Marines teach English to Okinawa students through song, play during new program

KIN TOWN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

09.19.2014

Story by Lance Cpl. Adeline Smith 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

KIN TOWN, Okinawa - Learning a second language can be hard, and sometimes meticulous, work. Between deciphering the garble of words spoken at what seems like 90 miles per hour, to determining an appropriate response, learning a foreign language can be overwhelming – especially to a beginner.

Students at the Namisato Nursery in Kin Town learned English with the help of Marines Sept. 19 during the “Play in English” program.
The new program is a monthly activity where Marines with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, teach children on Okinawa the English
“The intention is to provide kids the ability to interact with people from different cultures and countries, and to expose them to the English language, which is very important to Japanese education,” said Takayuki Kayo, the community relations specialist for Camp Hansen. “English is pretty much the only second language that we learn from elementary school up to high school. I felt audio is better for learning and preschool kids are the perfect age to start doing it.”

While volunteering at the local school, Marines sang “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and “ABCs” with the children, played a game of musical chairs, and taught basic English phrases and expressions.

“I believe it is a benefit to kids when they start learning (English) when they are young,” said Yoko Nakama, the director of the school. “They naturally improve their listening skills. They are not hesitant to speak up or listen to English.”

For some of the Marines, interacting and playing with the children gave them a sense of home in a country thousands of miles away from where they grew up, according to Cpl. Viktor I. Cadiente, a fire support man with 5th ANGLICO.

“It reminds me of home, of being around my family again,” said Cadiente, from Honolulu, Hawaii. “There was no problem with the language barrier. All they had to do was make gestures if they wanted me to pick them up, carry them or run with them. It was a lot of fun; they’re little happy kids.”

The experience of learning a new language and culture was mutual, according to Cadiente.

“We learned a few new words like ‘sugoi’ which means good, and they called me ‘big brother,’” said Cadiente. “It’s a small help right now, but maybe down the road it will be a big help to those kids.”
The communication between the Marines and preschoolers paved the beginnings of new friendships, according to Nakama.

“It’s just very natural, almost as if they are older brothers to the young kids,” said Nakama. “They are freely playing and interacting with big brothers, and that’s the best thing about having the volunteers from the camp.”

• Date Taken: 09.19.2014
• Date Posted: 10.16.2014 22:48
• Story ID: 145293
• Location: KIN TOWN, OKINAWA, JP
• Hometown: HONOLULU, HI, US
• Hometown: LAKEWOOD, WA, US
• Hometown: SNOWFLAKE, AZ, US