Louise Aleixo
(1993-94)
When I look back at my experience at LIOJ during the years 93-94, I think of that time with fond nostalgia. Despite the trials and tribulations of adapting to a very different culture, the language barrier, and a whole new teaching atmosphere, there were so many wonderful moments that I've often wished I had stayed on a bit longer. Had I done so, I know I would only have appreciated Japan more and would have returned home at some point with a larger scope of understanding the culture and what Japan has to offer.
Teaching at LIOJ was incredibly fun and immensely instructive! -- I taught in the Business Communication Program, where the language teaching was combined with an element of cross-cultural instruction making it unique to anything I had ever done. I acquired skills that helped me enormously when I returned home to a teaching position at the University of Toronto. These skills proved invaluable not only for my own teaching but also for the student teachers to whom I later transferred the skills. In the end, I wonder, who learned more at LIOJ, the students or the teachers!!
I worked with a staff of people who all had a great amount of energy, commitment and teaching pizzazz, which made the experience always exciting and certainly kept me on the ball! These were professionals from different parts of the English-speaking world who contributed to making the program dynamic and interesting.
Then there were the students! -- The students who would arrive for the most part, insecure and certainly apprehensive about the challenges facing them in an intensive English course where they were expected to have improved their language ability two-fold by the end of a three-week period. Yes, it was stressful, but the fact is, that that's exactly what happened; at the end of the course, we saw it over and over again, the students would indeed, leave us with a wonderful sense of achievement and speaking English with an ease that they perhaps had not expected to be doing when they first arrived. Those were proud moments for me as I'm sure were for all the teachers; knowing that we had, to whatever minimal extent, contributed to their success, and it had all been enjoyable! Some of the most memorable moments of my experience in the program were the final course dinners, where the students had come to the end of their course and were able to use the English skills that they had learned in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere of food and gaiety with us. There was a sense of accomplishment all round which left us free to enjoy the fruits of our laborious program.
I made some very good friends at LIOJ, some of whom are still very special people in my life. There are wonderful memories to recall, from shared experiences both in the institute and out. Trips to Tokyo on the romance car, which were great fun, outings with the students, the experience of trying new foods, pottery classes in Japanese, where the language barrier didn't seem to matter, the hot springs which relaxed my soul... and I could go on and on. This was a great adventure, one of the best adventures of my life and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I look at the photographs and remember what a unique opportunity it was.
After leaving LIOJ, I returned to Canada to teach at the University of Toronto and believe me, there was many a time when I wished I were back at LIOJ! -- I got married, had a lovely little boy, named, Maxim and since then, have moved to Portugal, given up teaching and now own and run a textile and home furnishings importing company with my husband. My teaching days are gone, but the memories are cherished, especially my experience at LIOJ. I hope to be able to return to Japan someday soon and show my son and husband a little of what was an exciting adventure for me.
Congratulations LIOJ on your 35th anniversary!! -- I'm sure you continue to provide wonderful experiences and excellent instruction to all those who walk through your doors.
June 2003
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