This page consists of my Spring 2013 class work while attending NUFS : Nagoya University of Foreign Studies.When I took my placement test for the fall semester, I was place in Level: Grammar 5Below will be some examples of my challenges and my successes in learning, studying, practicing and excelling the language of Japanese. Also, there is some content of the cultural classes I attended while Studying Abroad
Samples: Grammar 5 > Reading
Writing
Kanji
Cultural Classes > Mapping: PowerPoint
Map[inspired by my group/Artwork©_Jenna de Vries]
The following will be my projects that were assigned while studying abroad:
LESCANT:
My submissions:
Website for viewing > Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Japan 2012-2013
Samples: Grammar 5 > Reading
Writing
Kanji
Cultural Classes > Mapping: PowerPoint
Map[inspired by my group/Artwork©_Jenna de Vries]
The following will be my projects that were assigned while studying abroad:
LESCANT:
- Language – The cultural effects of Language go beyond the simple matter of speaking different languages. This area includes issues such as being identified as an insider or outsider, who decides which language to speak, the position of power based on language use, and linguistic ethnocentrism (we all think our language is somehow the best). Photographs in this section also show the way language is used in different cultures.
sometimes cultures differ because of language differences.
These include attitudes about your own language, insider relationships for those who speak a foreign language, decisions related to which language is used, and how to speak in ways that others will understand you. - Environment – This includes such things as the physical traits of a location (e.g., size of an office), the effects of climate, topography, population, and the use of space. It also includes the perception the use of technology in changing the physical surroundings. Photographs in this section show some of these physical items.
This includes the physical reality such as size, surroundings, population density, climate, food, topography, etc. This includes such things as the physical traits of a location (e.g., size of an office), the effects of climate, topography, population, and the use of space. It also includes the perception the use of technology in changing the physical surroundings. Photographs in this section show some of these physical items. - Social Organization – There are many ways that society can be subdivided into groups: kinship and family, education, class, religion, occupation, and gender. Tendencies towards individualism versus collectivism also fall under this category, as does how we use our free time.
This refers to how society is put together. This includes family, education, role of women, class systems, individualism, religion, etc. - Context – Context refers to how much people depend on overt communication (e.g., the actual words spoken, the items written, or rules followed) versus a communication that relies on stored information gained from personal relationship and interactions. Thus “low context” cultures depend less on the context while “high context” cultures rely on stored information for their communication. Issues related to face-saving and politeness are often tied to our understanding of Context.
This refers to how directly people communicate ideas and words versus how important it is to build a “context” within that communication. Low context cultures focus on the actual words that are spoken, the rules that are written. Those words and rules determine appropriate behavior. High context cultures focus on the situation and shared knowledge, which is what will determine appropriate behavior. - Authority – Definitions and expectations of authority and power are based on culture. Issues related to decision making, use of titles, leadership style all fit in the category of Authority. This category also included Power Distance, related to how much subordinates may influence and interact with their superiors.
This category deals with the role of authority figures and how power and decision making is accomplished. Authority also looks at leadership style and the relationship between bosses and their subordinates. - Non-Verbal – The category includes a wide range of cultural issues: emblems, gestures, dress, eye contact, touch, proxemics, smell, colors, and numbers. Photographs from this category can include a wide range of sights from all over the world.
here we are looking at everything from dress and adornment to colors, touch, smell, and the quality of one’s voice.
- Time – Not only does this focus on how we organize our calendar and schedule, but it focuses on cultures that follow monochronic time (those that handle one task at a time) and those that follow polychronic time (those that engage in many tasks at the same time). This category refers to how people divide time, how they schedule their activities, and how they organize their day.
My submissions:
Website for viewing > Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Japan 2012-2013
The following consists of my monthly Journals that I have written that express my feelings throughout my time abroad:
Journals(Cont.)
