Teacher stresses value of language

The United Nations considers Japanese to be the hardest language to learn.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- A retired missionary to Japan is finding ways to use her ability to speak Japanese to expose children in the Warren area to the country's language and culture.
Lois Long of Warren, who spent about 25 years there since 1968 as a missionary with her husband, the Rev. Robert Long, says she enjoys showing and telling area children what Japan is like and teaching them a foreign language.
"I have the opinion that people should expose themselves to foreign languages to be more broad minded," she said after a recent class with fourth-graders at Word Of Life Christian Academy in Howland, where she teaches five Japanese classes per week to children in grades one through six. She added that this exposure usually results in reduced racial prejudice.
Word Of Life formerly offered Spanish to its students, but when a Spanish teacher was no longer available, the school turned to Long, a friend to some of the families at the school from North Mar Christian & amp; Missionary Alliance in Warren. The Rev. Mr. Long is pastor to the senior citizens of the church.
In addition to Word Of Life, Lois Long has taught many Saturday Japanese classes for the enrichment program at H.B. Turner Middle School in Warren. Children in that program are all second-graders, she said.
"We wanted to expose children to something other than Spanish," said Word Of Life principal Barbara Lagaras. Long will be continuing at the school through December, at which time the school will decide whether to continue it all year, Long said.
Japanese is considered by the United Nations to be the hardest language to learn, Long said, adding that it usually takes until about fifth or sixth grade before children begin to be challenged and motivated by the class.
Still, the younger children and their parents seem to be happy with it and are enjoying the new experience. Because most children won't use the language outside of class, they "won't retain it," Long said, "but if they meet someone oriental, they might lift their spirits" by speaking a few words to them, she said.
A few key phrases
For example, the fourth-graders at Word Of Life were practicing their numbers during their recent class and learning to say things like "ohayo" (good morning), "kon nichi wa" (good afternoon), "kon banwa" (good evening), "sayonara" (goodbye), "tachimasho" (stand), "suwarimasho" (sit), and "yo mi masho" (read).
Long said this early exposure to foreign language can only help down the road when the children take a foreign language in middle school or high school, which is a requirement for college. She said knowing Japanese can possibly lead to business careers in dealing with Japanese companies.
Couple's journey
Long and her husband were trained in Japanese for nine months at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1967 before making their first trip to Japan. They spent another 15 months living among the people in Japan to become fluent enough to begin their ministry. While speaking the language was difficult enough, learning it well enough to give sermons was especially tough for her husband, Mrs. Long said.
After 20 years in the field, the Longs returned to the United States in 1987. They returned to Japan for another four years from 1997 to 2001 and are now semiretired. While in Japan, she sometimes taught English. She has taught Japanese in the United States on and off since 1994.
A video Long showed to the children demonstrated something else about teaching Japanese that appeals to her: an appreciation for the culture.
"They are kind to each other," she said of the Japanese. "They don't talk about each other. They are helpful, clean. They wash their hands, sweep the street. It's safe. They don't carry guns."
The video she showed the children showed a girl 2 years and 7 months old who was told to walk a few blocks from home to a store to buy eggs and honey and her doing it on her own. She even walked across two pedestrian crossings where cars stopped to wait for her -- though her father secretly followed her.
Long said the Japanese have a term -- rusuban -- that means "your turn," in which the parents leave their 4- to 6-year-old children at home to take care of themselves for a while. "They try to teach them independence," Long said.
runyan@vindy.com