The Japanese-Language Program for Overseas Students (Partner University Students) (Summer Course) 2011
The Japanese–Language Program for Overseas Students (Partner University Students) (Summer course)
Period: July 2011 - September2011
A. Reflection onthe UP programand life at Kansai Institute
It was a usual afternoon in July when students from seven different countries and areas gathered together in Japan.
And so started our unforgettable program and life at Kansai international Institute. I can still recall the memories and nervousness of the first day, when I was the first one to arrive at the Hall for our orientation. Within a few minutes, students came up to me, my nervousness and stress appeared more.
Foreigners! What should I say? Ohayo-? No, no, I should say ohayo gozaimasu. But, since we are peers, doesn’t the informal expression feel more natural?
While I was pondering over it a fellow student came up to talk to me. Her smile made my stress fade away and lingered in my memory for the next 6 weeks. In those 6 weeks, I had many new experiences, such as talking to foreigners in Japanese for the first time, doing research with foreigners, eating raw eggs, participating in a tea ceremony, going to Namba and Umeda for shopping, etc.
The facilities here are excellent. Each of us has one bedroom with good scenery of the sea. The food offered in the cafeteria is delicious, and we can choose from many different cuisines, so we can enjoy food from our own countries. The people working at the information desk are very nice and helpful, not to mention the wonderful shuttle bus and bicycle service, the gym, etc. All of these will never be wiped away from my memory.
Looking back upon these short 6 weeks, the only word I want to say is THANK YOU. Thank you for inviting us to come to Japan. Thank you for teaching us the Japanese language as well as many other things. Thank you for guiding us through the colorful and fantastic Japanese culture.
B. About the program
This UP program lastedfrom 26th Jul. to 8th Sep. in 2011. 22 students from 7 countries participated in this program.
During this program, we were given lessons in Japanese, participated in the cultural practices, went on study trips, communicated with Japanese people of various walks of life, and visited our partner universities.
We have become more confident in speaking Japanese, more knowledgeable aboutJapanese society and culture. We have made many friends from many different countries, even though we have different religious and cultural backgrounds. It was a really unforgettable memory and will be cherished by all of us for the rest of our lives.
C. About the class
The classes consisted mainly of 3 partsofinterview class, discussion class, and speech class.
In the discussion class, we learned more about Japanese people and Japan, by reading statistics and articles, sharing our thought with classmates and comparing them from different cultural perspectives.
In the speech class, we chose the topic of our interest and delivered many speeches in front of all the classmates. We were taught speech techniques and presentation skills.
In the interview class, we learnedhow to conduct an interview. Then we were given the chance to interviewto Japanese people with the aim of acquiring information on our chosen topic.
Furthermore, we had a visit from Japanese students, who gave us interesting lessons on Japanese dialects and expressions used by young people.
D. Cultural practice and experience
We experienced cultures in various areas of Japan by travelling to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Kanazawa and Akashi. The historical streets in Kyoto, the ancient temples in Nara, the industrial harbor in Kobe, the beautiful castle in Kanazawa, the popular Akashiyaki food, all of thesewere impressive.
We had many cultural practices as well, like watching the Noh play, playing the Japanese drums, learning the art of flower arrangement, participatingina tea ceremony, dressing in traditional kimono, and making Japanese dessert.
During our visit to the elementary school, we introduced our countries to the children and answered their large amount of questions.
Finally we had the chance to visit Japanese homes, where we ate home-cooked food and got exposed to real Kansai dialect.
E. Suggestions for future participants
・You’d better bring an umbrella.
・A big suitcase is better than a small one, it will save you postage money.
・You can bring some local souvenirs from your home country as presents.
・You’d better learn a little bit of Kansai dialect before coming.
・Since there is farewell party, it is good that you bring a formal dress.
JIN Yonghwan
WANG Yanchao
