+In the class on July 12, we had so many guests from Africa and other countries. They were from French and Portuguese speaking countries and most of them were teachers. I talked with 2 women from Chad and Congo. Neither of them could speak English at all, only French, so I was confused how I should communicate with them. But thanks to Monsieur Antoine Fraysse and other help, I managed to talk with them.
First, I talked with a woman from Congo. She told me that she is a mathematics teacher and teaches at high school in Congo. When I heard it, I imagined a class with few students, but she told there are about 40 students in a class, as many as Japan. Then she told me that now she teaches 4 classes and her teaching style is aimed at participation of students. It is also emphasized in Japan in these days. She said many students want to be engineers, and doctors. I asked, "Is being a teacher a popular job?" but she answered "No, a teacher earns a lower income than an engineer, so it is not a popular job so much." But to be a teacher is not easy. She said she studied so hard to pass the exam.
Then I talked with Nathy, from Chad, who also speaks only French. She was a French teacher and teaches at high school. I asked her the same question, "What is the most popular job in Chad?" She told me that young students in Chad tend to work in private companies that import various goods from France. Chad was a colony of France in the past, so there are still connections between Chad and France.
This was the first time to talk with African people. There were so many people that we couldn't take enough time to talk with all of them and share information about further topics. But they were very cheerful and it seemed that they were enjoying their visit to Japan. I felt that I didn't know about Africa at all. And maybe it was the first time I felt a language barrier because I can't speak French at all, and they can't speak English so much. I always needed help to ask my question to them. But it was a valuable experience for me, since there are no chances in daily life to talk with African people.