"Humans of Minamisanriku" (Baylor University)

Here is one inspirational way that classrooms and students are connecting with each other in the global community!

This year marked the start of a new project, “Humans of Minamisanriku,” a collaboration between Baylor University and Tohoku University after exchanges through the Baylor in Japan (BIG) Summer Intensive Japanese program in 2012.  Inspired by the “Humans of New York” project, “Humans of Minamisanriku” brings together individuals to listen to the voices of people from Minamisanriku who were affected by the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. 

One of the many things that makes this project so valuable is that it connects Japanese language education with the community in such a way that language learners can use their skill to learn and communicate about real issues within the local Japanese community.  What arises is the ability of its participants to see each other as fellow human beings up close, and be part of a larger dialogue that we can all share.

Please read the description after the jump, and check out their Facebook and Youtube page!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TohokuBaylor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjhCCZCOX2aFBf8ZAawOX1w/

---Description below---

Visiting Japan

How useful is Japanese? What often-overlooked benefits are there? In this mini-feature, I’d like to provide some insights as I travel and stay in Japan for two weeks from the perspective of a non-native Japanese speaker, while also showing the benefits of learning the language. I would like to show readers that the benefits of using Japanese extends beyond simple travel phrases and encompasses a diversity of usages. Using Japanese, as well as other world languages, is both practical and fulfilling, and through my two weeks, I'd like to bring that aspect of the language to the forefront by sharing my experience with you all. I hope you enjoy the next few entries, and if you like it, please pass these stories along to your students and other language learners!