook (Aichi Univ. of Education/2013)◆Supported language: Chinese, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog,Vietnamese
https://resource-room.nihongo.aichi-edu.ac.jp/about/guidebook/

We would like to create a space where everyone can join and talk together tohelp create a town where people of all origins and of all types can live
comfortably together.
The Inuyama International
Association (IIA) offers a Multicultural Online
Chatting Club
once a month for one hour on Zoom.
Everyone is welcome to join us.
●People who want to exchange opinions withothers●People who want to talk with everyone using
Japanese●A little Japanese is okay

＜Past Topics＞

Next date: April 15 (Sat) 19：30～20：30
Anyone can participate. Why don't you think together usingJapanese?

When and where do you find it
difficult to use Japanese thatyou find difficult?
What is important to you when

※Apply to https://forms.gle/cLmM8LAJmsozaQVB8※Japanese residents in Inuyama and nearby are also

you work with people fromdifferent languages andcultures? etc.

welcome to attend.
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A Student Who Is Studying Hard at the Inuyama Japanese Language ClassMs. Eva Maria Pachas Maceda
Nationality: Peru
Came to Japan: March 2022
Job: Parts Processing
Status of Residence:
Spouse of permanent resident

In the Japanese language class, everyone is warm, sincere, and kind. I am happy to be able toexperience the Japanese language here. I like Japanese culture. I like kimonos, temples, andthe scenery where the old culture still remains. I want to support the children of university
students in Peru so that they will be able to graduate. I also want to be able to express myself inJapanese.
＜Comment from a teacher volunteer, Ms. Niwa Etsuko＞

It has been less than a year since Eva came to Japan, but working
hard and doing great, which I think is amazing. I also enjoy
listening to her stories about Peru and the Peruvian dishes anddesserts that she cooked for us were delicious

Traditional Games and Activities from Around the World

Peru: Juego de jax (jacks),playing with superballs

Vietnam: ô ăn quan, A
traditional strategic board
game played with pebbles
Australia &England:
Scrabble,
English word
game played in
English-speaking
countries

China: Pyaji, menco(pogs) played withhandmade tiles
Japan: Kendama(Japanese cup andball), fukuwarai(making a facegame), ohajiki(played withmarbles), spinning
tops, paper
balloons, ayatori (acat’s cradle stringgame), etc.

3Interview with a Language Course Instructor
Inuyama International Association offers language courses taught by native speakers. In thisissue we interview Ms. Kuromiya Eiko (Tei Getsuei), a Chinese language instructor.
◆Origin: Taiwan◆Arrival in Japan: 1985

◆When I first arrived in Japan: Japanese people were kind and they gave me

detailed directions on how to get around. As the Japanese saying goes, gou ni
ittewa, gou ni shitagae--When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I followed
Japanese customs as much as possible, and that was a learning experience.
◆Difficulties studying Japanese: I could not understand intonation because it isnot marked with symbols as it is in Chinese! Every day when I got home, I
immediately turned on the TV to familiarize my ears with the language.
I didn't know whether "No problem" in Japanese meant "Yes" or "No."◆About the Chinese language course: There are many Chinese who love Japan. I believe that more
Chinese people will come to Japan in the future and that there will be more opportunities to havecontact with Chinese people, so I would like people to understand Chinese culture and ethnicity asmuch as possible through the study of Chinese.
◆Toward a multicultural society: Japanese people should speak clearly. In my Chinese classes, I
also tell the students, "Let's say it clearly." Please come to the Chinese class to understand Chinese
people in Japan as well as Chinese people who will come to Japan in the future as much as
possible. I especially would like young people to attend the class.
*Other languages: English, French, German, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish
Applications will begin on April 3 ⇒4 月 3 日から申込み開始です。→

Working in Japan Comfortably (for foreigners working in Japan)
There are various laws to protect workers in Japan. These laws are designed toprotect all workers, regardless of their occupation or employment status. They
protect foreign as well as Japanese nationals. This pamphlet provides informationthat foreign nationals should be aware of when working in Japan.
Languages: Easy Japanese, Chinese, English, Portuguese, and Vietnamese
https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/rodofukushi/0000060502.html

Experience and Talk About Japanese Culture.
Those who are not confident in speaking Japanese are also welcomed.
Inuyama International Association (IIA) holds multicultural exchange events.

