Hi, welcome to my blog! If you're here for the first time, please read the two entries titled "Intro" for general information about this blog and a description of my study abroad program in Japan (KCJS).
One last, important note I'd like to make: this blog is my service project for the Freeman-ASIA scholarship. Freeman-ASIA is a program that provides scholarship funding to students studying abroad in East and Southeast Asia. As part of the program's goal of increasing interest and participation in study abroad, award recipients are expected to complete a service project sharing their experiences with their campus/community. If you are considering a program in Asia, I highly recommend looking into this scholarship. Although costs will vary, the financial assistance is a huge help, especially because studying abroad can be quite costly, once you factor in both basic necessities such as plane tickets and things like additional travel and amusement. I've also found that completing the service project has been valuable in itself, because the process of writing entries has helped me remember, analyze, and articulate my experiences with great thought and consideration. I am sure that your service projects will be equally enjoyable and rewarding for you and your community as well.
Happy Travels!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
All Things Considered
My final thoughts on my semester in Japan: overall I have absolutely no doubts or regrets about studying abroad. Doing this blog has really forced me to think carefully about allof the negatives of my experiences, but even now, whenever I think back on my time at KCJS, all I can think about is how grateful and lucky I am to have had such an amazing experience. It's a theme that I've repeated often in this journal, but the positive aspects easily outweigh all of the doubts and problems I faced. It's a cliche, but after immersing myself entirely into a different culture and language, studying abroad really did broaden my perspective on life, and I now have countless unforgettable memories. And I think experiencing a foreign location, especially one as culturally and historically rich as Kyoto, is different going as a student than, say, going as a tourist or on business. There's something incredibly exciting and liberating about going to a new place for the sole purpose of soaking up as much of the experience as possible, with a whole semester (or a whole year!) to explore and so much support and encouragement. My time in Kyoto has done much to revitalize that sense of adventure and wonder that I once felt when learning things for the first time as a child, and I can't wait to return to Kyoto someday. I know I will.
Do I think study abroad is for everyone? No, not necessarily, and I still maintain that it's a decision that requires some real thought, consideration, and planning. I would highly encourage everyone to at least think about it though, and I hope my blog has been helpful about letting you know what to expect. If you do end up deciding to study abroad somewhere - don't stress! As far as I know, every student in the program learned to deal with the unfamiliar situation and was able to get something out of the experience. Best of luck to all study abroad students out there - I know you'll all have the experience of a lifetime! 皆さん、頑張りましょう〜！
KCJS 2007-2008 <3>
Do I think study abroad is for everyone? No, not necessarily, and I still maintain that it's a decision that requires some real thought, consideration, and planning. I would highly encourage everyone to at least think about it though, and I hope my blog has been helpful about letting you know what to expect. If you do end up deciding to study abroad somewhere - don't stress! As far as I know, every student in the program learned to deal with the unfamiliar situation and was able to get something out of the experience. Best of luck to all study abroad students out there - I know you'll all have the experience of a lifetime! 皆さん、頑張りましょう〜！
KCJS 2007-2008 <3>ただいま〜: Life After Study Abroad
As I write this entry, I'm watching people either cramming for their last finals or moving out of their dorms for the summer. I have one more final on Tuesday, and then I'm done. And I have never been *so happy* about the end of a semester - this has easily been the worst of my three years at Wash U. A lot of it has to do with the fact that my schedule was an absolute terror - I signed up for extra credits and hard classes, and halfway through the semester I signed up for LSAT classes as well, which took a much-needed 12-hour chunk every week. Just survivinhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifg classes was hard enough, and then I struggled to cram in the "unnecessary" stuff, y'know, things like friends, extracurriculars, sleep, food, etc. Even if I hadn't left Wash U, I know I still would have had a miserable time just because of my schedule.
As always though, in the interests of being completely honest, a part of my problem was re-adjusting after being abroad. I luckily re-connected with most of my friends easily, but my relationships with some of my "not so close but still significant" friends definitely weakened, and it's been hard trying to re-establish the former bond. Then I also missed the friends I had made in Japan, and though I was pretty good about keeping in touch through Skype and AIM initially, I lost a lot of contact with them too as I got busier. There's a certain, undeniable sense of loss, and I still periodically find myself longing for the past life with both my Wash U friends and my Japan friends.
