“The first time, my wife was the Fulbrighter, and this time, I’m a Fulbrighter,” said Dr. Perry Howell who is a lecturer of writing and editing at the English Department of College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University. His second visit to Japan was with his family in September 2019 as a Visiting Lecturer under the Lecturing Program. At Yokohama National University, his host affiliation in Japan, he taught writing and American media, speeches, and rhetoric.

Dr. Howell knew from his wife’s previous experience that some Japanese students can be reserved and have the tendency to remain silent, even if they have questions, and at times unsure, or have a different opinion. He had the impression that this was rooted in their respect for their teachers. Although he understood the cultural differences, he wanted his students to face new challenges that they may have not experienced before. “I tried to be friendly so that my students would be comfortable asking me questions. I kept telling them they should let me know if I was speaking too fast, and eventually, many of them were able to do that.”

He also tried various lesson styles. For example, he paired up Japanese students with the international students so that they could help each other. Along with the small group activities, “I would test out assignments, especially in writing classes, to see which ones got the students thinking more deeply,” he comments. On other times, he presented materials only in English; a challenge to his students, but also for himself.

Dr. Howell remarks, “It was fascinating to hear the variety of perceptions and beliefs of the U.S. held by students from different countries. My students were universally interested in learning more about the U.S., which made teaching very fun.” Since he has been teaching students from similar backgrounds in the U.S., many questions were new to him. “The students asked me questions about American culture in ways that I didn’t even think about.”

Unfortunately, the program had to be discontinued due to the pandemic and it was challenging for all Fulbrighters. Nonetheless, Dr. Howell says, “If I could have figured out a way to continue working and living in Japan, I would have loved to stay.” Dr. Howell and his family’s love for Japan is immense and has a long history. Initially, his daughter was interested in Japan. She had a big thick dictionary beside her and spent many hours translating manga. She was determined to go to Japan someday. It was her enthusiasm and determination that led their path to cross with the Fulbright Program. They first arrived in Japan in 2009, and Dr. Howell’s wife was teaching as a Visiting Lecturer. Now this time, it was his turn to teach. “I love Japan, have friends there, and I love teaching challenges.” As a side note, “We just found out that we can get a Japan TV channel in the U.S., so we’re continuing to watch the morning dramas. We’re still watching the morning drama while living here [U.S.].” The family’s love for Japan continues.

“I am a strong believer in the Fulbright mission. I routinely talk about my Fulbright experience to students and colleagues and recommend it highly. I think it makes a huge difference for both the Fulbrighters and the colleagues at the foreign institutions to actually meet and form relationships in person so that we see each other as individual people rather than a mere cultural image or stereotypes.”

As one of the unexpected outcomes of this experience, he speaks with passion that it has pushed him to broaden his professional interactions well beyond his academic department; he saw many opportunities for possible mutually beneficial interactions between his home and host institutions. “My experience there,” he reminisces, “really did make me a better teacher.”