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1. What prompted you decide to participate in the "JSPS Science Dialogue" program?
I was invited to attend the program by JSPS, Yamanaka Chihiro. I was very excited to return to Fukui Prefecture to speak to students, because I used to teach in Fukui. I don't get to interact with young students very much; but I really love it!
2. To what did you give greatest attention in preparing and giving the lecture?
Preparing a Powerpoint presentation
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?
It was a joy to speak to the students. I enjoyed having one-on-one question and answer sessions with the students after my lecture. As a group, they were uncomfortable asking questions. But when I invited them to speak with me after the lecture privately, many students came to talk to me. I also got to hear about their interests. That was the best part; they were very shy as a group, but not individually.
4. Could you give your impression with regard to participating in this program?
It was a great experience. However, there were several problems. The teachers at the high school seemed unprepared for me. Although I knew I was to give lectures on the 24th and 25th, I did not know that it would be the same group of students. So, I only prepared one lecture in advance for the two days. After my lecture on the 24th, the teachers then told me that it would be the same group listening to me on the 25th. I had to spend all day on the 25th preparing a second lecture and it was done in such a hurry. Also, I did not receive enough information from the teacher in charge. I did not know what time I should arrive at the school. I knew my lecture was at 17:00, but what time should I get there? He sent me a map of Fukui City, but it was unclear what the best transportation options would be. I really needed more guidance. On the second day, I desperately needed help with the internet and computer so that I could quickly make another lecture. However, when I arrived early at the school, they still did not have things set up for me. We wasted an hour trying to find an internet connection so that I could prepare my lecture. But I told them the night before that it was very important that I have an internet connection! It was a big, big problem. If I had been better informed of what was expected, I would have presented a much more interesting lecture.
5. Was it meaningful in terms of your fellowship activities?
It was interesting to see what the students found compelling about my work.
6. In what ways do you think the students benefited from the program?
I hope they benefited, but I am not sure. I received an email from one of the students who seemed very nice and I had a nice talk with after the class. We talked about music and movies. I think it was good for them to meet someone who is very interested in Japanese history – for many of the students I spoke to, they did not think history (or Japanese history) was interesting at all. So, it was good for them to meet someone from another country who really likes Japanese history .
7. Could you give some overall advice or comments to future participants in the program?
There needs to be much more detailed information.
Level of students' English ability, logistics about going to and from the school, much more help from the teachers who work at the school itself. You cannot assume that the visitor knows anything – you must assume that they know absolutely nothing about the school and how the program works.
Also, it's more important for the presenter to talk about his life and experiences in a general way; my research was only interesting in a small way to the students. High school students are more interested in you – the person – not the work.
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