NEWS

The Tokyo Tech-MIT Language Exchange Program was organized for the fifth time from April to June 2024, with 36 students participating. (16 students from MIT Japan, and 20 students from Tokyo Tech) Tokyo Tech and MIT Japan have been conducting exchange programs such as the Tatara Steel Making Workshop in Japan since fiscal year 2017.

 

Participants in the plenary session

 

In this language exchange program, students from Tokyo Tech and MIT were randomly matched, and 16 groups were formed. The objectives were to 1) develop communication skills in a second language (English or Japanese), and 2) understand different cultures and ideas, and broaden perspectives through language exchange.

After the plenary introductory session in the middle of April each group held online language exchange sessions at least three times after adjusting to the 13-hour time difference between Tokyo and Boston. Each exchange session lasted approximately one hour, with 30 minutes in one language and 30 minutes in another language. Many groups met more than three times.

After language exchange sessions, each group created a short movie about what they had learned about their partners’ countries. Each group selected various topics such as differences in school life, recommended places in Boston and Tokyo, Everyday life in Japan, Macdonald’s in Japan and the U.S., Convenience stores, sarcasm, school cafeterias and so on. Lots of pairs met in person when MIT students came to Japan. Some Tokyo Tech students accompanied MIT students on a trip to Kamakura and Tokyo Tower.

As the student movies were created freely without any instruction, each group produced informative outputs.

 

(Left）Introducing general topics of MIT and Tokyo Tech
(Right）Recommended food in Japan

 

Kamakura tour

 

At the end of June, two months after the individual language exchange sessions, participants again gathered online for the final session. A digested movie compiling all of the movies by the 16 groups were shown, and each participant made a short comment in their second language. After voting, four prize-winning groups were selected. The first prize winner’s theme was “Space news”, the second prize winner’s theme was “Let’s find Tokyo Tower”. The two group got third prize, with the themes “Recommended foods“ and “Cafeterias in MIT and Tokyo Tech”.

 

Comments from voters included the following:

“It was fun to learn cultures in both countries. Also, I was able to get a sense of the atmosphere at both universities from the video”.

“They are filled with a sense of humor providing us with deep history of both cultures effectively”.

“Glad to see that the presenters seem to get along well”.

 

After the program, a certificate of completion was provided to each participant, along with the gifts from MIT Japan and Tokyo Tech.

 

According to the feedback from participants, all students would recommend this activity to their friends. It was a good opportunity for them to learn from each other through an equal balance of “teach and learn.” Even after the completion of the program, students from MIT and Tokyo Tech may meet online regularly and conduct language exchange. Many students commented that they enjoyed meeting new friends from other countries and exchanging ideas about the same topics in Japan and the US while practicing communication skills in a second language.

Students from MIT Japan visited Japan for their internship. On the weekends, they participated in the “Tatara Iron Making Workshop”, the “Japanese Sword Appreciation Workshop” and the “Myochin’s Hibashi (fire wind chime) Making Blacksmith experience”. These workshops were the part of the practical training for “Traditional Technology and Intercultural Collaboration “and “Innovative Product Design with Traditional Technologies “which were subjects offered by Tokyo Tech’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education. They were able to deepen their perspective on Japanese traditional technology, culture, and history.

MIT students and the 53rd generation blacksmith Munetaka Myochin (fifth from right)

 

（Left）MIT students appreciate the sword
（Right）The sword master explains the process of iron making

 

Lunch with MIT and Tokyo Tech friends

 

Organizers hope that this activity will continue between MIT and Tokyo Tech, and wish for a lasting friendship among participants in the Tokyo Tech-MIT Language Exchange Program. It is hoped that this sort of activity will be further developed between MIT and Tokyo Tech.

 

Comments from participants

• We should have an arranged dinner in Japan at the end with everyone! (MIT)
• It was easy for me to participate the program since the tandem sessions were on-demands. (Tokyo Tech)
• It was so much fun to become close friends with my MIT partner and to be able to see in person in Japan! Actually, we had 9 conversation sessions on-line. (Tokyo Tech)
• During this 2-month tandem experience, I gained confidence in having English conversations. I felt a sense of closeness to my partner when I learned that MIT students, studying at a top university in the field of science and technology, have similar daily lives to mine. Despite our cultural differences, we had fun talking about our unique cultures. This experience motivated me to pursue studying abroad.
• In person meetings when the students are in Japan would have been fun! (MIT)
• Almost everything is good, and we really enjoyed sharing our lifestyles. I could deeply understand about MIT and American culture. （Tokyo Tech）