U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

Geneva Summer School

Since I don't really have any plans until late fall and Sean is away working in Alaska for the summer, I was interested in doing something different before flying home. I applied to several summer opportunities but was only admitted into one that provided some scholarship funding, which made decision-making easy. That opportunity was attending a two-week class called Higher Education in Emergencies through Geneva Summer School at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. For me, the course was particularly interesting because it gave a thorough and intensive introduction to the growing field of university education for refugees so it combined a field which I have a lot of experience in (working and studying in higher education) with one that I'm very interested in (development and humanitarian aid).

As I write this post today, I just finished the class yesterday and am waiting for my flight back to Tokyo later on tonight. I'll be in Japan for a few days packing up, moving out and finishing some final paperwork before flying back home to Michigan during the first week of July. It was my first time in Geneva and it was fun to live in such an international and diverse city for two weeks. Since I was a student, I felt like I was a part of something and here with a purpose instead of just a tourist as I joined the morning and evening commuters walking and cycling to work. We had to find our own housing for the program, which was an expensive challenge, and I ended up in an Air BnB near the train station which was a great location. It was nice to be able to walk to and from school every day (about 30 minutes) while watching the daily life of the city wake up and wind down.

The course was interesting but I quickly realized that I'm pretty "schooled" out. It was hard to sit and listen to lectures and do intensive group work from 8-6 every day after just finishing up at ICU. The content was useful and meeting different experts and practitioners from all of the world was great. But the most enjoyable part of the class, as usual, was meeting and getting to know all of the other students. Half of the class was student leaders from refugee camps and the other half was graduate students like me or employees from UNHCR or NGOs that work in the refugee and education sector. There were 30 of us from Kenya, DRC, France, Switzerland, Jordan, Georgia, Egypt, Somalia, Ethiopia, Finland, USA, Nepal, Italy, Israel, Mexico and a few more that I can't remember. Because we did so much group work before, during and after class, we all got to know each other really well which was a lot of fun.

My name tag - we passed them around to get different translations of our names

The highlight of the course, however, was being able to be a tourist in such a beautiful city for an extended period of time during some of the best weather of the year! More to come on the delights of Geneva later. The other bonus was meeting one of the students who looks exactly like the character, Thor - incredible!

One of the guys in the class from Finland looked exactly like Thor! (see picture below)

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Sarah Sanderson

Final Rotary Peace Seminar Speech and Presentation

English title: Learning global issues in a global language: a case study of content and language integrated learning in a Japanese university

Japanese title: グローバル言語でグローバル問題を学ぶ：日本の大学のコンテンツと言語の統合学習に関する事例研究

Introduction (Slide 1 – Title)

Good afternoon. “Learning global issues in a global language: a case study of content and language integrated learning in a Japanese university.” That’s a long title, don’t you think? Perhaps the title is too long, but the concept is simple and also very powerful. Let me explain.

みなさんこんにちは。「グローバル言語でグローバル問題を学ぶ：日本の大学のコンテンツと言語の統合(とうごう)学習に関する事例(じれい)研究」…少し長いかもしれませんね。だけど、この研究の概念(がいねん)は意外と簡単(かんたん)で強力(きょうりょく)なものです。この発表でそれを説明したいと思います。

Context (Slide 2 – Broken glass)

I have been a language educator for many years and while teaching Spanish at a large university in the United States, one student wrote an answer on his final exam that I have never forgotten. When asked to share something that he had learned during the course he wrote that, “I learned that not all Mexicans live in mud houses surrounded by walls with pieces of glass on the top and that many of them live in houses that look a lot like mine.” That Spanish course, like many language courses in the United States, focused almost entirely on communication and left little time for exploring cultural connections. With this student’s comment in mind, I thought that we as language educators can do more to challenge negative stereotypes and broaden our students’ perspectives of the world. I thought, we can do better than this.

私は、言語教育者としてアメリカの大学でスペイン語を数年間教えましたが、ある学生の期末(きまつ)試験の答えが心に残(のこ)っています。コースを通して何を学んだのかという質問に対して、彼(かれ)は「メキシコ人は、ガラスの破片(はへん)が刺さっている塀に囲(かこ)まれた泥でできた家に住んでいると思っていたのですが、実(じつ)は僕たちと同じような家に住んでいることを学びました」と書いていました。このスペイン語の授業は、アメリカで行われている多くの言語の授業のように、コミュニケーションに焦点(しょうてん)をあてて、文化につて学ぶ時間はあまりありませんでした。この学生のコメントを考(かんが)えながら、教育者としての私たちは学生が持(も)つ否定的(ひていてき)な固定(こてい)観念(かんねん)に挑戦(ちょうせん)して、学生の世界を広げるために言語教育者には、もっとできることがあるのではないか？　もっといい方法があるのではないか？　と思いました。

Approach (Slide 3 - Global Issues in Language education)

The Rotary Peace Fellowship gave me the opportunity to explore the potential of improving and expanding how we teach language through a new approach in Japan called Global Issues in Language Education which introduces topics into the foreign language classroom like human rights, the environment, peace and conflict and inequality. The goal of this approach is to not only improve students’ communication in another language but also increase their awareness of global problems and equip them with the critical thinking skills necessary to solve them.

