Maplewood native interns for Labo in Japan

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TOKYO, JAPAN — Shelby County native Ethan Jock received the opportunity of a lifetime when he was accepted to the Labo International Student Exchange Program in Japan last year.

Labo, a family-based Japanese youth organization based out of Tokyo, recruits only four interns each year from English-speaking countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, to live and work in Japan for just under 12 months.

Jock, 23, a 2013 graduate of Lehman High School and Shelby County 4-H alum, said he applied to the program in November 2016 during his senior year of college at Franciscan University, in Steubenville. After a four-month-long selection process, Jock, son of Melissa and Daniel Jock, was one of the lucky few chosen to travel to Japan where he will stay for just under one year.

Labo focuses on improving the English-speaking abilities of children in Japan, between the ages of 3 and 18, and also gives them the chance to learn more about different cultures.

It closely connects with 4-H, which is how many students, in America and elsewhere, learn about the programs Labo has to offer. This is the case for Jock, as well.

“I was in 4-H from when I was a small kid up until junior high school,” he said. “My family actually created (“The Adventurers” 4-H club) and my mom is still the adviser of that group.”

Jock said he has had an interest in Japanese culture from a young age, and has always wanted to host an exchange student.

It was after his mother’s best friend hosted a Japanese exchange student through Labo that he was introduced to the idea of applying to the program.

Labo employs thousands of tutors, who work to educate the children through song, story-telling, and plays, among other activities. The interns recruited are given the opportunity to learn the Japanese language and also work within Labo offices throughout the country.

“Basically, what (Labo) does is (help) kids learn English in a more intuitive way, rather than just studying in the classroom,” Jock said.

“When you study English in the classroom in Japan — and I think the same goes for Spanish in America — you don’t really learn how to talk to somebody, but you learn more about the grammar and those sorts of things, so basically, Labo wants to help encourage learning English through conversation rather than the classroom.”

Jock described the role of interns as “cultural representatives,” who serve as a sort of liaison between the Japanese children and each intern’s country and culture.

Rather than learning in a structured education environment, Labo engages the children through events called “parties,” which Jock said are similar to club activities. The hired tutors facilitate these gatherings.

One of Jock’s duties involves going to at least three of these events each week. Jock has a photo album that he shows the children when he introduces himself. This way, the kids are able to see where he is from, who he is, and peices of his culture back home.

Jock said this time is also useful for the kids to practice their English. The Japenese skills that he is learning while living in Japan come in handy, as well, to fill in any blanks in conversation.

“The important thing is the communication, rather than having perfect grammar,” Jock said.

Jock is also responsible for the planning of Labo Parties. This is done during the time he spends working in the office, and he works with the tutors to fit the parties into their schedules.

In addition, Jock conducts interviews with students in Japan who wish to travel to America for a year-long exchange program.

“I test the students’ English abilities and evaluate their attitude to see if they could adapt to American culture and that sort of thing,” he said.

“It’s not just about having perfect English; there’s a lot more that goes into it,” Jock continued. “The main thing I’m looking at is the attitude and the motivations behind why they want to go on a year-long exchange because if you don’t have strong enough motivations, after a couple months or so, you might feel really deflated, homesick and kind of questioning why you’re there. So, I really look for people who are able to adapt to different situations.”

Jock is also responsible for providing assistance with regard to the orientation of new English-speaking students who arrive in Japan for their stay.

“I help them get accustomed to their home stays and give them advice, tips and encouragement,” he said.

These exchange students, as well as Jock, are housed with Japanese families throughout the different districts of the country. The families are Labo members and have children of their own who are interested in learning English.

“It’s a good experience for (both of us),” Jock said. “I get to live the Japanese family life and it helps me improve my Japanese, and they also get to experience a little of my culture and learn more English through daily life.”

Rather than stay with one host family throughout his entire time in Japan, Jock has been assigned multiple different families. This has allowed him to live and work in different areas of the country.

So far, Jock has lived in Kawasaki, Tokyo, and this month, he is scheduled to move to Nagoya. The children of the families he’s stayed with range from 8 to 21 years old.

Each intern lives with about six host families throughout their year in Japan. The interns eat two meals per day with their host family, with lunch being the exception. Labo provides the host families, and also covers travel expenses to and from Japan and transportation costs throughout the country during their stay, as well as hotel stays while traveling.

Interns receive a stipend of 90,000 yen (net; equivalent to $845.10), and are enrolled in Japan’s National Healthcare Plan insurance program. Labo will pay all premiums, and interns are responsible for 30 percent of the total medical fees for treatment in the event of injury or illness.

For Jock, this experience has given him the chance to travel farther than he ever has, and is the longest he’s been in a foreign land.

“I’ve been out of the (U.S.) to Nicaragua and Central America for mission trips through my college,” he said. “Each time was only around 10 to 15 days, so this is my first long-term experience.”

“I think the hardest part has been adapting to the vast differences in culture because America and Japan have very different cultures—the living styles, the way that you do things,” he continued. “There’s just so much that’s different, so being able to adapt to that and really kind of change your mindset about certain things is a bit challenging, but it’s really exciting and fun.”

Jock said one of the most prominent differences in culture he has noticed so far is in the way people express themselves through verbal and non-verbal communication.

“Japan is quite a high-context culture, whereas America is low-context,” he said.

“For example, (in Japan) a lot of things have to be inferred through speaking to somebody rather than just being able to tell them outright. (In) America, we’re able to be quite direct about what we want to say and how we express ourselves, but in Japan, it’s more about being able to read between the lines and know how someone’s feeling without necessarily saying exactly that; it’s more about wanting to keep the peace, I guess, and not cause commotion.”

As for his Japanese language skills, Jock said they are improving each day and he hopes to become fluent by the time his internship is up. He also plans to put the new knowledge to use once he enters into the workforce by finding a job that requires knowledge of the Japanese language, whether that be in Ohio or Japan.

Jock said his time in Japan has broadened his outlook on the world, allowing him to be more accepting of people, both similar to him and different.

“It’s really just been wonderful to experience this different culture and learn about people half way across the world,” he said. “(To) learn about the differences, but also the similarities that all humans have. It’s important to understand that and not just be close-minded with our own culture and our own way of doing things because there are so many different types of people on this earth.”

Ethan Jock and students at a Labo Party spell out “Ohio.”
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2018/03/web1_labo-1.jpgEthan Jock and students at a Labo Party spell out “Ohio.” Courtesy photo

Ethan Jock teaches students at a Labo Party about American culture in both English and Japanese.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2018/03/web1_labo-2.jpgEthan Jock teaches students at a Labo Party about American culture in both English and Japanese. Courtesy photo

By Aimee Hancock

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4825

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