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
 |
| 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!!!
Hi! I live in Canada and I will also be going to Japan this summer with AFS! Do you know what city you will be in? I may see you there!
ReplyDeleteHey! That's awesome! I don't have any information on my host family yet, but it should be coming soon. Have you received yours?
DeleteI don’t have my host family yet but I just found out this week that my school is in Tokyo so that’s where I’ll be! I’ve been studying Japanese for a year, but I’m not sure how much of an influence my level has on my location. Do you speak Japanese? It’s really interesting that all of the Americans who are travelling meet up first in California. I guess I’ll just meet everyone once I’m at the orientation in Japan; I'm really looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteLucky. I don't know where my school is yet. :/ I've been studying the language for a while, but my speaking is poor. I can't wait to see everyone in Tokyo either. It's gonna be a lot of fun! The flight to LA is going to take forever though; I live in the middle of nowhere. Where do the Canadians meet up?
DeleteThe thing about the Canadians is that think there are less than 5 of us, so we’re not meeting up anywhere. I’m flying solo from the East Coast to Toronto and then Toronto to Tokyo! I’m not sure how much you know about Canadian Geography, but Toronto to Tokyo will be about a 13 hour and 30 minute flight; I will definitely be the longest flight I’ve ever been on! I hope you get to find out your school and your host family soon. I still don’t really believe that this is all happening!
ReplyDeleteMe neither! I probably check my email and mailbox way more than I should. We'll be leaving before you know it though! I hope your preparations go well these next few weeks; I know mine will be hectic. If you know any other students going to Japan this summer, let me know 'cause I'd love to do a bit of networking.
DeleteThings have been very hectic for me as well, and I really sorry for not getting back to you! May is always such a busy month, and it will only gets busier as my exams start June 2nd ( I'll be writing 8, not fun at all)! I was also hoping to connect with some other people on the program, but I haven't been able to find anyone else going to Japan this summer other than you, so I was really happy when I found your blog! I'm sure that more people will pop up as we get closer to departure date; I'll let you know if I hear of anyone!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I understand. I'm in the same boat as you. This week is the last week for review, and after that, my testing will last 'til June 13th which is our last day of school. After that, 10 more days, and I'm out! I'll keep my eye out for any American students and forward their blogs (if any) to this one. Good luck on your exams!
Delete