The academic adjustment was especially difficult. KCJS classes were less about paper-writing, book-reading, and library-researching, and much more about first-hand experience. For my Wash U Japanese class, I had to research and plan a お花見旅行 (flower-viewing trip), using info found on the Internet. At KCJS, I got to interview Japanese students about their eating habits and find out how many times a week they haunted their local McDonald's or Mos Burger. Both presentations/essays were of equal length and had similar requirements, but I admit I enjoyed the research for the KCJS project more. It was the kind of experience I knew I'd only be able to get while I was in Japan, and I loved it. Why spend hours reading detailed descriptions of Noh on JSTOR when you can just go to a performance and experience it for yourself?
And, well, the workload at KCJS was lighter in general too. Here's the final project I did for my pre-modern Japanese literature class: a Wikipedia entry on Ukiyozoshi, a genre of popular literature. I'm proud of it and had lots of fun with it, but it wasn't exactly strenuous. On the other hand, just last week, I submitted three 10-page papers, did a final presentation, and took an exam. KCJS definitely was no vacation, and I still had tests and papers regularly. But at the same time, I think most of the faculty realizes that the students aren't in Japan to spend time at the library or in the classroom. It's definitely a different atmosphere here at Wash U.
I didn't experience much in the way of (reverse/)culture shock though. Yes, I do miss many things about Japan and my life there, but one thing I realized is that every culture and country has its good points and its bad points. A lot of people idealize foreign countries (greener grass and all), and there are many, many things that I think Japan does better than America. But it's extremely biased and narrow to think that Japan, or any other country, is perfect and can do no wrong. It's important to stay in perspective about both foreign places and one's own home. And darn it, I missed my greasy American food!
Do I regret my decision to stay for just a semester? Well...yes and no. Despite all of the stress that I went through, this past semester at Wash U has been extremely productive, and I know it'll pay off in the long run. I also missed my friends here terribly while I was in Japan, so I'm happy I got to see them relatively soon. But at the same time, if I'd stayed in Japan, I could've spent even more time with my friends there (and I do miss them an awful lot), and I could've had so many more amazing experiences. While working on a paper or project late at night, I'd look at the pictures the other KCJS students had posted on Facebook, and I would really regret my decision not to stay. It was a hard decision for me, and I still don't feel like it was a real right-or-wrong choice for me. Either way would have had its ups and downs, and there are so many factors to consider (friends, academics, work, culture, etc.), so I'm afraid I really don't have any clear-cut advice. It's something that's ultimately up to the student and the individual situation, I think.
(A side note: if you're thinking about doing just one semester, I'd probably recommend going in the fall. It definitely worked out well for me - I had just enough time to recover and re-adjust back home over Christmas break without getting bored, and then in the spring I had time to think about summer jobs, honors projects for senior year, planning for law school, etc. Just something to consider!)
As always though, in the interests of being completely honest, a part of my problem was re-adjusting after being abroad. I luckily re-connected with most of my friends easily, but my relationships with some of my "not so close but still significant" friends definitely weakened, and it's been hard trying to re-establish the former bond. Then I also missed the friends I had made in Japan, and though I was pretty good about keeping in touch through Skype and AIM initially, I lost a lot of contact with them too as I got busier. There's a certain, undeniable sense of loss, and I still periodically find myself longing for the past life with both my Wash U friends and my Japan friends.
The academic adjustment was especially difficult. KCJS classes were less about paper-writing, book-reading, and library-researching, and much more about first-hand experience. For my Wash U Japanese class, I had to research and plan a お花見旅行 (flower-viewing trip), using info found on the Internet. At KCJS, I got to interview Japanese students about their eating habits and find out how many times a week they haunted their local McDonald's or Mos Burger. Both presentations/essays were of equal length and had similar requirements, but I admit I enjoyed the research for the KCJS project more. It was the kind of experience I knew I'd only be able to get while I was in Japan, and I loved it. Why spend hours reading detailed descriptions of Noh on JSTOR when you can just go to a performance and experience it for yourself?
And, well, the workload at KCJS was lighter in general too. Here's the final project I did for my pre-modern Japanese literature class: a Wikipedia entry on Ukiyozoshi, a genre of popular literature. I'm proud of it and had lots of fun with it, but it wasn't exactly strenuous. On the other hand, just last week, I submitted three 10-page papers, did a final presentation, and took an exam. KCJS definitely was no vacation, and I still had tests and papers regularly. But at the same time, I think most of the faculty realizes that the students aren't in Japan to spend time at the library or in the classroom. It's definitely a different atmosphere here at Wash U.
