Pavlina Lejskova

外人 /gaijin/ n. A person who is an outsider in Japan.

 

The reach of the term above goes well beyond its definition. Unless you look visibly Asian, you are likely to be labeled as gaijin at some point during your Japanese adventure. With my 5'6'' figure, pale skin, short ash blond hair and a very limited knowledge of Japanese, I was the ultimate gaijin! Yet, during the eight weeks working at the Tokyo Woman's Christian University (TWCU), I never felt like an outsider. I taught the TWCU students English and in turn they taught me to live like a Japanese citizen. In my presentation, I will talk about navigating the exciting, yet often daunting, experience of being an English teacher in an unfamiliar, foreign culture. I will also discuss how to design an international internship that allows you to thrive in the workplace, learn from the experience while at least partiality protecting you from the perils of getting and keeping a first job and dealing with various stages of culture shock. Reflecting on the experience of teaching English in Tokyo has led me to believe that living and working abroad can be a powerful learning experience that is worth pursuing despite its challenges!