To the Japan Business Society of Detroit Foundation

JBSD ADmin Grants

I was one of the recipients of your scholarship to study in one of the hybrid programs through the Japan Center for Michigan Universities. I am studying to become a
teacher of Japanese, with a minor in teaching English as a Second Language. This program was incredibly helpful to me, because I got to see, from an outsider’s perspective, how an exceptional English program in Japan is supposed to run. I noticed that the students focused more on the functional aspects of the language (speaking and listening) as opposed to memorizing and learning just about English grammar.
Through the Teaching English in Japan program, I began to understand that learning English is an incredibly nuanced language, and in order to teach English, one has to have a vast understanding of what English can do and how it operates. Additionally, I have learned how those who study and learn English are either motivated or not to continue learning English, and what I can do as a future teacher to assist them in the path to learning how to Speak, Listen, Read, and Write in English. The task of motivating students can be hard, but as a future teacher, I have learned that one of the best things that you can do is to be compassionate towards your students, and establish a connection with them, and that will go a long way to motivate your students. I want to thank you profusely for giving me the opportunity to study on this program by
awarding me the scholarship. As a future language teacher, I will continue to bridge the US and Japan together and continue to teach my love of Japan to the rest of my students. Because I was able to
receive this scholarship and go to Japan, I was again reminded of how much I love the country of Japan, and how much the culture is deeply embedded in the language and mannerisms of the people that speak the language. Through this program, my desire to teach Japanese language and culture to students in the US was increased, and my motivation and excitement was rekindled through being in
Japan and meeting fantastic young people who were so interested in learning English and interacting with me. With these experiences in hand, I will definitely get my future students interested in Japanese
language and culture when I start my internship in the fall, and I will have many stories to tell them from this trip and the program that I was on. I will tell future students to study through the JCMU, as it is a wonderful place to learn Japanese, make friends, and experience Japan in ways that I think not many other students get to experience. Thank you again for the opportunity to learn through this program, and for your generous scholarship that made it all possible.

JCMU Program: Teaching English in Japan (2015)
Home Institution: Michigan State University