I didn't experience much in the way of (reverse/)culture shock though. Yes, I do miss many things about Japan and my life there, but one thing I realized is that every culture and country has its good points and its bad points. A lot of people idealize foreign countries (greener grass and all), and there are many, many things that I think Japan does better than America. But it's extremely biased and narrow to think that Japan, or any other country, is perfect and can do no wrong. It's important to stay in perspective about both foreign places and one's own home. And darn it, I missed my greasy American food!
Do I regret my decision to stay for just a semester? Well...yes and no. Despite all of the stress that I went through, this past semester at Wash U has been extremely productive, and I know it'll pay off in the long run. I also missed my friends here terribly while I was in Japan, so I'm happy I got to see them relatively soon. But at the same time, if I'd stayed in Japan, I could've spent even more time with my friends there (and I do miss them an awful lot), and I could've had so many more amazing experiences. While working on a paper or project late at night, I'd look at the pictures the other KCJS students had posted on Facebook, and I would really regret my decision not to stay. It was a hard decision for me, and I still don't feel like it was a real right-or-wrong choice for me. Either way would have had its ups and downs, and there are so many factors to consider (friends, academics, work, culture, etc.), so I'm afraid I really don't have any clear-cut advice. It's something that's ultimately up to the student and the individual situation, I think.
(A side note: if you're thinking about doing just one semester, I'd probably recommend going in the fall. It definitely worked out well for me - I had just enough time to recover and re-adjust back home over Christmas break without getting bored, and then in the spring I had time to think about summer jobs, honors projects for senior year, planning for law school, etc. Just something to consider!)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Some Helpful Tidbits
Students in the KCJS program get an excellent information packet a couple months before the start of the program, complete with all of the basic information you'll need about what to pack, how to get a visa, getting plane tickets, etc. So I won't go into that stuff here. But here are some useful tidbits, good for any study abroad student or student of Japanese!
Skype: I can't sing the praises of Skype enough. It's a free IM/video-conference program, and for those with tech-challenged relatives (hi mom), it also lets you make calls to landlines and cellphones, for a small fee. It's an excellent way to keep in touch with family and friends back home, *especially* because phone fees in Japan are ridiculous (side note: get used to texting, because even local calls are too expensive normally). The video-conference aspect is the best part though, so make sure you get a webcam and microphone before you go!
Hyperdia and Yahoo! 路線情報 (Rosen Jouhou): Two websites that can help you plan train trips. They'll give you information about pricing, time, distance, train changes, stops, etc. I've primarily used Hyperdia and found it to be very useful but sometimes frustrating - it doesn't always seem to give the best/cheapest route. But it's better than nothing, and it's in English! I've only used the Yahoo! site once, but it seemed very straightforward and easy to use, so it might be worth checking out. It's entirely in Japanese though (but now that you have Rikaichan, it should be easy to navigate!).
Rikaichan: A Firefox extension that can make Japanese homework infinitely easier - the extension automatically looks up words/kanji that you highlight with your mouse on the browser. If you don't use Firefox... well, you should be, so you might as well switch now, if only for Rikaichan.
WWWJDIC: Everyone knows of this online Japanese dictionary, right?
ALC: I prefer this online dictionary though, and I didn't even know about it until pretty late in the semester. Try it out, I find it's much more accurate and easier to use than other dictionaries, and it provides plenty of example sentences and phrases.
漢字そのまま楽引辞典 (Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten): A dictionary for the Nintendo DS, and basically what every single KCJS student used regularly for homework. It's easier to use than most electronic dictionaries, because you can draw the unknown kanji with the stylus and the program will look it up for you. It's not perfect, of course, but it works pretty darn well. It's also cheaper than most electronic dictionaries, even if you add in the cost of buying the DS system itself. The DS is an added social bonus too - don't be the only kid in the program who can't participate in Mario Kart competitions with everyone else! It's best to buy the DS here in America and then buy the game in Japan. Don't import - it's way too expensive, and the game's easy to find anyway.
Skype: I can't sing the praises of Skype enough. It's a free IM/video-conference program, and for those with tech-challenged relatives (hi mom), it also lets you make calls to landlines and cellphones, for a small fee. It's an excellent way to keep in touch with family and friends back home, *especially* because phone fees in Japan are ridiculous (side note: get used to texting, because even local calls are too expensive normally). The video-conference aspect is the best part though, so make sure you get a webcam and microphone before you go!
