稲羽西小学校では、「Let’s start English time.」のあいさつで英語の時間が始まります。KETのアイス先生にインタビューしました。質問は日本語で、答えは英語で紹介します。ホームページをご覧の皆さん、アイス先生は何と答えたのかお分かりですか？それでは、Let’s start English time.

どこに住んでいらっしゃいますか

I live now in Kawashima Kakamigahara City from July last year, 2020.But before I moved here in Kakamigahara. I have lived in Ichinomiya City in Aichi for 14 years.

家族について教えてください

We are a family of four. My husband and I with our two children. I am from the Philippines. I have a mixed blood of Filipino-American-Spanish. My husband is a Filipino-Japanese. His grandfather was a Japanese soldier from Hiroshima. My daughter will be first year college and my son will be second year Junior Highschool in April.  We also have pets. We have 12 inches long arowana fish named Wana Chan and a very cute and adorable tuxedo cat named Binx.

各務原の印象はどうですか

Kakamigahara City is a great city. With great people and their hospitality. A very accessible city going to any cities in Gifu Prefecture and cities in Aichi Prefecture like Inuyama, Konan, Fuso Cho, Ichinomiya and so on. Kakamigahara made me feel at home instantly with an amazing scenery of natures like mountains and the famous Kisogawa River.

稲西っ子の印象を教えてください

My first impression with the students here at Inaba Nishi Elementary school was shy and quiet. But, the students proved me wrong about my first impression. As I get along with them, my impression changed from shy to active and warm. From quiet to powerful. I always enjoy even the small conversation in English inside and outside the class. The students are happy to talk to and they try and use the words or phrases that they learned in English.

どうして日本で英語を教えようと思ったのですか

When my family came here in 2006. We have zero Japanese language knowledge. I really had a hard time to communicate through Japanese, but the Japanese people I met through the years never give up on me. They are very kind and has an incredible perseverance on helping people, especially to a foreigner like me. They couldn’t speak fluently but they tried their best to communicate with some of the English words that they knew and made gestures for me to understand what they’re trying to say. Japanese are good communicators. “GIVING UP!” is not an option for Japanese people, that’s what I admired most. It made me inspired. I know how hard it is to communicate without the ability to speak the language. I’ve been in their shoes for not speaking Japanese. From then I thought, how can I help this amazing people who are determined to help the people who are in need. I believe that Japanese people has a capability of changing our world through their values. That’s why I decided to teach English in Japan.