ロタリー平和フェローシップは、人権(じんけん)、環境(かんきょう)問題(もんだい)、平和、紛争(ふんそう)、不平等(ふびょうどう)といったトピックを外国語(がいこくご)の授業に紹介(しょうかい)するGlobal Issues in Language Educationという日本ではまだ新しい取り組みを通して、言語の教え方をもっと良くする可能性(かのうせい)を研究する機会(きかい)を私に与えてくれました。この取り組みの目的(もくてき)は、学生のコミュニケーションの能力をひき上げるだけではなく、世界の問題に対(たい)する意識(いしき)を育(そだ)て、それに対応(たいおう)するための思考力(しこうりょく)を与えることです。

Framework (Slide 4 – CLIL)

The methodology behind this approach, and also the framework of my research project, is called Content and Language Integrated Learning or “CLIL” which outlines how to teach and learn new language and content at the same time. The theory of CLIL is based on the 4Cs which are Content (the new subject material), Communication (new language skills), Cognition (critical thinking skills) and Culture (thinking about different people). In my study here at International Christian University, the Content was global issues and the Communication was learning to write academically in English.

この取り組みの背景(はいけい)にある方法論、そして今回の研究の枠組(わくぐ)みとなったものはContent and Language Integrated Learning、 “CLIL”という方法論です。CLILの理論は、4Cs（コンテンツ、コミュニケーション、コグニションとカルチャー）をもとにしています。今回(こんかい)ICUでの研究では、コンテンツはグローバル的な問題(もんだい)を考え、コミュニケーションは英語でのアカデミック・ラティングの学習(がくしゅう)に焦点(しょうてん)を当(あ)てました。

Research Questions (Slide 5 – Basic/simple research questions)

For my research at ICU, I asked three questions:

1) To what extent is this approach successful for learner outcomes in English writing skills and knowledge of global issues?

2) What are the challenges and benefits of such an approach?

3) How does this approach contribute to peace?

この研究では、次の3つの問題について考えました：

１）この取り組みは、英語を書く力(ちから)と世界的な問題の知識(ちしき)にどの程度(ていど)影響(えいきょう)を

もたらすのか。

２）この取り組みでの挑戦(ちょうせん)と利点は何なのか。

３）この取り組みはどうのように平和に貢献(こうけん)することができるのか。

During over six months of research including a pilot study at a local high school in Tokyo, I answered these questions using a methodology of a case study of two global issues academic writing in English classes at ICU. I collected quantitative data from pre- and post- test surveys and qualitative data from over 70 hours of classroom observation, 24 hours of student interviews and document analysis of student reflection journals.

これら3つの問題に対して、東京にある高校での事例(じれい)研究を含(ふく)む6ヶ月以上の研究を通して回答(かいとう)しました。方法論としては、ICUのグローバル的な問題をテーマとした２つのリサーチライティングの授業を事例(じれい)としました。事前(じぜん)テストと事後(じご)テストのアンケート、７０(ななじゅう)時間以上の教室(きょうしつ)観察(かんさつ)、２４(にじゅうよ)時間分(ぶん)の学生インタビューと学生の思考(しこう)記録(きろく)の書類(しょるい)収集(しゅうしゅう)を通(とお)してデータを分析(ぶんせき)しました。

R1 Results (Slides 6 and 7 – RQ1 Statistical results)

There is not enough time today to share all my results so I’m going to mention a few and then focus on my findings regarding this approach’s contributions to peace. Regarding research question one about learner outcomes there were statistically significant results. In a pre- and post-test asking students about their confidence in their academic writing ability in English, students felt significantly more confident in their ability after the course. Similarly, when asked about their knowledge of global issues, students felt significantly more confident after the course than before.

