You Can Do This Much Even in Japan | The World Expands Without Going Abroad ⑤ (The Differences I Noticed Through Movies)

Have you ever noticed that people laugh at different times even when watching the same movie?

As I learned about the lives of the ALTs,
I gradually began to feel

that even while in the same Japan, the worlds we see are different.

That was when something even more memorable happened.

It was—
an event that left a lasting impression.

It was—

It happened when we went to see a movie together.

It started with a casual promise

One day, while I was talking to a Canadian ALT,

“There’s a French movie playing right now,”

we started talking about it.

The title was“Amélie.”

It was a movie that was popular in Japan at the time.

“Shall we go see it together?”

With that casual suggestion,
we ended up going to the theater.

The reason it was a bit special

That ALT wasn’t just any Canadian.

He wasfrom a French-speaking region.

from a French-speaking region.

In other words,

• Understanding French
• Being able to speak English

And I,

• Understanding through Japanese subtitles

Even though we were watching the same movie,
the conditions were completely different.

The sense of discomfort I felt as soon as the movie started

The movie started, and after a while,
I noticed something.

That was—

the timing of the laughter was different

that was it.

He was the only one laughing

In one scene,

he chuckled to himself.

But I,

"Huh? What was funny about that?"

I didn't understand it at all.

The Japanese people around us didn't react either.

In other words,

a situation where only he was laughing.

There were also the opposite patterns

As I continued watching,
the opposite started to happen.

In scenes where Japanese people would chuckle a little,

he didn't react at all.

Even though we were watching the same movie,

our perceptions were out of sync.

That sense of discomfort stayed in my mind for a long time.

Why does something like this happen?

After the movie ended,
I tried talking to him about it.

Then he said this:

"I think it's because the nuances are different."

Things I couldn't have noticed alone

If I had watched the movie by myself,

"It was a movie with a nice atmosphere, somehow."

That might have been the only impression I was left with.

But he, who was watching it with me, was different.

After the movie, he said this:

"I think this movie is trying to convey that 'a small step is necessary'."

When I heard those words,

"I never thought of it that way."

I was surprised.

That is because I was so focused on following the story that
I hadn't thought about the meaning that deeply.

Even with the same movie, the way it's received differs

Even though we are watching the same movie,

・The themes we perceive
・The messages we receive

are so different.

That was when I first

realized that "understanding the language" is different from "truly understanding."

I realized that.

Understanding beyond just English

What I thought after this experience was,

it's not just about whether you can speak English,

but that "how you understand" is also important.

That is what I realized.

・The background of the words
・Culture
・Ways of thinking

If you don't know those things,

you cannot understand the true meaning.

That is why international exchange is interesting

At this moment, I felt it once again.

International exchange is not just about speaking English.

Even if we look at the same thing and share the same time,
our perceptions differ.

Knowing those differences is

the greatest lesson.

And, toward an even deeper experience

Just like that, little by little,
when I had gotten used to the "differences."

I would have yet another unforgettable experience.

That was—

the time I went to the "America" that exists within Japan.

It was.

Next Episode Preview

Next time,

・The reality of U.S. military bases
・A space that is in Japan but is America
・A world where sizes and culture are all different

"An overseas experience within Japan"

I will write about.

(Continued in ⑥)

Related Articles

▶ Previous Article
・④ The reality of foreigners working in Japan (ALT Edition)

▶ Overseas Homestay Series
・San Francisco Edition
・Los Angeles Edition
・Ohio Edition Summary

▶ Next Article
・⑥ An American experience within Japan

Your likes and follows are encouraging

#InternationalExchange
#EnglishConversation
#LearningThroughMovies
#CrossCulturalUnderstanding
#ALT
#OverseasExperience
#EnglishLearning
#CulturalDifferences
#DifferenceInValues
#PersonalExperience