February 2013
Oh yeah! The month of love has finally come. Okay, well I am not as excited for this month as it may seem. I just like the idea of making chocolate. However, during this month...I went to visit Gifu with my friends. This was sooooo awesome. I even got to go a tour the Gifu Castle. However, my friends decided to leave a bit early, yet I was so not ready to return back. So, Jordan and I stayed until it got dark and there winter lights that lit up the train station's waiting area. It was sooooo beautiful. Also, this month...talk to my mother and my brother at the same time. Under the certain circumstances, it is quite difficult to speak with my brother at the same time being so far away from him. There are times I feel very depressed and sad because as I am here traveling the world, he seems to be restrained and cannot see new horizons and I desire so much to be able to show him Japan some day.
March 2013
Well, this is the last month of winter break. I am not going to lie, I really am enjoying this time away from work for once in a very long time. At first, I didn't even know how to approach my time off. I also made some really awesome friends at church. This did help me exercise my Japanese skills with them. This was very difficult. So far, the things I had planned to have done have not gone completely according to my plans. Yet, I am not complaining. I am in a new country with new friends and making new memories and experiencing new experiences that I hope NEVER to forget. so far, I am noticing my speaking is lacking the most out of learning Japanese.
April 2013
School begins yet again this month. Many of the residents here at the house can't wait for it to begin. During the break, many people didn't know what to do with their free time and others didn't want it to end. School has begun its placement testing. I sure hope I do not repeat the same grammar level. I will feel so much like a failure to my teachers. I am also a bit sad. due to only being granted so much financial help, I have not been able to travel to the places I cared to have gone to so far. However, I am looking forward to at least my one trip to Tokyo. I have been saving up since November and looking forward to it so much.
May 2013
OH YES!!! I didn't land in the same grammar level. I landed in grammar 5. When I got into grammar 3 when I was first placed...I felt so stupid and like a failure. However, I now regret my feelings from before, because I now understand that every level is assessed differently and if I was placed in a certain level for a reason means I have not learned something I needed to have learned in order to move up. Also, my first semester's teachers are irreplaceable and I am so glad I had them. Also, this month, it was my birthday and my first trip to the doctor at and actual hospital with the new transfer teacher assistant named Mr. Blake. I really like him. For my birthday, I made chocolate and gave to everyone. They were perplexed, yet I explained that on my birthday, I give to others rather than receive from others. And, my trip to the doctor's was both interesting and really neat, since it was my first time. When I got sick from food poisoning in the fall, I never knew how caring the Japanese truly were...yet also how dedicated their were about studies...go figure.
June 2013
OH MAN! I have been waiting for this month forever! Since life had it way of not allowing me to travel ANYWHERE that took a lot of money, I had to make this trip happen...at least this one. This month is Sonic the Hedgehog's birthday on June 23rd at Joypolis in Tokyo. So I figured, that in celebrating my birthday, I would go an celebrate his birthday. So, me, Jordan and a new great friend joined together and went to Tokyo. AS life would have it though...right before going to Odaiba-Bay, my pants ripped right down my leg as I bent down to get a piece of paper that was on the train I thought was mine. I was like, "NUUuuuuuuuu~" Thank heavens there was an Old Navy right down the street. However, it made me late to his birthday and I may have missed out on some things. However, being there was one of my most favorite memories to this day! I really hope my career will allow me to visit here again X3 . As for my studies, I have been freaking out a bit. Grammar 5 is so difficult and there are times I almost felt like breaking down a crying. I am very thankful for my dear friends, Jordan and my teachers in helping me understand these new grammar lessons and points.
July 2013
I am so sad right now. This is my last month here in Japan. I am packing up my room and disposing many items that I cannot take with me and I was able to scan everything I wanted from all my classes. I also had such beautiful talks with one of my teachers and I shall miss her so much. I am very happy though that due to plane tickets not leaving till July 25th or so...a dear friend allowed for us to stay with her for time being..so there was my second trip to Tokyo. I really do appreciate everything I went through in my experience in Japan and all the friends I made while there. I really hope that one day soon I will get to meet each one of them again. And I also know now what to tell others who will be studying abroad what to prepare for and to make sure not to regret anything. I may have not be able to stick to my plans of accomplishment, yet I regret nothing of what I had experienced and what I had gained.
Journals(Cont.)
