thedrifter
03-15-07, 07:00 AM
Learning the Language
Military wives take classes to better understand English and the culture
Published Thu, Mar 15, 2007
By AMY RIGARD
arigard@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5537
Ikuko Gober has trouble pronouncing her daughter Valerie's name. The 38-year-old, who moved to the U.S. from Okinawa, Japan, has lived in Beaufort for about four years. When she says her daughter's name, it sounds a little different from the typical American pronunciation. That is because the Japanese have trouble pronouncing the letters "l" and "r" in the English language.
Gober is one of many military wives of men stationed in Beaufort seeking to learn and gain a better grasp of the English language. In fact, a particular class offered by Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry has consisted mostly of military wives of Asian heritage and occasional Hispanic students. Martha Bequette, the class's tutor, said she has taught about 13 Japanese military wives.
Bequette started teaching these women in 2003. "It is an ongoing but changing group," said Cindi Riley, the organization's assistant executive director. As husbands get stationed elsewhere or retire, the group changes. Members have told their friends, and new women continue to learn about the class. The group is not limited to women; it is coincidental that most of the students have been predominantly military wives of Asian descent.
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
The language and cultural barriers faced by those who immigrate to this country can often be overwhelming. From the little things like not seeing the latest blockbuster film at the theater because of not fully comprehending the language to the more significant circumstances of not being able to speak to a child's teacher or physician to express concerns or ask questions, life in a new country with a new culture and language can be difficult.
Riley feels strongly about promoting health literacy, along with the other goals that unite those who enroll in classes to learn English and otherwise improve their literary skills. "Health literacy is very important," said Riley. "It can be life-saving."
Gober has attended the English classes since January and said the things she finds most difficult about learning English are learning to think differently and the cultural differences. Originally from Okinawa, Gober said she has had to adjust to the fact that everything is big in America. And pronunciations are sometimes a problem for her. "Sometimes people don't understand me when I speak," Gober said.
Mayumi Timko, one of Bequette's students, has lived in the U.S. for about seven and a half years and in Beaufort for two and a half years. The 40-year-old woman married to a Marine will leave Beaufort at the end of March, when she and her husband and two daughters will move to Washington. Her husband is retiring from the Marine Corps.
Timko lived in California before moving to Beaufort and said one thing she has really noticed is a big difference between the West and East coasts. "Japan is much smaller and has the same culture throughout the country, so that was different to me," she said.
"And the pronunciations and grammar are difficult," she added.
A WHOLE NEW LANGUAGE
Kanoko Sachse, a former student of Bequette's who enrolled in 2004 to improve her English, especially her speaking skills, said she was very fortunate to find Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry. The assistance she received has helped her improve not only her English but also her career. She worked at a number of retail stores and now is employed by Insurance Specialists in accounts receivable. And she is taking business courses at Technical College of the Lowcountry in hopes that she can continue to improve her career.
Sachse has lived in the U.S. for three years and said she spoke a little English when she first started attending classes. Her English has improved a lot, she said. "It's easier to express how I am feeling," Sachse said. "It is more comfortable for me to speak English."
Bequette's favorite sentence to have the women pronounce is "I really prefer the green garden salad platter, please." She said that is a good sentence to have the women practice their "l's" and "r's," two letters which are often difficult for Japanese speakers to master.
"The Japanese don't use the teeth or tongue when speaking like we do," said Bequette.
The class meets weekly for an hour, and Bequette begins by allowing the members to discuss their week and anything they want to share with the group. "They gain language experience through conversation," she said. Any upcoming holidays are discussed since American culture is different than what the women are accustomed to. Bequette used the recent Presidents' Day holiday to give a brief explanation of possessives in the English language.
Bequette also brings in jokes for the women to read and explains anything they don't understand. "I think it is important for people to understand the humor in order to understand the culture," Bequette said.
Exercises from a grammar text book are completed each week, and the class discusses each lesson. Idioms and pronunciation are also taught.
Bequette also uses some unusual class material, including magazines like Southern Living, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, Time and others. She marks pages with items she thinks will be of interest to the women but also encourages them to look through the magazine and read other articles to find interesting topics to bring up at the next class. Dog-eared pages at a recent class included an article about a geisha look on the Dior runway and an article about Japanese butler bars.
A lesson plan is sometimes followed, but Bequette said the class occasionally veers off course, "which is fine, because they are learning what they need to know."
Tutors undergo a 15- to 18-hour training program and are taught different techniques, repetition drills and other methods to teach students who don't understand English. "We go through different alleys," Bequette said. "And it is my goal to give them all the answers and knowledge of what they need and want to know.
"These women are on an adventure in a new country with a new culture. It is an amazing experience, and I encourage them to write about it in journals so they have this time to look back and reflect on."
