A Trilingual Family I Met in Ohio | The Reality of Living in French, Japanese, and English ⑦

While I was staying in Ohio,
my cousin took me to many different places.

Even if they weren't famous tourist spots,
the time spent visiting places where people actually live
was very precious.

Among those, what left the biggest impression on me
was when we went to visit the home of a friend
from my cousin's child's kindergarten.

◆ Three languages in one home

That family consisted of
a Japanese mother and an American father.

But as I listened to their story,
I realized their way of life was very unique.

The two of them actually met
in France, of all places.

Because of that,

・The couple speaks to each other in French
・The mother and child speak in Japanese
・The father and child speak in English

and in this way,
three languages were naturally used in one home.

I was simply amazed when I heard that.

When it comes to language learning,
I had a strong image of it being something you 'study to acquire,' but

in this family,
the language itself had become their 'life'.

◆ The Japanese mother's English study method

That Japanese mother
said she wasn't particularly good at English.

But the study method she continues in her daily life
left a deep impression on me.

It is,
when watching TV or the news,

to turn on English subtitles (for the hearing impaired).

Unlike watching a movie with Japanese subtitles,
the content of the news is displayed in English as it is,so

you can check the words you couldn't catch
using the subtitles afterward.

Moreover, since the subtitles appear with a slight delay,
it seems they can be usedas a way to check your answers.

I felt this was a truly excellent method.

By engaging with the English as it is, rather than through a Japanese translation,

you can train both your listening and vocabulary at the same time.

While it can sometimes be difficult to create the same environment in Japan,
I thought it was a very practical way to learn.

◆ Suspended just for making a pistol gesture with a hand

I heard another surprising story at that house.

When their child was playing at kindergarten,
they apparently made a pistol shape with their hand in jest
and pointed it at a friend.

Then,

instead of just a warning,
they were actually suspended.

I couldn't help but ask again.

Suspended just for making a pistol gesture with your hand?

Of course, I think there are differences depending on the school and the region.

Even so,

I strongly felt that this is a society that is extremely strict regarding anything related to guns.

When you live in Japan,
it is a feeling that is quite hard to grasp.

Even for the same "child's play,"
the way it is perceived is completely different.

I was deeply shocked by that difference.

◆ Differences that become visible in daily life

What I felt through my time at this house was,

・Language
・Study methods
・Safety awareness

All of these things
are based on premises that are different from those in Japan.

There are many things you cannot see just by traveling,
but you encounter them in daily life.

My stay in Ohio
was also a time to learn about those differences one by one.

▶ Next time

Next time,

I will write about safety measures in American kindergartens and the fact that you cannot leave children home alone,
among other things.

Differences in child-rearing and public safety will be the topic.

I would be happy if you read it next time too😊
It would be a great encouragement if you could like and follow.

▶ Related articles

👉The reason I ended up going to Ohio | Why my cousin who couldn't speak English lived in America ①
👉Almost lost during my first transfer | The story of panicking at Chicago O'Hare Airport ②
👉A shock on the domestic flight to Ohio | My first propeller plane and the mini-panic after arrival ③
👉The trial right after arriving in Ohio | The reality of "American money" that confused me at McDonald's ④
👉The value of Japanese products I noticed in Ohio | Evaluation in a life where the "taken for granted" was special ⑤
👉Life hacks I noticed in Ohio | "Payment tricks" that solved the coin problem ⑥

#OhioLife
#AmericanLife
#InternationalMarriage
#BilingualChildrearing
#MultilingualFamily
#EnglishLearning
#CrossCulturalExperience
#EducationalDifferences
#OverseasChildrearing
#PersonalExperience