February 2013
Oh yeah! The month of love has finally come. Okay, well I am not as excited for this month as it may seem. I just like the idea of making chocolate. However, during this month...I went to visit Gifu with my friends. This was sooooo awesome. I even got to go a tour the Gifu Castle. However, my friends decided to leave a bit early, yet I was so not ready to return back. So, Jordan and I stayed until it got dark and there winter lights that lit up the train station's waiting area. It was sooooo beautiful. Also, this month...talk to my mother and my brother at the same time. Under the certain circumstances, it is quite difficult to speak with my brother at the same time being so far away from him. There are times I feel very depressed and sad because as I am here traveling the world, he seems to be restrained and cannot see new horizons and I desire so much to be able to show him Japan some day.
March 2013
Well, this is the last month of winter break. I am not going to lie, I really am enjoying this time away from work for once in a very long time. At first, I didn't even know how to approach my time off. I also made some really awesome friends at church. This did help me exercise my Japanese skills with them. This was very difficult. So far, the things I had planned to have done have not gone completely according to my plans. Yet, I am not complaining. I am in a new country with new friends and making new memories and experiencing new experiences that I hope NEVER to forget. so far, I am noticing my speaking is lacking the most out of learning Japanese.
April 2013
School begins yet again this month. Many of the residents here at the house can't wait for it to begin. During the break, many people didn't know what to do with their free time and others didn't want it to end. School has begun its placement testing. I sure hope I do not repeat the same grammar level. I will feel so much like a failure to my teachers. I am also a bit sad. due to only being granted so much financial help, I have not been able to travel to the places I cared to have gone to so far. However, I am looking forward to at least my one trip to Tokyo. I have been saving up since November and looking forward to it so much.
May 2013
OH YES!!! I didn't land in the same grammar level. I landed in grammar 5. When I got into grammar 3 when I was first placed...I felt so stupid and like a failure. However, I now regret my feelings from before, because I now understand that every level is assessed differently and if I was placed in a certain level for a reason means I have not learned something I needed to have learned in order to move up. Also, my first semester's teachers are irreplaceable and I am so glad I had them. Also, this month, it was my birthday and my first trip to the doctor at and actual hospital with the new transfer teacher assistant named Mr. Blake. I really like him. For my birthday, I made chocolate and gave to everyone. They were perplexed, yet I explained that on my birthday, I give to others rather than receive from others. And, my trip to the doctor's was both interesting and really neat, since it was my first time. When I got sick from food poisoning in the fall, I never knew how caring the Japanese truly were...yet also how dedicated their were about studies...go figure.
June 2013
OH MAN! I have been waiting for this month forever! Since life had it way of not allowing me to travel ANYWHERE that took a lot of money, I had to make this trip happen...at least this one. This month is Sonic the Hedgehog's birthday on June 23rd at Joypolis in Tokyo. So I figured, that in celebrating my birthday, I would go an celebrate his birthday. So, me, Jordan and a new great friend joined together and went to Tokyo. AS life would have it though...right before going to Odaiba-Bay, my pants ripped right down my leg as I bent down to get a piece of paper that was on the train I thought was mine. I was like, "NUUuuuuuuuu~" Thank heavens there was an Old Navy right down the street. However, it made me late to his birthday and I may have missed out on some things. However, being there was one of my most favorite memories to this day! I really hope my career will allow me to visit here again X3 . As for my studies, I have been freaking out a bit. Grammar 5 is so difficult and there are times I almost felt like breaking down a crying. I am very thankful for my dear friends, Jordan and my teachers in helping me understand these new grammar lessons and points.
July 2013
I am so sad right now. This is my last month here in Japan. I am packing up my room and disposing many items that I cannot take with me and I was able to scan everything I wanted from all my classes. I also had such beautiful talks with one of my teachers and I shall miss her so much. I am very happy though that due to plane tickets not leaving till July 25th or so...a dear friend allowed for us to stay with her for time being..so there was my second trip to Tokyo. I really do appreciate everything I went through in my experience in Japan and all the friends I made while there. I really hope that one day soon I will get to meet each one of them again. And I also know now what to tell others who will be studying abroad what to prepare for and to make sure not to regret anything. I may have not be able to stick to my plans of accomplishment, yet I regret nothing of what I had experienced and what I had gained.