残念ながら、今回の発表で全(すべ)ての調査(ちょうさ)結果(けっか)について話す時間がないので、一番重要(じゅうよう)な調査(ちょうさ)結果(けっか)をいくつか紹介してから、この取り組みがどう平和に貢献するかについて話します。

まず、最初(さいしょ)の研究における質問(しつもん)に関するデータは統計的(とうけいてき)に重要(じゅうよう)な結果(けっか)をもたらし、事前(じぜん)テストと事後(じご)テストの分析から、コースの始まりに比べ、コース後(ご)の方(ほう)が、学生の学術(がくじゅつ)的英語の書き方能力に対する自信(じしん)が高かったことがわかりました。また、グローバル的な問題の意識(いしき)に関(かん)する自信(じしん)もコース後(ご)の方が著(いちじる)しく高くなりました。

R3 Results (Slide 8 – RQ3 Contributions to peace/student quotes)

For me, the most interesting and important part of this project was studying how university classrooms that combine foreign language education and learning global issues can contribute to peace. From the qualitative data, several themes emerged that demonstrated how such an approach can contribute to peace. In interviews, students shared that the class helped them to gain new perspectives, think about people other than themselves and gave them an increased desire to keep learning about the world.

私にとって、言語教育と世界的な問題の教育を合わせた大学の授業がどのように平和に貢献するのかが最も興味深(きょうみぶか)く、重要(じゅうよう)なことでした。この問題について、全体(ぜんたい)データの分析からいくつかのテーマが明(あき)らかになりました。例えば、学生のインタビューでは、授業を通して新しい視点(してん)を学び、他者(たしゃ)を思いやり、もっと世界のことを知(し)りたいと思うようになったと言っていました。

For example, here are a few student quotes:

学生の声をまとめてみるとこのような意見(いけん)がありました：

“We discussed religion, conflict resolution, identity and women’s rights. The class made me realize how ignorant I was (and still am) about global issues. Now I know and care about global issues a little more.”

「宗教(しゅうきょう)、紛争(ふんそう)解決(かいけつ)、アイデンティティ、女性の権利(けんり)についてディスカッションをしました。授業を通して、世界の問題について自分の理解(りかい)がまだ足(た)りないと思いました。だけど、以前(いぜん)と比べてもう少し理解(りかい)することができたと思います。」

“I liked the discussions because I have to say something and it makes me think and I get to hear other people’s opinions and everyone doesn’t have the same opinion. That was really interesting to see new perspectives.”

「何か話さないといけないし、考えさせられるし、他(ほか)の人たちの違う意見を聞(き)くこともできたので、ディスカッションが好きでした。新しい視点(してん)で見ることができてとても面白かったです。」

“I think, you know, everyone should try to be a global citizen because we’re basically on the same boat, on the earth, you know. If we don’t think about climate change it will affect everyone like one stance kind of influences others in the earth. So yeah, I think this class helped me to think about it more . . . Overall, I think it was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken.”

「地球(ちきゅう)にいる限(かぎ)り、みんな一緒(いっしょ)だからもっとグローバル市民(しみん)になろうとすべきだと思います。地球(ちきゅう)温暖化(おんだんか)のことを考えないと、みんなに影響(えいきょう)があると思います。この授業を通してこれについてもっと考えることができたと思います。今まで受(う)けた授業の中で一番いい授業だったと思います。」

(Slide 9 – Contributions to peace/guest speakers)**If I am running out of time I will skip this slide**

Some of the classes that the students enjoyed the most and which had the most impact were the ones with guest speakers, a few of which were other Rotary Peace Fellows. Students listened about gender equality from Hilary and students connected with Yusuf and Rebecca about the refugee crisis and women’s empowerment in Africa. This showed that connecting undergraduate classrooms with international graduate students like Rotary Peace Fellows does not only share and spread our collective knowledge but that it also builds relationships that may last even after the class finishes.

行われた授業の中でも学生が楽しんでいてインパクトも高(たか)かったのがゲストスピーカーの講義(こうぎ)でした。ロタリー平和フェローシップの学生も数名(すうめい)発表(はっぴょう)してくれました。Hilaryからジェンダーの平等性(びょうどうせい)について話を聞(き)いたり、YusufとRebeccaから難民(なんみん)問題やアフリカでの女性のエンパワーメントについて学びました。これによって、学部生(がくぶせい)とロタリー平和フェローなど、海外から留学(りゅうがく)してきた大学院生との交流(こうりゅう)は一人一人が持つ知識(ちしき)を分(わ)け合い、深(ふか)めるだけではなく、授業が終(お)わってからも続(つづ)く関係(かんけい)を作ることができることがわかると思います。

(Slide – 10 Conclusion/questions)

Overall, this study showed me that when we teach students about global issues in a new language, they not only get practice in communication skills and gain knowledge about the world, but they also learn strategies for critical thinking and experience understanding about people who are different from themselves. For me, this project was a valuable opportunity to learn a new and powerful approach to language education and one that I will use and share in the future.