Hyperdia and Yahoo! 路線情報 (Rosen Jouhou): Two websites that can help you plan train trips. They'll give you information about pricing, time, distance, train changes, stops, etc. I've primarily used Hyperdia and found it to be very useful but sometimes frustrating - it doesn't always seem to give the best/cheapest route. But it's better than nothing, and it's in English! I've only used the Yahoo! site once, but it seemed very straightforward and easy to use, so it might be worth checking out. It's entirely in Japanese though (but now that you have Rikaichan, it should be easy to navigate!).
Rikaichan: A Firefox extension that can make Japanese homework infinitely easier - the extension automatically looks up words/kanji that you highlight with your mouse on the browser. If you don't use Firefox... well, you should be, so you might as well switch now, if only for Rikaichan.
WWWJDIC: Everyone knows of this online Japanese dictionary, right?
ALC: I prefer this online dictionary though, and I didn't even know about it until pretty late in the semester. Try it out, I find it's much more accurate and easier to use than other dictionaries, and it provides plenty of example sentences and phrases.
漢字そのまま楽引辞典 (Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten): A dictionary for the Nintendo DS, and basically what every single KCJS student used regularly for homework. It's easier to use than most electronic dictionaries, because you can draw the unknown kanji with the stylus and the program will look it up for you. It's not perfect, of course, but it works pretty darn well. It's also cheaper than most electronic dictionaries, even if you add in the cost of buying the DS system itself. The DS is an added social bonus too - don't be the only kid in the program who can't participate in Mario Kart competitions with everyone else! It's best to buy the DS here in America and then buy the game in Japan. Don't import - it's way too expensive, and the game's easy to find anyway.
Okayama
Continuing on my travels outside of Kyoto: Okayama deserves its own entry. About a month into the program, KCJS planned a weekend trip to Okayama, a prefecture a couple of hours away from Kyoto (KCJS has done this for the past couple years, I think). Okayama, like Minakami, was classified as the "countryside" (田舎), but both areas were pretty well-populated compared to the real rural areas of America. But one way that Okayama was definitely different from the cities was that the houses were significantly larger. My host family for that weekend in particular had a really nice house - I wanted to take pictures of it, but I felt that might be awkward.
Anyway, I got to a variety of stuff that weekend.
The morning after we arrived, the town had a welcoming event where we students got to make tofu by hand with our host families and other people from the town. We got to make a complete meal as well, so I got to try my hand at making some other typical Japanese dishes, like rice cakes. After lunch (which was surprisingly good!), we played several games, including a frustrating one in which we had to pick up slippery, uncooked beans with chopsticks (incidentally, some of the Japanese people had a harder time than the students). It was a cute, fun idea, and it was interesting to see the warm and close dynamic among the townspeople.
Afterwards, my family took me a to a flower festival, which was basically a grove of cosmos festivals with some booths of food and entertainment. I dug up a potato for the first time! (See, I told you study abroad is all about memorable firsts). The next day, we drove up to the Great Seto Bridge (瀬戸大橋), which connects the island of Honshu with Shikoku. The bridge is huge, and technically and architecturally fascinating. I kind of felt like a little kid on a road trip again, seeing that bridge.
That bridge is so cool
Around November or so, KCJS also planned a surprise visit from the Okayama host families, and my family was one of those who came to Kyoto. We had lunch together, courtesy of KCJS, and I took them sightseeing for a few hours. That was one of the points at which I realized how much my Japanese improved - it was much easier for me to talk to them. I'm sure some of it was because I felt more comfortable and familiar with them the second time around, but I was surprised about the variety of topics I could talk about easily.
Anyway, I got to a variety of stuff that weekend.
The morning after we arrived, the town had a welcoming event where we students got to make tofu by hand with our host families and other people from the town. We got to make a complete meal as well, so I got to try my hand at making some other typical Japanese dishes, like rice cakes. After lunch (which was surprisingly good!), we played several games, including a frustrating one in which we had to pick up slippery, uncooked beans with chopsticks (incidentally, some of the Japanese people had a harder time than the students). It was a cute, fun idea, and it was interesting to see the warm and close dynamic among the townspeople.
