I was teaching in Japan until about a year ago, and I’m going to be going back next year. Something my students really enjoyed was seeing videos of things I had taken in America, mostly travel stuff not intended for showing people, but they got a kick out of it nonetheless. Since I’m working a few odd jobs with a lot of down time at the moment, I thought I would get some footage of things or situations unusual to Japan that can be condensed into 30 second to 1 minute videos, the playing and discussion of which could easily plug small holes in lessons. Ideally I’d like to have them guess the name of the thing with some hints, so words that a late elementary or junior high student could understand are a plus.
Some examples that I think are good:
> water tower (thing not common in Japan, two words that students are likely to know)
> little library
> cattail (the plant)
> ice cream truck (though I haven’t actually seen one of these driving around)
> corn dog (nope, not an American dog)
> heads or tails (coin flip)
> elephant ear
Some borderline examples (object is interesting but words are a bit too high level):
> cattle guard (thinking of explaining it as “cow gate”)
> fortune cookie
> garage sale
> prairie dog (“prairie” is not the most useful word, but damn I got a lot of footage of these cute plague-ridden bastards)
I live in the Midwest so those sorts of things are going to be easier to shoot, but any sorts of ideas are welcome; I’m going to be doing some traveling before I leave.
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This is a wonderful idea!
But I wonder why you would categorize some examples as borderline. I have worked with students who would benefit from exactly that sort of content.
Do you host your videos somewhere? I don’t know if it would make you money, but a YouTube library with a bunch of videos like these could certainly attract a lot of views, and would be a rare actually-good-for-students-with-no-downside online learning material.
EDIT: oops, I forgot to give you ideas. It sounds like you’ve considered being at a county fair, but just about every common kind of attraction or ride would be good for this. Really, I’m thinking the language is the least significant challenge- it all comes down to videography. Anything you can show clearly and concretely would work!
Also it just occurred to me I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a turnstile in Japan.
The cereal aisle at a grocery store.
The large drink cups at a 7-11
I’m from the Midwest, too!
I’d imagine they’d enjoy seeing a backyard BBQ, with all the different foods, particularly things like deviled eggs. Every time I’ve made those, my Japanese friends “ooo” and “ah” over them.
Also cows and horses standing in the field, or those big round hay bales, especially for students who are from big cities and have never visited farmland.
Small town squares are also not a thing in Japan, so that might be interesting. When I tell people that I’m from a town so small it doesn’t have any stoplights, they are amazed.
Agree about the cereal aisle. Even I’m fascinated by big U.S. supermarkets. Go to a Super Walmart and walk around. I love doing that when I’m home. (don’t laugh; I’ve been here 30 years so it’s a novelty for me, too, haha).
If you get the chance, go to a local fair or the state fair. I took photos of all the weird fried foods on a stick last time I was home in time for the state fair. Ha – there’s a cow sculpture made of butter at the Iowa State Fair. That’s a huge novelty.
What is your state famous for? Every state in the Midwest has some odd tourist site or local landmark. Go there and do a short film. In Iowa we have the Pella tulip festival, for example.
A farmer’s market would also be cool. There should be some starting about now with produce from people’s gardens. In fact, if you have a garden and grow your own vegetables (my family always has) that would also be interesting to people who’ve grown up only eating food from the supermarket. I don’t think my sister or brother ever need to the supermarket for vegetables all summer, haha.
I’m getting all nostalgic now. Remembering my grandmother’s homemade ice cream made from her own cow’s milk, covered in homemade strawberry jam with berries picked from her own garden. Those were the days…
Capture conversations for them to learn from. Not just things to look at. They can see anything you capture in YouTube. Not going to learn anything other than you have some different things where you come from.
…Now I want to know what an ‘elephant ear’ is, if not the ear of an elephant.
Cured Bacon
If you have a friend in Texas you should get video of a Buc-ee’s! Maybe a couple roadside tourist traps. A truck stop gas station would be neat too. I only ever saw gas stations for cars in Japan.
There are many water towers here in Okinawa.
A proper donut shop and diner
No offence but sounds like you’re going through a culture shock that Japan’s not the USA and clutching at straws here.
IMO you can find just about everything in Japan (I’m in a small town and can find everything). The stuff you’re thinking about would be better suited to a list of ‘stuff you can only find in the USA’.
If it helps, I draw a complete blank when somebody says ‘I’m from the midwest’. Cool… they’re from somewhere in America. As soon as you’re getting that specific, it’s pretty telling that your ‘differences’ aren’t Japan specific. Rather, it’s some sorta homely nostalgia that’s not being met.
Idk if its what you’re looking for, but what about common things in both the us and Japan that have different names. Especially katakana words because often students are surprised things like トランプ or スキンミルク are called playing/poker cards and lotion.
I had a paper with 10 or 20 sentence hints describing everyday items/products that have different Japanese names. All low to intermediate students had a fun time with it.
American festival food since you mentioned a couple
Spatial awareness?
Housing
Trucks – both 18 wheelers and work trucks especially with you as a size reference
Gun range / citizens carrying guns
Large art galleries, museums, etc.
Animal farming especially open range herds.
Native Americans – though how to do that without being just incredibly culturally crass?? Cahokia would be interesting.
Take a video of driving onto a highway, look no toll gates!
Also maybe a Ford showroom? Maybe even some Japanese car maker showrooms, to show the different models/names available.
American-style apple cider (French-style シードル is clear, Japanese サイダー is carbonated and not even made from apples WTF). I miss it dearly every autumn.
JTEs that speak English
Non exhaustive:
Cargo shorts
San Francisco 💩on streets
BLM rioters looting stores
Used 💉 on the streets
Obese people
English teachers flipping burgers in McDonald’s back home
Troons
Cheap kanji tattoos
Graham crackers