Opening Messages
Summer in JAPAN Administration Officer: Norio Murakami
Summer in JAPAN 2024
A message to the Summer in JAPAN participants:
Here at SIJ, you are all going to be studying “The English Language.” However, we hope that you learn more than just English over the coming week. All of your university student instructors come from different backgrounds, and have different specialties, interests and experiences. Hopefully, learning and studying in this diverse environment will give you a sense of why English is considered a “global language.” I want to wish you all good luck as you begin to transition from “Learning English” to “Learning in English.”
A word to SIJ Instructors
For the teachers, here at SIJ you will be teaching “The English Language.” But more importantly, you will be giving your charges access to an opportunity. We expect that your interactions with the students in different situations will teach them about your diverse backgrounds. In the process of understanding your diversity, they will become aware of both the importance of English—a universal language in the global era—and the importance of “learning in English.”
After the English Seminar, SIJ will be sending you on a 4-day Japanese cultural program. Oita is the perfect place for this, as it has a great variety of cultural facilities and historical sites. You will also enjoy the abundant nature of Kyushu, this island of volcanoes and hot springs. I hope, and am confident, that your time at SIJ will be a fruitful experience. Make the best of your opportunity here, and good luck!