That bridge is so coolAround November or so, KCJS also planned a surprise visit from the Okayama host families, and my family was one of those who came to Kyoto. We had lunch together, courtesy of KCJS, and I took them sightseeing for a few hours. That was one of the points at which I realized how much my Japanese improved - it was much easier for me to talk to them. I'm sure some of it was because I felt more comfortable and familiar with them the second time around, but I was surprised about the variety of topics I could talk about easily.
Traveling (The Not-Kyoto Post!)
As I mentioned earlier, I didn't do too much traveling around the whole country, largely due to time and money issues. But I *did* get the chance to leave Kyoto city several times throughout the semester, so here's a look at some of what I did:
Minakami: I visited Minakami before KCJS started, to meet up with some of my just-graduated Wash U friends who were doing JET/grad-school in Japan. I stupidly didn't take any pictures, because one of my friends looooves taking pictures so I always leave that job to her. But now I regret that, obviously. Anyway, Minakami was a pretty small, quiet town, a nice and relaxing way to ease into Japan. The surrounding mountains were awesome though, and pretty big (well, to me at least). Minakami's famous for its hot springs and its winter sports - skiing, snowboarding, etc. I didn't get to try the winter activities, obviously, but I did get to go white-water rafting for the very first time! I got a great view of the mountains too. And afterwards we went to a public bath, also another first for me. I'm sure most people are aware of Japan's huge bathing culture, but I will say this - I was still kinda surprised about how open and unabashed people were about the nudity. It seemed like such a natural and normal thing to be walking around strangers completely naked, which felt interesting. But I am glad that I'm Asian and can fit in relatively easily. I imagine foreigners will draw lots of attention, especially considering how much attention foreigners on the street can draw.
Nara: After Minakami, I still had a couple of days before the start of KCJS, so I stayed at my friend's apartment in Nara. I was pretty exhausted at this point, so I spent a lot of time lazing about (watching Lost, haha), but I did manage to do some sightseeing at Todaiji, home of a massive Buddha statue. I don't think it looks that big in my picture, thanks to my mad photo skillz, but the man in the lower left corner should give you an idea of the scale of the statue. Todaiji was also full of adorable wandering sacred deer that will bite your hands/butt if you have food in your hand, so beware.
Incidentally, I loved Nara, and I went back several times for field trips and to visit my friend. It had a close, cozy feeling, more so than Kyoto, but it was still a lively and distinct city in its own right.
Vicious beasts at rest...
There were lots of tourists that day
Tokyo (Disneyland): We're jumping ahead to Halloween, when I went to Tokyo Disneyland for a weekend with my Wash U friends. I had gone only once to Disneyland, with my mother (i.e., laaaaaame), and one of our friends had never gone at all, so we walked and waited in line for hours to get to all of the main, most famous attractions. I was dead-tired by the end of both days, but it was *totally* worth it. Definitely one of my favorite memories, although technically not too Japan-related. Also, this was the one time I got to see Tokyo - our hostel was in Tokyo, so I got to glimpse some of the city during the hour-long train ride. Tokyo definitely has a different feel from Kyoto - it's so much larger, busier, and more crowded. I really like the small-town atmosphere of Kyoto/Nara, but I'd like to go to Tokyo and explore more someday
Alas, the only decent photo from Disneyland.
Kobe: In December, I went to a Daft Punk concert in Kobe with two KCJS friends. Tickets were $80, but well worth the price. I didn't take any pictures of Kobe itself, and I had gone only for the concert, but I liked what I saw of the city. Because of the earthquake in '95, everything in the city looked so *new* and clean. It really did look like a recently-built city. Anyway, the concert was amazing (hope you can glimpse some of that from the choppy video), and I feel like Japan was the perfect place to see a Daft Punk concert. The guy standing next to us on the train was wearing rainbow-bright clothing and accessories and, best of all, huge plastic-rimmed glasses frames with no lenses. Rock on, brother.
Minakami: I visited Minakami before KCJS started, to meet up with some of my just-graduated Wash U friends who were doing JET/grad-school in Japan. I stupidly didn't take any pictures, because one of my friends looooves taking pictures so I always leave that job to her. But now I regret that, obviously. Anyway, Minakami was a pretty small, quiet town, a nice and relaxing way to ease into Japan. The surrounding mountains were awesome though, and pretty big (well, to me at least). Minakami's famous for its hot springs and its winter sports - skiing, snowboarding, etc. I didn't get to try the winter activities, obviously, but I did get to go white-water rafting for the very first time! I got a great view of the mountains too. And afterwards we went to a public bath, also another first for me. I'm sure most people are aware of Japan's huge bathing culture, but I will say this - I was still kinda surprised about how open and unabashed people were about the nudity. It seemed like such a natural and normal thing to be walking around strangers completely naked, which felt interesting. But I am glad that I'm Asian and can fit in relatively easily. I imagine foreigners will draw lots of attention, especially considering how much attention foreigners on the street can draw.
