ARLINGTON – Nineteen Japanese teenagers are visiting Arlington for 10 days and are experiencing how students learn in America. They went to class with Haller Middle School students last week. “The purpose of the visit is to experience what an American school is like,” said Koki Kamihigoshi, a coordinator with the Minami Nihon Culture Center. Unlike Haller, there are no separate lunchtimes in Japan. In addition to group work, the Japanese students have been playing games with the Haller students and working on their reading and writing. “They take home so many experiences from this visit,” said Coralee Tungate with Cultural Homestay International, the group that organized the visit. “Not only the experiences at Haller but also the experiences with their host family.”

Haller Leadership student Grace Saenz said: “I’ve developed new friendships, and I enjoy hearing them speak in their own language. It’s taught me a lot about a whole new culture I’d love to experience in Japan.”