Junior High School Students Guide Visitors to Local Waterfall with English; Showing off English Guide Club Skills

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:48 JST, November 20, 2024

GERO, Gifu — Seven junior high school students in the city of Gero, Gifu Prefecture, tried their hand at guiding foreigners in English at Gandate Park in the city’s Osaka area, which is known for its waterfall tours, on Nov. 3.

The guides are first- to third-year students at the municipal Osaka Junior High School. They took on the challenge to present the skills gained in the “English Guide Club,” which is organized by a local tour guide, Reiko Sasaki. Sasaki moved to the Osaka area in 2017, and works as a government-licensed tour guide-interpreter in English and Portuguese, as well as a waterfall tour guide.

On the day of the event, the seven students led a group of about 30 people from both inside and outside of the prefecture, including 11 foreigners and the students’ parents, on a two-hour tour. The tour included the Mitsudaki waterfall and other sightseeing spots around the park.

The students smiled as the foreign participants expressed their appreciation, with one of them saying, “Good job.”

“I was glad that they seemed to enjoy our explanations,” said a third-year student. “I was able to answer their questions, and I was happy they understood my English.”