Article: Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty
Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, JETs in the News 
Comments Off on Article: Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty
This is a summary of an article originally appearing in the Kahoku Shimpo (Tohoku News) on January 19, 2012.
Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty
http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2012/01/20120119t33008.htm
Roughly 80% of all middle school students, about 500 altogether, in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, will take the English Language Proficiency Exam (Eiken), in part thanks to support from JETAA USA, whose donation will help to cover the cost of the test. This is one way to bring to life the wish of Montgomery Dickson, who taught English here as an ALT, and who told his students, “I want you to love English.”
Monty worked for the Rikuzentakata Board of Education since 2009 and was an assistant English language teacher at the city’s elementary and middle schools. Immediately after the earthquake on March 11 last year, he evacuated to a park near the board of education offices, but was lost to the tsunami shortly after.
Everyone knew him as “Monty-sensei”, and admired the way he diligently studied Chinese characters (kanji) and performed Japanese folk songs (enka) and comedy skits (manzai) at the board’s social functions. He dedicated himself to improving his students’ English ability, even holding classes for free over the winter break. He was very popular with his colleagues and students.
Despite the fact that the learning environment is still in disarray for middle school students in the city, the number of students registered for the exam on the 20th is about three times higher than this time last year. There have been three prep sessions this month, with many students working through problems from past tests and studying to get ready.
Dickson came to Japan on the JET Program, and after the disaster JET alumni from across the US* collected money and created a fund to support recovery efforts in Tohoku, focusing their attention on Rikuzentakata and on Ishinomaki, in Miyagi, where the other American victim, Taylor Anderson, worked. This aid to the students is one expression of their warm wishes.
Rikuzentakata would also like to establish an exchange with Dickson’s home state of Alaska. Their hope is that in return for receiving so much support from around the world, they will become more outward looking themselves, and that their children become able to go to Alaska and speak in English about their memories of Monty and their own experiences in the disaster.
*JETwit Note: While the article specifically references money raised by US JET alumni for the JETAA USA Fund, it’s worth noting that current JETs, JET alumni and JET Alumni chapters all around the world donated and helped raise money in myriad other ways through various channels and organizations.
***********************
津波犠牲ＡＬＴの思い忘れず 陸前高田の中学生、英検挑戦へ
東日本大震災で甚大な被害を受けた岩手県陸前高田市で２０日、市内全中学生の８割に当たる約５００人が英語検定（英検）を受験する。市教委が支援団体の協力を得、受験料を全額補助することにした。異国の日本を愛し、日本語教師を夢見ながら、津波で犠牲になった同市の米国人男性英語指導助手（ＡＬＴ）の「英語を好きになってほしい」との願いが生かされた。
ＡＬＴはモントゴメリー・ディクソンさん＝当時（２６）＝。２００９年から陸前高田市教委に勤務し、小中学校で英語の授業を補助していた。昨年３月１１日の地震発生直後、市民会館内にある市教委からいったん近くの公園に避難したが、その後津波に襲われた。
「モンティ先生」の愛称で親しまれた。漢字の勉強にも人一倍努力し、職場の宴会で演歌や漫才を披露するなど周囲に溶け込んでいた。日本人の婚約者もいたという。
堪能な日本語で児童生徒や教員らとも積極的に交流、冬休み中には無償で子ども向けの英語教室を開催、英語力向上に尽力した。
同僚の熊谷卓さん（２５）は「校外で芸術鑑賞中、こっそり入ってきたモンティさんに気付いた子どもたちが大騒ぎし、鑑賞どころでなくなった」とその人気ぶりを振り返る。
同市では被災で中学生たちの学習環境が整わないにもかかわらず、２０日の英検申込者数が昨年同時期と比べ、約３倍に増えた。今月、受験対策講座が計３回開かれ、多くの生徒が過去の問題などに取り組んだ。広田中２年の臼井春香さん（１３）は「もっと英語を好きになり、理解できるようになりたい」と話す。
ディクソンさんは、国のＪＥＴプログラム（外国青年招致事業）で来日した。震災後、事業に参加した米国人ＯＢたちが全米で募金活動などを行い、復興支援基金を設立。現役ＡＬＴが犠牲になった陸前高田市と石巻市で重点的に教育支援しようと、支援団体などに寄付した。今回の補助にはこの善意が充てられる。
市教委は、ディクソンさんの出身地アラスカ州との交流も視野に入れる。学校教育課は「世界から支援を受ける今だからこそ、世界に目を向けてほしい。教え子たちがアラスカ州で、彼との思い出や震災の経験を英語で話せたらいい」と期待している。
2012年01月19日木曜日
Comments are closed.