Home PageFacebook

ｈttp://iiea.info「Inuyama International Association」

4Getting Along with People from Different Languages and Cultures
We interviewed Ms. Katarina Kaufuman from Germany, who worked and served as a Coordinator forInternational Relations in Inuyama for four years from August 2018 to August 2022.
I think it is important to have the courage to talk to people. We need tolisten to each other and communicate. When we do,misunderstandings are inevitable, so if you don't
understand something, say it again or try explaining it in a differentway. If there is a misunderstanding and you feel you are not on thesame page, stop and check again. Instead of just going along with thestory, ask questions and check your understanding. If you don't, you
might have difficulties. It takes courage to ask questions.
Foreigners can speak in their poor Japanese and Japanese can speakin easy Japanese. Even if you cannot understand each other, it isimportant to have the courage to talk with each other.
When I was a high school student, I spent two hours talking aboutsomething that would have taken a Japanese person 10 minutes. My
host family understood that I was trying my best to convey my feelings,
so they were kind enough to listen attentively. It is nice to be heard. Do
your best to listen and talk to each other. Also, while it is important totake on challenges alone, you will feel more secure if you have someone
behind you to support you. If you have one safe place to go, you cantake on new challenges.

Ms. Katarina Kaufuman finished her job as an international exchange staff member inAugust 2022, and is currently teaching Japanese at a university in Germany.

Onomatopoeia for when illness strikes（Reference: Waku Waku Kotoba Onomatopoeia NHK Nagoya https://www.nhk.or.jp/nagoya/neighbors/pdf/onomatope.pdf））Zukin-zukin）

A repeating, throbbing
pain.
(Example:)
Atama ga zukin-zukinsuru.
My head is throbbing

Gan-gan

A splitting pain,
stronger than athrobbing pain.
(Example:)
Atama ga gan-gan suru.
I have a strong
headache.
My head is pounding.

BohCannot think ofanything. Feverish.
Your head is empty.
(Example:)
Atama ga boh’tto suru.
I feel lightheaded.

Ze-ze

Breathing is painful.
(e.g., "I have a pain inmy chest.")When I breathe, I hear awheezing sound.
(Example:)
Mune ga ze-ze suru. 5
My chest feels heavy.

A Website for Learning Japanese◆Inuyama Japanese Language Class: Japanese language classes are offered for foreign residents
living in the Inuyama area. Classes are held every Sunday.
For more information, please see the URL. ⇒ http://iiea.info/newpage1.html◆A site where you can learn Japanese on your own: TSUNAHIRO Japanese language study site for"foreigners as people who live in Japan”
https://tsunagarujp.bunka.go.jp/
You can select learning contents according to the level of Japanese you want to learn, the scene you wantto learn, and keywords you want to use to communicate and live in Japanese.
For example, in scenarios like this:When you want to talk tosomeone

When you want to buy
something

Cool Japan

SumoWhen ordering

Rikishi: wrestler

Sumo is one of the most popular sports in Japan. Two rikishi (wrestler), each wearing a mawashi(belt) around their waists, push, hold, and throw their opponents in the ring. The winner is when theopponent is knocked down or pushed out of the ring. The average weight of a rikishi is 150 kg. The
hairstyle of a rikishi is called "mage. The person who acts as a referee is called a gyoji. Six times ayear, in odd-numbered months, 15 days of tournaments (matches are called torikumi) are held. There
are also foreign wrestlers. Currently, we have wrestlers from Mongolia, Georgia, Bulgaria,Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, China, and the Philippines.

。

dohyo: the sumo ringsumo: the sumo match or gamegyoji: the sumo referee

Inuyama Multilingual News
Published by Inuyama International Association〒484‐0086 Aichiken Inuyama-shi Matsumoto-cho 4-21 Inuyama Community Center『Freude』
TEL: (0568) 48-1355
FAX：(0568) 48-1356
HP：http://iiea.info
E-mail： iia@grace.ocn.ne.jp

Volunteer Translation Team Members:
English: Kusakabe Kazuro, Yasumura Megumi, Uchimura Hidetomo, Steve McGuire
Spanish: Tawara Carlos, Ruiz Bulnes Ricardo Arturo, Saeki Liliana
Portuguese: Yara Marcos, Akagi Kazunori, Akagui Mitsue, Yoshida Gisele
Chinese: Harita Misako, Ten Ru, Sun Jiao, Yang Liya, Ozawa Tsutomu
Vietnamese: Pham Thi Nhu Hau, Tran Van-Ha
Tagalog: Higuchi Marita, Kawasaki Maria

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