The 100 days I spent in Canada from September 7 to December 14 were an invaluable experience for me. Spending three months of my university life in an environment where Japanese is not spoken has helped me to develop my English skills and to realize my own potential. The classes, activities, fieldwork, and interaction with my host family and friends were an important part of my life and I will never forget them.
I was assigned to stay in Kamloops for a university program and attend classes at Thompson Rivers University. Having studied abroad in Canada in high school, I was both nervous and excited to study in Canada for the second time. On the first day I arrived in Canada, I was warmly welcomed by my host family, which made me feel at ease. In my university classes, I took classes on various cultures such as Canadian culture, work English, and intercultural understanding, not to mention only English. There were many things I learned for the first time, and my common sense was overturned. I was able to try sports I had never tried before, such as field hockey games, golf, and rock climbing. I also participated in Halloween, Christmas parades, and other events that are popular in North America. I also participated in school events such as ice hockey and sightseeing in Kelowna, which I could not have done in Japan. 8 weeks of fieldwork from October, I volunteered as a kitchen staff at a child care center and worked with people from a different culture than myself. In addition to honing cooking skills, I learned how to treat children and how to speak formally in a work environment. In September, I traveled to Vancouver Island, where I had stayed during my previous study abroad program, and I had a chance to visit Victoria, the capital of B.C. It was a nostalgic experience because I visited many places. On holidays, I had picnics, shopping, parties, and socializing with friends.
Overall, I can say that this program was a necessary experience in my life. Living in an environment where I could not use Japanese language helped me to improve my English and to further understand the culture of Canada. Furthermore, as a multinational country, I was able to interact with people from countries other than Canada and experience their unique cultures. I felt that I could broaden my possibilities to find a job in the future because of the activities and volunteer work that I did during this study abroad program, which are not available in a regular language study abroad program. I would like to make the most of this experience and continue learning English after returning to Japan.
Thank you for reading٩(*´︶`*)۶