この研究から、新しい言語を通して世界の問題を教えることによって、コミュニケーションの能力(のうりょく)や世界の知識(ちしき)を教えるだけではなく、クリティカル・シンキングストラテジーや他者(たしゃ)について考える経験(けいけん)を与えることができることがわかりました。私にとって、このプロジェクトは言語教育に向(む)けた新しい力強(ちからづよ)い取り組みについて学ぶ貴重(きちょう)な体験(たいけん)となりました。ここで学んだことはこれからも生(い)かしていきたいと思っています。

After the conclusion of the Rotary Peace Fellowship, I’m attending Geneva Summer School in Switzerland to study the role of higher education in the refugee crisis. Together with other educators from all over the world, we will begin to create an online and open source platform that will allow refugees access to free tertiary education in the future.

この、ロタリー平和フェローシップでの経験(けいけん)から、

スイスで行(おこな)われるジェネーヴ・サマースクールで難民(なんみん)問題における高等(こうとう)教育(きょういく)の役割(やくわり)について勉強することにしました。そこでは世界各国(かっこく)の教育者とともに、難民(なんみん)が無料(むりょう)でアクセスできるオンラインでオープンソースの高等(こうとう)教育(きょういく)プラットフォームの開発(かいはつ)をします。

In October, I leave for Uganda to begin a job with the American Embassy as a coordinator of their language and cultural programs. I will work with local university educators and U.S. Peace Corps volunteers to improve teacher training programs and opportunities for international language and cultural exchanges.

10月からは、ウガンダにあるアメリカ大使館で言語と文化のプログラムのコーディネーターを務(つと)めます。地元(じもと)の大学教員(きょういん)やアメリカ平和部隊(ぶたい)のボランティアとともに教育者に向けたトレーニングプログラムや国際的な言語や文化の交流(こうりゅう)の機会(きかい)を増(ふ)やすために働きます。

These experiences are available to me because of the incredible opportunity of the Rotary Peace Fellowship at ICU. Thank you, Rotarians, for your support and your generosity in believing in us to make the world a better place.

これらの機会(きかい)が私にあることは、ICUのロタリー平和フェローシップのおかげです。今までのサポート、そしてこの世界をより良くするチャンスを与えてくださったことに心から感謝(かんしゃ)しています。

One final thing. During my last meeting with my favorite Japanese professor at ICU, she put her hands on mine and said, Sarah-san, promise me that you will deliver your final presentation at the seminar in Japanese. And I said, that’s impossible. It will be too difficult because my level is too low. And she said, how can you speak about your students struggling to talk about difficult topics in a language that’s not their own when you won’t do it yourself? She has a good point, don’t you think? So, today as I try to be as brave as my students, I challenge you to take courage as well. In many different languages, let’s keep talking and working together to share our ideas on how to bring more peace into our world.

最後に、私の大好きなICUの日本語の先生の話(はなし)をさせてください。先生は私の手の上に彼女(かのじょ)の手を重(かさ)ねて、この発表を日本語ですると約束(やくそく)するように言われました。先生のお願いに対(たい)して、私は絶対(ぜったい)できないと言いました。内容(ないよう)はとても難しいし、私の言語力(げんごりょく)も低(ひく)すぎます。しかし、先生はこう答(こた)えました。

「自分(じぶん)もその難しさに向(む)き合わず、自分の母語(ぼご)では(わ)ない言語で難しいトピックについて話しあった学生の苦(くる)しみについてどうやって語(かた)ることができるの？」

ほんとにそうだと思います。そこで、私も学生たちのように、今日、勇気(ゆうき)を振(ふ)り絞(しぼ)りました。みなさんにも、同じように勇気(ゆうき)を持つことを期待(きたい)します。いろんな言語で語(かた)り合い、一緒(いっしょ)に働き続(つづ)け、お互(たが)いの考(かんが)えを共有(きょうゆう)することによってもっと平和な世界を作っていきましょう。

以上です。どうもありがとうございました。

Now I’ll answer the questions. I might not to be able to do it in Japanese. Perhaps I’m going to need some help. But I’ll do my best. I’m grateful for your patience. Then please start asking the questions.

では、みなさんの質問にいくつか答えたいと思います。できるだけ日本語の質問に日本語で答えたいと思います。でも、少し助けが必要になるかもしれません。お付き合いいただけると嬉しいです。では、質問のある方、どうぞ。

Rotary peace seminar from Sarah Sanderson

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Sarah Sanderson

Wanderlust

In Mandarin: 旅遊癮 (lǚyóu yǐn)

According to my Mandarin teacher, the term 'wanderlust' can best be translated as 'a travel addiction or craving'. In the above translation, 'yǐn' has several meanings such as 'a strong impulse', 'a longing', or 'a desire'.