Nara: After Minakami, I still had a couple of days before the start of KCJS, so I stayed at my friend's apartment in Nara. I was pretty exhausted at this point, so I spent a lot of time lazing about (watching Lost, haha), but I did manage to do some sightseeing at Todaiji, home of a massive Buddha statue. I don't think it looks that big in my picture, thanks to my mad photo skillz, but the man in the lower left corner should give you an idea of the scale of the statue. Todaiji was also full of adorable wandering sacred deer that will bite your hands/butt if you have food in your hand, so beware.
Incidentally, I loved Nara, and I went back several times for field trips and to visit my friend. It had a close, cozy feeling, more so than Kyoto, but it was still a lively and distinct city in its own right.
Vicious beasts at rest...
There were lots of tourists that dayTokyo (Disneyland): We're jumping ahead to Halloween, when I went to Tokyo Disneyland for a weekend with my Wash U friends. I had gone only once to Disneyland, with my mother (i.e., laaaaaame), and one of our friends had never gone at all, so we walked and waited in line for hours to get to all of the main, most famous attractions. I was dead-tired by the end of both days, but it was *totally* worth it. Definitely one of my favorite memories, although technically not too Japan-related. Also, this was the one time I got to see Tokyo - our hostel was in Tokyo, so I got to glimpse some of the city during the hour-long train ride. Tokyo definitely has a different feel from Kyoto - it's so much larger, busier, and more crowded. I really like the small-town atmosphere of Kyoto/Nara, but I'd like to go to Tokyo and explore more someday
Alas, the only decent photo from Disneyland.Kobe: In December, I went to a Daft Punk concert in Kobe with two KCJS friends. Tickets were $80, but well worth the price. I didn't take any pictures of Kobe itself, and I had gone only for the concert, but I liked what I saw of the city. Because of the earthquake in '95, everything in the city looked so *new* and clean. It really did look like a recently-built city. Anyway, the concert was amazing (hope you can glimpse some of that from the choppy video), and I feel like Japan was the perfect place to see a Daft Punk concert. The guy standing next to us on the train was wearing rainbow-bright clothing and accessories and, best of all, huge plastic-rimmed glasses frames with no lenses. Rock on, brother.
日本語お上手ですねー
Before doing KCJS, I had taken the first two years of college Japanese at Wash U, and after taking the placement test, I was placed into the C-level Japanese class: smack dab in the middle in terms of proficiency. KCJS also requires a minimum of two years' worth of classes, so everyone in the program had at least some familiarity with the language. So what was it like being immersed in the language 24/7?
Well, I could handle the two-hour daily Japanese classes in the mornings (provided I had had my can of coffee - all of us were practically chained to the vending machine on the first floor), and I certainly had the skills to handle the necessary conversations like asking for directions or requesting basic information. Conversing with my host family wasn't really a problem either. It took a bit of effort at times, but we never had any real confusion or misunderstandings. I really enjoyed talking to them too, and even the most random topics could turn into an enjoyable discussion. One dinner conversation revolved entirely around the multitude of ways that fish is prepared in different parts of Japan (I really wanted to try to the fish marinaded in miso...).
But it could be pretty tiring too! I remember that, especially in the beginning, my brain would just feel like shutting down by the end of the day. The program faculty strongly encouraged us to speak Japanese amongst ourselves, even outside of class, but even the scoldings were never effective for more than a couple of days at most. Being able to talk in English was just *such* a relief. And I fully admit that towards the end of the semester I was probably putting less effort than I should have been - the whole "X number of kanji a day" thing never even fully got off the ground, and more and more I found myself slipping into English whenever I could get away with it.
