Old Folks English

At some point in their careers, most missionaries in Japan have tried their hand at teaching English. But I bet not many have taught English to a spunky 102-year-old!

At the request of a Japanese pastor, our team started doing a monthly English time at a local nursing home, which we affectionately dubbed “Old Folks’ English.” At first, we were not sure if it would go well, but to our delight it turned out to be a huge success. Not only was the class well attended, but also the staff added a tea time afterwards, which gave us a chance to get to know the staff and residents on a deeper level. We often stayed to chat for hours after the class.

While some of the residents suffered from dementia, many were quite “with it” and had no problems communicating at length. I enjoyed the English time, but my most precious memories were made during the tea times. I grew very close to one resident in particular who shared stories about her arranged marriage and wartime experiences. We were frequently invited to events at the nursing home such as festivals and karaoke time. As time went by, we truly began to feel a part of the nursing-home community.

In fact, following the birth of our daughter, they were the very first people I wanted to visit. The staff and residents cheered me on throughout my pregnancy and were eager to meet our daughter. They watched her grow up before their eyes and considered her their gaijin grandbaby. It was extremely difficult to say goodbye to them this past June when we left the mission field to return to the US.

So how did our 102-year-old student fare? To my surprise, she did wonderfully and managed to say, “How are you?” and “Happy!” among other phrases. She often joined us for tea time and was a real ham. When asked to pose for a photo, she usually stuck her tongue out at the camera and didn’t stop giggling for at least 15 minutes.

I have a feeling that this kind of ministry is quite rare in Japan, but it is valuable and vital. I felt blessed to be able to combine my interest in teaching English with my passion for serving the elderly. Spending quality time with elderly folks is richly rewarding because they are eager to talk and it eases their loneliness tremendously. For those of you serving in Japan who enjoy teaching English, why not give it a try?

Here are some tips and ideas for teaching English in a nursing home:

• Make it fun and simple and hand out objects or cards for everyone to hold.
• Shake hands and greet each resident with a smile—physical touch is very important to the elderly.
• Use songs with a strong beat that are easy to clap to.
• Ask if it’s okay to stay on after the class to chat with the residents.
• Pray that the staff and residents will see the love of Christ in you. 

Danielle Krammel: How did English time help the nursing-home residents?

Konno-san (nursing home supervisor): I believe the greatest impact is that the residents rediscovered the joy of living. When a resident starts living with us, they typically feel lonely, being away from their family members. Most feel discouraged with their increasing inability to take care of themselves, and thus have difficulty in finding any hope in life.

However, once they began to actually speak English, a language they had studied all those years ago, I saw their brainpower become active again. It was a heart-warming experience for them to make friends with foreigners like you and to look forward to the birth of your baby. They welcomed your daughter as if she were their own grandchild. They were so happy!

To our “old folks,” having someone come to see them and love them truly became a source of energy. Even today, they sometimes look at your photos and wonder how you are doing.