Integrative Narrative
My study abroad at CSUMB was very great. I really appreciate this opportunity and would like to thank you all people who I met during my study abroad. They inspired me in many ways.
I have learned that Japanese is a difficult language for American students by attending Japanese major classes. I saw many American students struggling with Japanese grammar and pronunciation. I was really proud of the students majoring in Japanese and learning about Japanese language and culture. Thus, I was willing to help them with their homework and capstone. Their attitude toward Japanese was impressive for me and it encouraged me to learn English more.
My initial goal is that I get a job that utilizes English. I have not decided my future career, but I want to be a bridge between Japan and the US.
Service Learning class gave me a chance to think of social responsibility. It was impressive to learn the difference between "servicing" and "helping". Teaching Japanese culture to the elementary school children was difficult, but I could learn many important things from it. I could learn English and how to communicate with others by cooperating with my service learning members (MLO 1).
It was interesting for me that Japanese culture has three aspects: perspectives, practices, and products. This is because I have never seen my own culture from these aspects. For example, tea ceremony is one of the most famous in Japanese culture. In reference to 'perspective', why do people enjoy tea ceremony? In 'practice', tea ceremony has many movements and all of them have meaning. Finally, in terms of the product, the ceremony uses many tools such as bamboo ladles and whisks. I am sure these three aspects can be used not only for Japanese culture but also other countries' cultures (MLO 2).
I met many kinds of people through my study abroad at CSUMB. They are not only from America, but also from other countries. For example, one of my friend who is from Yemen told me that she studied English so hard and finally got the opportunity to study abroad. Learning environment is very different from country to country; my Brazilian friends said that they were chosen by the Brazilian government and they did their best to be chosen. I realized that study abroad was very precious opportunity from my friends' stories (MLO 3).
Through the capstone project, I could learn many skills in presentation and researching my topic by using the Internet (MLO 4).
I could immerse by my study abroad (MLO 5) and I spent most of my time by hanging out with wonderful friends and studying academic subjects. This was one of most memorable experiences in my life.
I have learned that Japanese is a difficult language for American students by attending Japanese major classes. I saw many American students struggling with Japanese grammar and pronunciation. I was really proud of the students majoring in Japanese and learning about Japanese language and culture. Thus, I was willing to help them with their homework and capstone. Their attitude toward Japanese was impressive for me and it encouraged me to learn English more.
My initial goal is that I get a job that utilizes English. I have not decided my future career, but I want to be a bridge between Japan and the US.
Service Learning class gave me a chance to think of social responsibility. It was impressive to learn the difference between "servicing" and "helping". Teaching Japanese culture to the elementary school children was difficult, but I could learn many important things from it. I could learn English and how to communicate with others by cooperating with my service learning members (MLO 1).
It was interesting for me that Japanese culture has three aspects: perspectives, practices, and products. This is because I have never seen my own culture from these aspects. For example, tea ceremony is one of the most famous in Japanese culture. In reference to 'perspective', why do people enjoy tea ceremony? In 'practice', tea ceremony has many movements and all of them have meaning. Finally, in terms of the product, the ceremony uses many tools such as bamboo ladles and whisks. I am sure these three aspects can be used not only for Japanese culture but also other countries' cultures (MLO 2).
I met many kinds of people through my study abroad at CSUMB. They are not only from America, but also from other countries. For example, one of my friend who is from Yemen told me that she studied English so hard and finally got the opportunity to study abroad. Learning environment is very different from country to country; my Brazilian friends said that they were chosen by the Brazilian government and they did their best to be chosen. I realized that study abroad was very precious opportunity from my friends' stories (MLO 3).
Through the capstone project, I could learn many skills in presentation and researching my topic by using the Internet (MLO 4).
I could immerse by my study abroad (MLO 5) and I spent most of my time by hanging out with wonderful friends and studying academic subjects. This was one of most memorable experiences in my life.