So what did my semester abroad do for my proficiency level? Quite a lot, actually. I've heard from previous students that most students don't really get comfortable with the language and see that significant jump until somewhere along the second semester, and I can see that. While my Japanese improved in all aspects (reading, writing, listening, conversing, etc.), there are still so, so many things to learn, and I even felt discouraged at times. But while the improvement was subtle, it was definitely there. I still remember the pride and excitement I felt when I watched a nature documentary with my host mother and realized I could understand most of it. The daily Japanese classes are a definite push, and really, even if you're a lazy student, just the experience of being surrounded by the language will have its effect. I picked up kanji while biking or walking around and idly reading the signs on streets and stores, and I improved my listening comprehension by picking up snatches of conversation while eating or standing in line. And even though most of my conversations with strangers consisted of asking for directions, with only slight variations, at least I loosened up and gained confidence in myself. It was only after I left Japan and realized how quickly I was forgetting everything that I understood how much the experience had helped me. By the way, don't be discouraged by the fact that you'll quickly forget things once you leave - yes, you *will* forget specific things like vocabulary and kanji, but the basic skills will still be there. Plus, the info will be in your brain and be much easier to remember and recall the second time around.
What also helps? The constant praising you'll receive from Japanese people (hence the title of this post). I'll never forget my first experience of being praised - it was from a Jehovah's Witness going door-to-door, and incidentally, he's the only Jehovah's Witness who has ever inspired warm and fuzzy feelings in me. Eventually you will become desensitized and will soon realize that Japanese will praise you for responding correctly to an extremely basic "yes or no" question, and then it just becomes obligatory conversation fodder (just humbly and swiftly deny the praise and move on). And this means that you shouldn't expect to receive much constructive criticism or corrections, which is unfortunate from an educational point of view. But hey, it does feel good for at least a little bit!
Well, I could handle the two-hour daily Japanese classes in the mornings (provided I had had my can of coffee - all of us were practically chained to the vending machine on the first floor), and I certainly had the skills to handle the necessary conversations like asking for directions or requesting basic information. Conversing with my host family wasn't really a problem either. It took a bit of effort at times, but we never had any real confusion or misunderstandings. I really enjoyed talking to them too, and even the most random topics could turn into an enjoyable discussion. One dinner conversation revolved entirely around the multitude of ways that fish is prepared in different parts of Japan (I really wanted to try to the fish marinaded in miso...).
But it could be pretty tiring too! I remember that, especially in the beginning, my brain would just feel like shutting down by the end of the day. The program faculty strongly encouraged us to speak Japanese amongst ourselves, even outside of class, but even the scoldings were never effective for more than a couple of days at most. Being able to talk in English was just *such* a relief. And I fully admit that towards the end of the semester I was probably putting less effort than I should have been - the whole "X number of kanji a day" thing never even fully got off the ground, and more and more I found myself slipping into English whenever I could get away with it.
So what did my semester abroad do for my proficiency level? Quite a lot, actually. I've heard from previous students that most students don't really get comfortable with the language and see that significant jump until somewhere along the second semester, and I can see that. While my Japanese improved in all aspects (reading, writing, listening, conversing, etc.), there are still so, so many things to learn, and I even felt discouraged at times. But while the improvement was subtle, it was definitely there. I still remember the pride and excitement I felt when I watched a nature documentary with my host mother and realized I could understand most of it. The daily Japanese classes are a definite push, and really, even if you're a lazy student, just the experience of being surrounded by the language will have its effect. I picked up kanji while biking or walking around and idly reading the signs on streets and stores, and I improved my listening comprehension by picking up snatches of conversation while eating or standing in line. And even though most of my conversations with strangers consisted of asking for directions, with only slight variations, at least I loosened up and gained confidence in myself. It was only after I left Japan and realized how quickly I was forgetting everything that I understood how much the experience had helped me. By the way, don't be discouraged by the fact that you'll quickly forget things once you leave - yes, you *will* forget specific things like vocabulary and kanji, but the basic skills will still be there. Plus, the info will be in your brain and be much easier to remember and recall the second time around.
What also helps? The constant praising you'll receive from Japanese people (hence the title of this post). I'll never forget my first experience of being praised - it was from a Jehovah's Witness going door-to-door, and incidentally, he's the only Jehovah's Witness who has ever inspired warm and fuzzy feelings in me. Eventually you will become desensitized and will soon realize that Japanese will praise you for responding correctly to an extremely basic "yes or no" question, and then it just becomes obligatory conversation fodder (just humbly and swiftly deny the praise and move on). And this means that you shouldn't expect to receive much constructive criticism or corrections, which is unfortunate from an educational point of view. But hey, it does feel good for at least a little bit!
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