Ellie
Military wives take classes to better understand English and the culture
Published Thu, Mar 15, 2007
By AMY RIGARD
arigard@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5537
Ikuko Gober has trouble pronouncing her daughter Valerie's name. The 38-year-old, who moved to the U.S. from Okinawa, Japan, has lived in Beaufort for about four years. When she says her daughter's name, it sounds a little different from the typical American pronunciation. That is because the Japanese have trouble pronouncing the letters "l" and "r" in the English language.
Gober is one of many military wives of men stationed in Beaufort seeking to learn and gain a better grasp of the English language. In fact, a particular class offered by Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry has consisted mostly of military wives of Asian heritage and occasional Hispanic students. Martha Bequette, the class's tutor, said she has taught about 13 Japanese military wives.
Bequette started teaching these women in 2003. "It is an ongoing but changing group," said Cindi Riley, the organization's assistant executive director. As husbands get stationed elsewhere or retire, the group changes. Members have told their friends, and new women continue to learn about the class. The group is not limited to women; it is coincidental that most of the students have been predominantly military wives of Asian descent.
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
The language and cultural barriers faced by those who immigrate to this country can often be overwhelming. From the little things like not seeing the latest blockbuster film at the theater because of not fully comprehending the language to the more significant circumstances of not being able to speak to a child's teacher or physician to express concerns or ask questions, life in a new country with a new culture and language can be difficult.
Riley feels strongly about promoting health literacy, along with the other goals that unite those who enroll in classes to learn English and otherwise improve their literary skills. "Health literacy is very important," said Riley. "It can be life-saving."
Gober has attended the English classes since January and said the things she finds most difficult about learning English are learning to think differently and the cultural differences. Originally from Okinawa, Gober said she has had to adjust to the fact that everything is big in America. And pronunciations are sometimes a problem for her. "Sometimes people don't understand me when I speak," Gober said.
Mayumi Timko, one of Bequette's students, has lived in the U.S. for about seven and a half years and in Beaufort for two and a half years. The 40-year-old woman married to a Marine will leave Beaufort at the end of March, when she and her husband and two daughters will move to Washington. Her husband is retiring from the Marine Corps.
Timko lived in California before moving to Beaufort and said one thing she has really noticed is a big difference between the West and East coasts. "Japan is much smaller and has the same culture throughout the country, so that was different to me," she said.
"And the pronunciations and grammar are difficult," she added.
A WHOLE NEW LANGUAGE
Kanoko Sachse, a former student of Bequette's who enrolled in 2004 to improve her English, especially her speaking skills, said she was very fortunate to find Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry. The assistance she received has helped her improve not only her English but also her career. She worked at a number of retail stores and now is employed by Insurance Specialists in accounts receivable. And she is taking business courses at Technical College of the Lowcountry in hopes that she can continue to improve her career.
Sachse has lived in the U.S. for three years and said she spoke a little English when she first started attending classes. Her English has improved a lot, she said. "It's easier to express how I am feeling," Sachse said. "It is more comfortable for me to speak English."
Bequette's favorite sentence to have the women pronounce is "I really prefer the green garden salad platter, please." She said that is a good sentence to have the women practice their "l's" and "r's," two letters which are often difficult for Japanese speakers to master.
"The Japanese don't use the teeth or tongue when speaking like we do," said Bequette.
The class meets weekly for an hour, and Bequette begins by allowing the members to discuss their week and anything they want to share with the group. "They gain language experience through conversation," she said. Any upcoming holidays are discussed since American culture is different than what the women are accustomed to. Bequette used the recent Presidents' Day holiday to give a brief explanation of possessives in the English language.
Bequette also brings in jokes for the women to read and explains anything they don't understand. "I think it is important for people to understand the humor in order to understand the culture," Bequette said.
Exercises from a grammar text book are completed each week, and the class discusses each lesson. Idioms and pronunciation are also taught.
Bequette also uses some unusual class material, including magazines like Southern Living, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, Time and others. She marks pages with items she thinks will be of interest to the women but also encourages them to look through the magazine and read other articles to find interesting topics to bring up at the next class. Dog-eared pages at a recent class included an article about a geisha look on the Dior runway and an article about Japanese butler bars.
A lesson plan is sometimes followed, but Bequette said the class occasionally veers off course, "which is fine, because they are learning what they need to know."
Tutors undergo a 15- to 18-hour training program and are taught different techniques, repetition drills and other methods to teach students who don't understand English. "We go through different alleys," Bequette said. "And it is my goal to give them all the answers and knowledge of what they need and want to know.
"These women are on an adventure in a new country with a new culture. It is an amazing experience, and I encourage them to write about it in journals so they have this time to look back and reflect on."
Ellie