MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Service members aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, volunteered to teach English to students at Midoro Hoikuen School in Iwakuni City, July 30, 2015.
The Marine Memorial Chapel provides service members and their families a way to interact more closely with their Japanese neighbors. This interaction provides a window through which American and Japanese cultures can be mutually shared and respected.
Lance Cpl. Efrain MoralesHernandez, a correctional specialist with the station Provost Marshal’s Office, has taken full advantage of his window of opportunity.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to experience the culture,” said MoralesHernandez, who has volunteered three times at local schools. “Before I joined the Marine Corps, I wanted to be a teacher. I felt this was a good way to gain experience and get involved with the community.”
As volunteers stepped into the classroom, students quickly arranged themselves into rows and waited for introductions to begin. Children repeated each volunteers’ name and giggled at their attempts at Japanese greetings. Once students were more familiar with the volunteers, service members soon became jungle gyms for the children.
“Having the service members visit makes the children very happy,” said Hazuki Yokota, a teacher at Midoro Hoikuen School. “We sometimes incorporate English into our lessons as the students learn more.”
Before splitting into groups, volunteers and children played interactive games and sang songs. Students also showed off their counting skills to the volunteers by standing up and counting to 10 in English.
“I can see that the kids love it, and they get really excited,” said MoralesHernandez. “They get to learn the English alphabet, and numbers, and as we read books to them, we help them pronounce words and sound out letters.”
At the end of group time, volunteers handed out special treats for the students to enjoy.
"It makes me feel good to see the kids’ smiles,” said MoralesHernandez. “I recommend this to anybody who wants to get out and learn and experience the culture.”
There are numerous opportunities for base residents to participate in events with their Japanese neighbors. For more information on volunteering, contact the base chapel at 253-3371.