Integrative Narrative
I have had an ongoing interest in Japanese as a language and culture since I was in grade school. Growing up in the Silicon Valley, many of my peers were bilingual, and I grew envious of their ability to effortlessly switch between cultural identities. My interests started with cultural products, such as anime, washoku, and bon-odori. In my final year of junior high, I had the opportunity to go to Japan with a youth symphony, which involved participating in homestays and visiting schools, in addition to concerts. When I returned, I heard about the JET Program, and I have been studying Japanese as a second language ever since in preparation for teaching English and interpreting abroad.
My understanding of Japan's language and culture have greatly changed during my time at CSUMB. In my adolescence I was enamored with Japanese pop culture, and secretly hoped that being a foreigner in Japan could offer me fame. However, since studying the dynamics of the language, social issues, and traditional motifs,I feel that my understanding has matured and interests have calmed. In the courses that I've taken, I have studied Japanese business language and practices (MLO 1), cultural motifs and values through cinema (MLO 2), as well as how to serve diverse communities through cultural education. My goals have changed from living a lavish life in Tokyo to something simple, I want to use this major to help bring communities together to promote learning about both a foreign and one's own culture.
CSUMB's World Languages and Cultures department also emphasizes the importance of understanding many different ways of life, and I was granted the opportunity to learn about Mexican-American culture and history as a secondary culture course (MLO 3). Being able to take this course helped me learn about my home state and its history in the context of imperialism and immigration, as well as make comparisons with what I had learned prior in many Japanese culture courses.
Likewise, creating my own Capstone project allowed me to develop my own skills regarding presentations, technology, and research (MLO 4). Because I was no longer studying grammar formally in class anymore, gathering resources and consulting with international students made me feel that my own Japanese skills (particularly vocabulary and kanji retention) reached a new, more professional level. Although the entire process pushed my personal limits, being able to complete such a project has provided me with new abilities that I hope I can use following graduation.
While completing this major, I am proudest of what I accomplished during my time abroad, studying Japanese at J.F. Oberlin University in Machida, Tokyo (MLO 5). Not only was I immersed in the language, but I also used my improved communication skills to bond with non-Japanese students. I lived in the school's international dorm, and I was granted the opportunity of working as the English-speaking Resident Assistant. My job involved weekly meetings held in Japanese, Japanese and Western cultural event planning, and interpreting presentations. I still wouldn't consider myself fluent (we are constantly learning), but my experiences at the dorm forced me to leave my comfort zone and take on responsibilities I had only imagined. Additionally, I took a research course that allowed me to go into the local community and conduct interviews at many cultural centers, including a Catholic church and the Sagamihara International Lounge.
Following graduation, I will be returning to Japan with the JET Program as a Coordinator of International Relationships, in which I hope to use my acquired skills to teach and create cultural events for Japanese families to bond over and learn together. While I'm sure that by being immersed in the target language will aid in my fluency, I want to work towards improving my reading and writing abilities, particularly my knowledge of kanji and reading comprehension skills, in hopes of getting a JLPT N1 certificate so I can continue my cross-cultural journey.
My understanding of Japan's language and culture have greatly changed during my time at CSUMB. In my adolescence I was enamored with Japanese pop culture, and secretly hoped that being a foreigner in Japan could offer me fame. However, since studying the dynamics of the language, social issues, and traditional motifs,I feel that my understanding has matured and interests have calmed. In the courses that I've taken, I have studied Japanese business language and practices (MLO 1), cultural motifs and values through cinema (MLO 2), as well as how to serve diverse communities through cultural education. My goals have changed from living a lavish life in Tokyo to something simple, I want to use this major to help bring communities together to promote learning about both a foreign and one's own culture.
CSUMB's World Languages and Cultures department also emphasizes the importance of understanding many different ways of life, and I was granted the opportunity to learn about Mexican-American culture and history as a secondary culture course (MLO 3). Being able to take this course helped me learn about my home state and its history in the context of imperialism and immigration, as well as make comparisons with what I had learned prior in many Japanese culture courses.
Likewise, creating my own Capstone project allowed me to develop my own skills regarding presentations, technology, and research (MLO 4). Because I was no longer studying grammar formally in class anymore, gathering resources and consulting with international students made me feel that my own Japanese skills (particularly vocabulary and kanji retention) reached a new, more professional level. Although the entire process pushed my personal limits, being able to complete such a project has provided me with new abilities that I hope I can use following graduation.
While completing this major, I am proudest of what I accomplished during my time abroad, studying Japanese at J.F. Oberlin University in Machida, Tokyo (MLO 5). Not only was I immersed in the language, but I also used my improved communication skills to bond with non-Japanese students. I lived in the school's international dorm, and I was granted the opportunity of working as the English-speaking Resident Assistant. My job involved weekly meetings held in Japanese, Japanese and Western cultural event planning, and interpreting presentations. I still wouldn't consider myself fluent (we are constantly learning), but my experiences at the dorm forced me to leave my comfort zone and take on responsibilities I had only imagined. Additionally, I took a research course that allowed me to go into the local community and conduct interviews at many cultural centers, including a Catholic church and the Sagamihara International Lounge.
Following graduation, I will be returning to Japan with the JET Program as a Coordinator of International Relationships, in which I hope to use my acquired skills to teach and create cultural events for Japanese families to bond over and learn together. While I'm sure that by being immersed in the target language will aid in my fluency, I want to work towards improving my reading and writing abilities, particularly my knowledge of kanji and reading comprehension skills, in hopes of getting a JLPT N1 certificate so I can continue my cross-cultural journey.