Mikiya Interview
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When did you start at School at YES?
“I joined in first grade when the school first opened. I was one of the first students to come here. Back then, we only had like a few students, so we used to play and talk with teachers a lot then.”
What was the hardest thing when you first started?
“P.E with Mr. Yama was definitely a hard thing for me because we had to do a lot of barefoot training where we were, like, running outside without shoes. Also, when I started, my English wasn’t as good as some of the other kids because I hadn’t studied it very long at that time. Some of my friends attended an international preschool from the start so they were very good at English.”
Was it easy to get used to understanding and using English at YES?
“It was really easy to get used to English because we learned lots of different subjects, such as Science, Math, and Social Studies in English. So, like, we didn’t study English by itself, but learned lots of different things in English, which helped me to develop, like, my English brain!"
"It also helped to develop a variety of English vocabulary so that I could use more English when speaking to friends and other people.”
“So now, when I watch or listen to English in my daily life, like the news or other media in English, I can understand lots of different topics easily because that’s how I learned English at YES. It basically helps me in the real world because I now have English ability but also an international way of thinking so I can understand things from different perspectives.”
What are some important lessons that you learned at YES?
"Well, at P.E we learned how to be stronger physically and mentally and be more disciplined but also nice and supportive of each other. The concept of team and helping each other was really important in those lessons. It changed my way of thinking and I tried my best to take care of younger kids at school, especially first graders."
"Like, P.E at YES is not just physical education, but you also need to improve your attitude, your emotional control and your way of thinking."
Do you know why your parents wanted you to come to YES?
"Mostly, I just liked English and they wanted me to able to have an education in English. Also, my dream was and still is to become a professional soccer player. So, like, I felt I needed to learn English and also to improve my physical ability. I think that is why my parents decided to send me to YES, because this school helped me improve both these things. Also, I think they thought English would be helpful, not only with becoming a soccer player, but also generally in my life in the future."
Do you feel like YES is different from other schools and your current Junior High School?
"I felt like YES was more free and students had more independence to make their own choices. I think other schools and my current school are a bit strict and I can’t just talk and have a discussion with the teacher."
"At YES, I felt that students could regularly interact and communicate with teachers inside and outside the lesson."
"Also, the school camp was very unique. We had to stay in a tent, make our own fire, cook our food and do what we needed to do without being guided step by step. I think we learned to be more independent and learn how to solve problems ourselves."
"At my current school, the rules and guidance are quite strict and this makes students a bit more childish. I think YES students’ way of thinking and mental attitude becomes more mature because of having more independence and responsibility."
Do you think what you learned at YES is helping you in Junior High School?
"Definitely! Since I am on the international course in my school, all the English I learned at YES is helping me to understand what we study in English and I don’t have any issues communicating."
"On top of that, Things we studied at YES like Greek Mythology, Poetry analysis, and essay making are all really handy in my current school."
"Also, because I met teachers from so many different countries at YES, it helped to expand my horizon and have an interests in many different things. I think this is helping me now at my new school and will also help me in the future."
What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining YES?
"I would say, you can learn about so many different things from a variety of fields and also about the real world, like, stuff that we can use in the real world. You can do this in both English and Japanese which can help you to think deeper about things and see things from different points of view."
"I think how we learned at YES is similar to how people study at university. First we learn about many different things in order to figure out who we are and what we like. Then we can learn in detail about things that we are interested in."
What were your favorite things about YES?
"I loved the active learning at YES. We always used to go out and move our bodies a lot outside school. At my current school, we don’t move our bodies a lot. We kind of just stay in our seats, the teacher gives us a topic, and then we study it. I miss moving my body at YES and being able to stay energetic. I think this is really important when you’re a kid."
"Also, at YES, we used to explore a lot and think more actively and in an open-minded way. We could think about the topic independently instead of being given just one solution by the teachers. I think this helped me to understand who I am more and learn more about myself."
Was there anything that you didn’t like too much?
"Sometimes, the responsibility was too much for me! At the time, sometimes I felt like I didn’t want to take care of the lower-graders and just wanted to have fun with kids from my own grade. This was a bit stressful for me. Of course, now I realize it was important to help me become more mature and responsible."
"Actually, I am currently my class president so I am responsible for making sure the class is clean, or reminding students to do their work and get ready for class."
"I think I can do this well because of the responsibility I learned at YES."