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1. What prompted you decide to participate in the "JSPS Science Dialogue" program?
I had heard of positive experiences from fellow researches who participated in the science dialogue so when I was asked by JSPS to participate I kindly accepted their invitation.
2. To what did you give greatest attention in preparing and giving the lecture?
Preparation was difficult because I was not so much aware of the background of the students. I discussed a lot with my Japanese friends and colleagues on how to best communicate with the students. Also I rehearsed a couple of times bits and pieces of the talk with the translator (something I would normally never do).
3. Did you find it difficult to give a lecture in English to Japanese students? Could you give some advice to future lecturers on how to facilitate communication with Japanese students?
Yes. Before the dialogue I was fortunate enough to have a try-out at a local high school for an audience of 20 motivated high school kids and I could practice a little bit on how to best tackle the language problem. I added Japanese explanations to most slides (not just keywords and some slides (the most important ones) were only in Japanese) and tried to speak slowly using simple words.
Nonetheless, to not have a good translator is a vice; Bring a good translator who also knows about your research! My second time was in front of an audience of 80 1st and 2nd year high school students who all had to be there. I found, however, that having someone translate your every word makes it very difficult to keep the pace of the talk going. After the talk I could sit down with some students in one-on-one situations and that makes it much easier for them to communicate with you even if you only speak very limited Japanese (or none at all) and (whatever the teachers will tell you) they really only have a very basic understanding of English (and 90mins in English is a VERY long time for them so put in lots of breaks).
4. Could you give your impression with regard to participating in this program?
I consider my visits to the 2 high schools I visited as very special experiences. Unless you come to Japan as an English teacher you probably won't ever set a foot inside a Japanese high school. Going with my own experiences, most of the students have never talked to foreigners and your presence will be a shock for them!
5. Was it meaningful in terms of your fellowship activities?
No.
6. In what ways do you think the students benefited from the program?
Exposure to new worlds, hearing about things they have never heard of. As a speaker I think you really have some influence on the impression students will get on science and your field in particular.
7. Could you give some overall advice or comments to future participants in the program?
Communication is the keyword, have a couple of breaks, keep it light and simple. It's not really about teaching it is to motivate and stimulate the students.
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