Japan Cultural English Language Curriculum

Rex-Marilyn-Japan-2009: Mr. Kobayashi, Rex, Emi, Go, and Marilyn

From L to R: Mr. Kobayashi, Rex, Emi, Go, and Marilyn (seated)

It was truly an honor to be invited to attend the 100^th Anniversary of Nakamura Girls High School in Tokyo, Japan, on November 7th. This gracious invitation came as a result of the many Nakamura High School students who have taken our distance learning English courses to prepare them for a year abroad in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. The celebration was extraordinary. Of the 400 invited guests in attendance, our CEO, Rex Bird, and I were two of only four Americans there. For me, the most moving part of the journey was meeting alumni who had attended the school over 75-80 years ago! There were two special tables filled with these elegant women who had attended Nakamura between 1920 and 1930. You could see the pride and joy they felt in participating in their beloved school’s celebration. I felt a great sense of appreciation for this country and its people who take such pride in their culture’s history.

During our visit, we also met with the Nakamura High School English teachers. One teacher in particular, Diane Olsen, has worked with Laurel Springs for the past ten years and knows our courses as well as we do. It was great fun talking about how popular our new English teacher (and Laurel Springs alum), Alex Talevich, is with his Japanese students. It was particularly touching for me, because I worked with Alex when he was a teenager, and now, to see him having completed his Masters in English and joining our team is very meaningful.

In the evening, Mr. Kobayashi, the esteemed principal of Nakamura High School, took us to a very special Japanese restaurant for dinner. The food was superb and, even as an American who is familiar with Japanese food, I found it unique and, in some cases, unrecognizable (great fun). This was my third dinner with Mr. Kobayashi, and it was clear that over the period of ten years we’ve known one another, we’ve built a strong relationship based upon trust and admiration.

In Japanese culture, you first create relationships, and if that goes well, all else follows. Therefore, the partnerships we’ve developed over the past ten years with numerous Japanese educators, schools, teachers, and students are especially precious. It’s testament to our commitment to creating a relationship-based educational program. Relationships truly are at the heart of Laurel Springs School.

I'm back home now, savoring fond memories of our trip and recognizing how very much I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Marilyn

Marilyn Mosley blog

The Laurel Springs Community in Japan

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