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Exchange students treated to rock climb the MHCC way
The Advocate
Japanese exchange students had a fi rst-hand experience
rock climbing in the MHCC Aquatics Center
Wednesday afternoon.
There were several MHCC student volunteers interacting
with guiding the exchange students.
Asked about his experience with the Japanese students,
Gary Johnson, Wilderness Leadership Experience
Education program student and Wildside Club president,
said, "Man, they were great. They were very grateful. I
was constantly hearing, 'Thank you, thank you.'"
Takuya Matsushatia, a 19-year-old Ryukoku University
student studying to be an English instructor, said
the climbing was very good and he likes the atmosphere
in Oregon.
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Shawn Osborne, fi ve-year MHCC language instructor,
said the rock-climbing event was scheduled to generate
cultural awareness and get exchange students together
with MHCC students to teach team-building.
Osborne teaches a complete English immersion class
to the students and has one session each weekday. She
said a common American activity has been scheduled for
the exchange students to focus on each school day. Class
periods consist of simple instructions followed by roleplay.
Each of the 16 students came from Ryukoku University
outside of Kyoto, Japan. Individual host families have
been arranged to accommodate the Japanese students
during their stay.
In anticipation of students desire to mail souvenirs
home, Osborne said Wednesday's curriculum included a
mock trip to the post offi ce. Shopping was covered on the
second day of class to prepare students for their scheduled
outings.
After a break at 10:50 a.m., exchange students are
gathered in panels to have English conversations with
volunteer partners.
Osborne said that many of the volunteer partners
are MHCC Japanese language students, but they are
not allowed to use any Japanese language during the
session.
Some of the volunteers are previous MHCC students
who have transferred to Portland State University.
During conversation time, exchange students Rie
Nagaro and Yiki said they enjoyed shopping at Forever
21 and said their favorite part of their time in the United
States so far was a night visit to a Portland viewpoint.
Nagaro also said that the rock climbing was very hard
and scary but it was helpful to practice English and said
that she really likes the snow in Oregon. This is Nagaro's
second trip to the U.S.
Osborne said at the end of the trip the exchange students
must write a formal letter explaining their experience
in order to receive full credit for the trip.
— L. John King also contributed to this report.
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