公開日 2020/12/14
On December 3, 2020, Shimane University’s Center for Foreign Language Education held Explore the World without Leaving Japan: International Competitions in San-in.
The hybrid event, held simultaneously on campus and on Zoom, introduced previous international sports competitions in the area (e.g., the 2019 ILCA Laser Radial World Championship, the Jamaican Track and Field training camp) before expounding on future volunteer opportunities, including the World Masters Games (scheduled for 2022) and the Paralympics (scheduled for 2021).
The event, which was attended by 63 participants including undergraduate and graduate students, was the collaborative vision of Carmella Lieske, Assistant Director of the Center, and Shery Megaly, a translator-interpreter who not only gives workshops to volunteers before the athletic meetings but also provides language support services at sports competitions.“We wanted students to broaden their world perspective and also realize there are many opportunities for intercultural communication, even here in the San-in area,” Lieske said. Throughout Explore the World, the participants were actively engaged in Ms. Megaly’s presentation, their small group discussions, and role plays that allowed them to practice helping foreign guests and athletes. “Many athletes from around the world will be visiting this region and will be excited to meet locals. I hope students will get involved and be the communication bridge as a volunteer,” Megaly said.
The post-event questionnaire demonstrated the participants’ positive response, with nearly two-thirds of the learners indicating they would like to volunteer at international events in the near future. Furthermore, more than 95 percent of the participants indicated they were inspired by the event, giving reasons such as “I could know that I have many chances to study English outside the university,” and “I could know the kind of information that I wouldn’t try to get by myself.” Similarly, one student reflected, “I could actually see the place where Japanese who can speak English are working to manage international event. It stimulated my motivation of English study.”
