Explore Japanese Program
The University of Vermont will give you various opportunities to explore Japan. Here are some comments from students who lived in the Global Village Japanese House, students who studied abroad in and graduates who have careers in Japan.
Pedro Teixeira '13
Double Major in Japanese and Psychology
Study Abroad at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo http://www.aoyama.ac.jp/en/
I did a yearlong exchange at Aoyama Gakuin University during the 2011-12 academic year. Though the thought of being so far away from home for so long was a bit daunting in the beginning, the staff at the International Exchange Center at AGU were incredibly friendly and welcoming. I was surprised at how quickly I adapted to the average Japanese college student's lifestyle. Besides being exposed to Japan's language and culture 24/7 (which was a priceless opportunity for language acquisition), I also made lifelong friends not only from Japan but from all over the world (Korea, Taiwan, China, Australia, Germany, and more). It was, in short, an unforgettable experience that I strongly recommend to others. I wish I could do it all over again.
Chandler Meyers '13
Japanese Major, Asian Studies Minor
Study Abroad at Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo
http://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/index_en.html
Studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I believe that complete immersion is the best way to really understand a culture and learn the language. I was able to take Japanese language and culture courses through a great international program at Meiji Gakuin University, and I was also able to explore the city and make great friends from all over the world along the way. Studying abroad is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I recommend it for anyone studying a language.
Maureen Pavlik '14
Double Major in Japanese and Anthropology
Currently studying abroad at Toyo University, Tokyo
http://www.toyo.ac.jp/english/
My Internship at Keio Academy
As a summer intern at the Keio Academy of New York, I was able to test my Japanese language skills on Japanese and American middle school students participating in a cultural exchange program. The two week long program combined cultural and language exchange with film production in various New York City locations. Working with the children showed me my ability to act as a responsible adult, a role model or older sister figure, and an open minded global learner. The most valuable knowledge I took away from the experience was a firmer grasp on my Japanese language abilities before traveling to
Japan for study abroad this year. The Keio internship allowed me to use Japanese conversationally with native Japanese speakers, a chance I hadn’t been given so forwardly before. I would highly recommend University of Vermont students planning on study abroad in Japan take interest in this internship. I not only learned about myself but I certainly made lasting friends by breeching the language and culture barrier between our two countries.
Keio Academy of NY internship opportunity: http://www.keio.edu/english/summerprograms/internship
Annalouise Stone '12
Japanese Major and Asian Studies Minor
Study Abroad at Sophia University, Tokyo
Currently teaching English in Japan
My Experience Learning Japanese
When I first decided to study Japanese as a high school senior, I never dreamed of all the wonderful experiences it would lead to. At the time, my only thought was that if I knew Japanese, I could play Japanese video games without waiting for an English translation. Once I started however, I found learning a new language to be great fun. I transferred to UVM in 2008 specifically so I could major in Japanese. It was wonderful to study together with other students interested in Japan. In fall 2010, I went to Tokyo for my junior year abroad at Sophia University. Through the choir club, I made many new friends and was able to practice everyday conversation in Japanese. When the March 11th disasters struck northern Japan, I had to come home. Since I was supposed to be in Japan until August, I had no summer job lined up. So I ended up working at Mori no Ike, a Japanese language overnight camp for children, run by Concordia College in Minnesota. Not only was I able to maintain my Japanese skills, I learned about how to teach language to children in an immersion
Last modified March 11 2013 03:38 PM