English side reader by middle school students completed
The Yomiuri Shimbun
An English supplementary reader, written mainly by middle school students in Katashinamura, a small village in Gunma Prefecture, has been completed recently. The book will be used in first to third grade classes this year.
The 50-page book, titled Furusato, My Katashina, was produced by 62 middle school students who graduated from the school in March and their English-language teachers, taking about a year. They decided to make the book to cultivate their ability to introduce their hometown in English in today's internationalized age.
Working in groups, the students gathered information on local scenery and customs during their summer vacation. The book covers 16 local features such as ski grounds, hot springs, cherry blossoms and the Oze natural scenic area, a tourist spot noted for its famous Ozenuma marsh and Ozegahara meadow. After gathering the information, students wrote in Japanese first and then translated their work into English, using example sentences introduced in dictionaries for reference. The book also contains color photos they took.
In the Oze section, they introduce plants commonly found in the area, such as mizubasho (skunk cabbage) and Nikko kisuge (Nikko lily), and "Natsu no Omoide," a famous song about Oze composed by Yoshinao Nakada. They also introduce environmental protection measures such as wooden boardwalks for visitors and the prohibition against using shampoo in Oze lodges.
Their English sentences were checked by Kathleen Lui, a Canadian assistant language teacher at the middle school, and Keiko Uehara, a professor on the Faculty of Education at Gunma University. The front cover layout was done by Sumio Sudo, head of the village board of education.
Katashina Middle School is the only middle school in the village, which has a population of 5,667. The teachers said they would use the book not only in English classes but in general study classes as well.
Shiho Araki, one of the students who wrote the book and graduated from the school in March, said: "I had a hard time to write sentences as I had never written such long sentences in English. But it was a good chance for me to learn more about my hometown."
Akane Kuwabara, a third-year student who will study using the book, said: "I was moved by such a grand souvenir from my seniors. I'd like to study English more."
(Apr. 20, 2007)