Summary This page chronicles the Oral History Project my Japanese students at Sophia University, Tokyo, did as part of a mandatory integrated four-skills English course in their second-year. The projects took place among six different groups of students in the Spring of 1999, 2000, and 2001. Students intensively studied the art of interview design and the operation of recording equipment in class. They also practiced how to develop smooth questioning skills before the actual 'real' face-to-face interviews took place. In some instances, students conducted follow-up interviews via telephone to deepen the content of their projects. The projects often necessitated translation from Japanese to English and extensive reorganization; thus, numerous drafts were written and revised. In most cases, students interviewed a grandparent or any elder about a selected aspect of the past. In some special instances, students chose instead to interview local adults who had jobs they found interesting. Students focused on topics such as education, WWII, dating, child rearing, and working full-time. Students were encouraged to employ illustration, photography, and sound in their final presentations to class. Permission from the interviewees was obtained in writing and, later, copies of the final reports were given to thank them for participation.

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. --White Elk

Personal Interest/Background I have always been interested in the stories of the past, and although I lost my grandparents while I was young, I have continued to enjoy the company of elders. Part of my interest perhaps comes from my Metis (Native American) ancestry and in the wisdom I have found in Native American and world indigenous societies. I deeply feel that knowing stories from our elders is a crucial step in knowing who we are and who we can become. I have a great respect for the lessons and stories our elders can share, if only we are willing to listen. I first taught Oral History projects with 15-16 year-olds as part of the content-based curriculum at Kyoto Nishi High School, the high school affiliated with Kyoto Foreign Languages University. Students wrote simple five-paragraph essays about their grandparents (or elder relatives) from content they gathered from interviews. When I joined Sophia, I wanted to expand the idea into a semester-long major project, as it fit well with the four-skill English needs of the university students. I researched and studied about the oral history profession and found the stories collected by social anthropologists and historians fascinating glimpses into human history. Inspired by the well-known Foxfire Project (see below link), I decided to give the students training in interviewing, transcription and translation of spoken text, culminating in a finished project. The Foxfire Project

Connecting to the past directly Objectives To introduce students to the field of Oral History as a means of learning about the past, and to practice the art of interviewing. To learn to create different types of questions appropriate to the anticipated audience, to run sound recording equipment, and to practice communicative skills, such as the ability to create follow-up questions 'on the spot.' Overall, I hoped for two things. One, students would understand how their lives were inextricably linked to that of their elders. Two, students would hear and, with hope, value the human face and voice of history, which is often silenced in history textbooks. The supplementary skills to be developed included critical thinking and questioning in English (in-class practice and interview design) and translating Japanese expressions into natural, living English.

Honor the sacred. Honor the Earth, our Mother. Honor the Elders. Honor all with whom we share the Earth:- Four-leggeds, two-leggeds, winged ones, Swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people. Walk in balance and beauty. --Native American Elder

Excerpts of Student Projects Here are two text selections from two students from different years, 1999 and 2001. Student 1 Excerpt This student interviewed a 70-year-old Jesuit brother who works with Japanese juvenile offenders. Student 2 Excerpt This student interviewed her grandfather, who was a young prisoner of war in Siberia after WWII.

Findings Student questionnaires on learning outcomes were completed at each project's end. The response to the project was overwhelmingly positive. Although some found the actual interviewing to be stressful and a few desired more practice time in-class, most students stated that they discovered fresh and valuable viewpoints about life. Some students wrote that it was the first time for them to hear directly about life in Japan during wartime, and that from the experience they could better understand the complex challenges faced by the older generation. The elders' perspectives also brought them to more deeply understand the basis for current debates about Japan's changing role in the world.

Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus should we do, for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the World. --Black Elk

References Brown, C. S. (1988). Like it was: A complete guide to writing oral history. New York: Teachers and Writers Collaborative. Ives, E. (1995). The tape-recorded interview: A manual for fieldworkers in folklore and oral history. Second Edition. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. Perks, R. and Thomson, A., eds. (1998). The oral history reader. New York: Routledge. Ritchie, D. A. (1995). Doing oral history: Practical advice and reasonable explanations for anyone. New York: Twayne. Center for the Study of History and Memory A great resource for integrating oral history into the classroom International Oral History Association

Future Plans I hope to integrate recent technologies, such as digital sound, photography, and video into the project, and to publish future student works on the World Wide Web. I hope to find people interested in helping me in the digitizing of the project. I would like to continue my focus on elder/student exchange, as I feel the aging population in Japan needs ample opportunities to connect with youth, and vice versa. I hope to reach out to local retirement homes to participate in collecting elder's stories, but I need to find Japanese people interested in helping me design a wider community-based system.

CONTACT dosch018 AT umn DOT edu

Certain things catch your eye, But pursue only those that capture your heart. --Native American proverb