Integrative Narrative
I chose to become a Japanese major in order to improve my Japanese so I could visit Japan someday. My experience in CSUMB’S Japanese program has provided me with that and much more. With service learning, study abroad, and the capstone project, I was able to develop many skills and expand my view on the world.
My first year at CSUMB was indeed challenging, as I had taken a two year break from studying and then jumped straight into Advanced Japanese. I could clearly see the difference between high school level Japanese and college level. During this first year, I felt that I improved my abilities as I was able to communicate and interpret higher level subjects of Japanese, such as history, literature, phonetics, and advanced grammar(MLO 1). In addition, many of the courses I took increased my knowledge on Japanese culture (MLO 2).
Also, the opportunity to take Service-Learning during my first semester benefitted me in many ways. I learned a sense of community and social responsibility, and the importance of “service” as opposed to “helping”. I also acquired useful teaching techniques, such as classroom management and lesson plan making. Furthermore, I had a great time working with the children and building relationships with them. My time during Service-Learning was truly a rewarding experience for me.
During my second year, I was finally able to achieve my dream of going to Japan. Having spent a year at J.F. Oberlin University, I was able to completely immerse and surround myself in the culture, and use the language in everyday life (MLO 5). For my first semester I lived with a host family, which really allowed me to experience the Japanese lifestyle in an authentic Japanese home. In school, I continued to improve my overall Japanese skills, as I advanced into higher level classes, and learned higher level reading and writing, and sharpened my speaking and listening skills. My study abroad is the most memorable time of my college career, as I was able to experience living in a new country, and improve my knowledge on Japanese language and culture, while making many amazing friends along the way.
The program at CSUMB also stresses the importance of not one, but multiple cultures. Thus, I was able to learn about cultures other than Japan with my Secondary Culture class (MLO 3). This is another important aspect of the program at CSUMB, as it allowed me as a language major to not only know about my target language and culture, but to also broaden my outlook by learning other cultures as well.
Furthermore, the capstone project benefited me with multiple skills, including presentational, research, and technological (MLO 4). I truly feel that my Japanese was able to reach an academic level during this course, as I was challenged to think critically and analyze scholarly topics, and present my findings in Japanese. It was a rigorous process, but I am very proud with the result, and believe that the skills I learned during this time will truly benefit me in the future.
My time at CSUMB has taught me the importance of education, communication, understanding of others, and has helped me overall to grow as a person. I hope to continue my education, and improve my knowledge of the Japanese language in the future. Not only that, but I hope to visit many other countries and learn about other cultures as well. The World Language and Cultures program at CSUMB has truly allowed me to think on a more diverse level, and aspire towards a more global experience. I believe the skills I acquired during my time here will truly assist me in doing so.
My first year at CSUMB was indeed challenging, as I had taken a two year break from studying and then jumped straight into Advanced Japanese. I could clearly see the difference between high school level Japanese and college level. During this first year, I felt that I improved my abilities as I was able to communicate and interpret higher level subjects of Japanese, such as history, literature, phonetics, and advanced grammar(MLO 1). In addition, many of the courses I took increased my knowledge on Japanese culture (MLO 2).
Also, the opportunity to take Service-Learning during my first semester benefitted me in many ways. I learned a sense of community and social responsibility, and the importance of “service” as opposed to “helping”. I also acquired useful teaching techniques, such as classroom management and lesson plan making. Furthermore, I had a great time working with the children and building relationships with them. My time during Service-Learning was truly a rewarding experience for me.
During my second year, I was finally able to achieve my dream of going to Japan. Having spent a year at J.F. Oberlin University, I was able to completely immerse and surround myself in the culture, and use the language in everyday life (MLO 5). For my first semester I lived with a host family, which really allowed me to experience the Japanese lifestyle in an authentic Japanese home. In school, I continued to improve my overall Japanese skills, as I advanced into higher level classes, and learned higher level reading and writing, and sharpened my speaking and listening skills. My study abroad is the most memorable time of my college career, as I was able to experience living in a new country, and improve my knowledge on Japanese language and culture, while making many amazing friends along the way.
The program at CSUMB also stresses the importance of not one, but multiple cultures. Thus, I was able to learn about cultures other than Japan with my Secondary Culture class (MLO 3). This is another important aspect of the program at CSUMB, as it allowed me as a language major to not only know about my target language and culture, but to also broaden my outlook by learning other cultures as well.
Furthermore, the capstone project benefited me with multiple skills, including presentational, research, and technological (MLO 4). I truly feel that my Japanese was able to reach an academic level during this course, as I was challenged to think critically and analyze scholarly topics, and present my findings in Japanese. It was a rigorous process, but I am very proud with the result, and believe that the skills I learned during this time will truly benefit me in the future.
My time at CSUMB has taught me the importance of education, communication, understanding of others, and has helped me overall to grow as a person. I hope to continue my education, and improve my knowledge of the Japanese language in the future. Not only that, but I hope to visit many other countries and learn about other cultures as well. The World Language and Cultures program at CSUMB has truly allowed me to think on a more diverse level, and aspire towards a more global experience. I believe the skills I acquired during my time here will truly assist me in doing so.