Why I'm Here

The JET Programme is a teaching position. JET after all, stands for Japanese Exchange and Teaching. But what exactly it is that we’re teaching can easily get murky. We work in English departments, so it would seem straightforward enough to say that we teach our mother tongue to the youth of Japan. And while this is true (and desperately needed. Next to North Korea, Japan ranks lowest in English proficiency in Asia. Next to North Korea), this doesn’t quite paint the whole picture.

Becoming the Monster

When I got off the airplane to find myself standing in the oppressive early morning humidity of a Tokyo summer almost 17 months ago, I came equipped with “Hello”, “Please be good to me”, “Where is the toilet”, and about 2 dozen or so other essential phrases. I’ve never learned a language to any real proficiency, but I came with an open mind and an eagerness to learn. After all, if I can't learn a language while living in the country that speaks it, there's not much hope for me. And so I set out on my journey of linguistic self-betterment.