An amazing woman

[nightmare]

English lessons by 91-year-old woman in Kagoshima gaining popularity


A 91-year-old woman, who spent her early years in the United States, is giving English lessons at her home in Kagoshima, which is gaining popularity among people who feel that regular English schools are difficult to follow. Hatsune Honda started the Grandma’s English Salon in June 2004. She was born in Taiwan on Dec 15, 1917 but grew up in Los Angeles until she turned 13 years old.

Honda was once an interpreter for Sean Connery when the Scottish actor was filming in Kagoshima in 1966 for the movie, ‘‘You Only Live Twice’‘—the fifth James Bond film in the series. For her, English is easier to speak than Japanese.

Honda started the salon when her daughter-in-law encouraged her to teach as she is fluent in English. Honda was also feeling down after losing her husband.

She offers English lessons during the day, three times a week on weekdays for 500 yen for each lesson, lasting one or two hours. She teaches easy conversational English and colloquial expressions, and offers tea and sweets.

Her teaching style, her natural English sometimes mixed with her Kagoshima dialect, has become popular among local people learning English.

Michio Osako, 82, who has attended Honda’s English salon for two years, said, ‘‘I can continue (taking lessons) as she teaches patiently until I can understand.’’

Honda said, ‘‘I’m really happy to have many friends come. I hope we can all visit Los Angeles together someday.’’

[grimface]

aw~ how inspirational.

it seems like a fun story. it's also a good idea! like, learning japanese in school, my teacher's like 'this is a (insert funky grammar vernacular here) clause', and the class is like '....i don't even know what that is in english...'

it's nice having a patient teacher who teaches simple, conversational languages