5.1 Students demonstrate that they have actively immersed themselves in authentic Japanese cultural and linguistic environments and have internalized the language and cultural experience, from which they have developed a personal understanding and new perspectives of the community.
Courses Taken:
Core Course Grammar IIS
JSC O-S Food Culture
Reflective Narrative:
Although I learned a lot from the classes I took at the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, these courses were fairly similar to the ones I took at CSUMB. My real cultural internalization began the moment school ended for the day and I was able to get on my bicycle. As someone who loves exploring, but not spending money, my bicycle allowed me the perfect way to get around the city. Sometimes I would ride to the city center, built around the train station. Other times I would ride the opposite way and venture into the rural area of Toyota. During my four months in Nagoya, I put nearly one thousand kilometers on that bicycle, and got into very good shape. At the end of each journey, I would find a place to stop and eat or shop, and talk to the people around me. I found doing this every day to be an exceptionally pleasant hobby, and I was rewarded with constantly improving Japanese skills, in addition to a growing knowledge of Nagoya's layout. I also befriended the memebers of NUFS's bicycle club, and had the pleasure of riding with them on several occasions, fulfilling MLO 5.1. As an American, my life centers around my car. Centering my life around the bicycle instead was a pleasant and healthy shift, allowing me to really step outside and smell the proverbial roses. I often find myself wishing that bicycle commuting was practical here.
Courses Taken:
Core Course Grammar IIS
JSC O-S Food Culture
Reflective Narrative:
Although I learned a lot from the classes I took at the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, these courses were fairly similar to the ones I took at CSUMB. My real cultural internalization began the moment school ended for the day and I was able to get on my bicycle. As someone who loves exploring, but not spending money, my bicycle allowed me the perfect way to get around the city. Sometimes I would ride to the city center, built around the train station. Other times I would ride the opposite way and venture into the rural area of Toyota. During my four months in Nagoya, I put nearly one thousand kilometers on that bicycle, and got into very good shape. At the end of each journey, I would find a place to stop and eat or shop, and talk to the people around me. I found doing this every day to be an exceptionally pleasant hobby, and I was rewarded with constantly improving Japanese skills, in addition to a growing knowledge of Nagoya's layout. I also befriended the memebers of NUFS's bicycle club, and had the pleasure of riding with them on several occasions, fulfilling MLO 5.1. As an American, my life centers around my car. Centering my life around the bicycle instead was a pleasant and healthy shift, allowing me to really step outside and smell the proverbial roses. I often find myself wishing that bicycle commuting was practical here.