Basically, I will be leaving for Japan during the summer in order to attend a language school and stay with a host family. I will fly from Greensboro, North Carolina to Los Angeles, California some time around June 20th where I will meet other "AFSers" that will be going to Japan as well. We will attend a pre-departure orientation and leave for Tokyo the next day. Upon arrival in Tokyo, we will attend even more orientations. These are intended to help me maximize my AFS experience, prevent culture shock and gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding. Topics covered will include Japanese society, culture, family, school, religion, festivals, safety and health issues. Good stuff. From there we will finally catch a bus, shinkansen (bullet train), or even a taxi to our host community. AFSers in this program will be staying in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, or Sapporo, four major cities in Japan. Destinations are determined by language proficiency. From there, my adventure really begins!
Host Family
By spending time with my family in the evenings and on weekends, I'll have the opportunity to further improve my language learning. This immersion offers a unique way to skyrocket my learning by placing it in immediate context. Along with improving my speaking ability, I hope to create a life-long friendship with my host family. We will have a mutually beneficial relationship as they introduce me to Japanese, and I represent my country as an ambassador. Host families in Japan, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Language Lessons
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| Shoudo |
My program includes 80 hours of Japanese language classes, host family immersion experience, participation in cultural activities, and travel opportunities to historic and cultural sites. I will attend language class with fellow AFSers from several countries. Classes will be offered at a professional language school and will have 5-12 students per class. They will take place 4 hours per day, 5 days per week, for four weeks. For the remainder of the program, I will be able to put my new language skills to immediate use by immersing myself in the culture of Japan. I will also take part in many cultural activities. Examples of activities include: ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), shodo (Japanese calligraphy), sightseeing trips, and visits to nearby places of historic interest.
After our six weeks are up, the AFSers in Japan will meet back up in Tokyo for our flight back to the States. We share our experiences with everyone we know and hopefully inspire more people to travel and become more culturally aware. The program will eventually come to a close, but the impact it has on me will be life-long.
Don't forget to follow my blog and visit periodically, as I will be updating info constantly! I want to make my experience interactive with all that are interested, so if you have any questions, requests, or comments, make sure to post it on my blog! I want to hear from you!!!
