By Takuya Tsuchihashi
The most memorable vacation in my life was the summer vacation in my eighth year of junior high school, when I went on a short-term study abroad program in Australia. There are three reasons why I was impressed. It was my first international trip, I learned many things a bout other cultures and it had a major impact on my future.
First this was my first overseas trip, as this was my first short-term study abroad program in Australia. I have always been interested in foreign countries as much as in Japan. I have always been very attracted to cultures and atmospheres that I cannot feel in Japan, and I wanted to experience these different cultures for myself. At first I knew nothing about Australia, but I studied a lot before going there to study. I learned that there is a difference between the English you can actually use and the English you are studying. However, I learned for the first time that studying something you love is not hard at all, and can be a lot of fun.
Second, I learned many things that I could not feel in Japan. In particular, the culture, language, and climate left a strong impression on me. First of all, unlike the Japanese, many Australians are very sociable. When I visited the school, they treated me, a foreigner, as if I were their friend. Later, I found out that this is because Australia is a multicultural country, tolerant of all races, genders, and all other aspects of life. Next, language. The official language of Australia is English, but Australian English has an accent. For example, good morning is called “Good day,” and the pronunciation of the letter “a” is slightly different. I also learned a lot about communicating in English, which I did not learn much in school, and I remember being very happy to be able to gradually communicate my intentions. And the climate. It was winter in Australia when I studied there, but even in winter it was warm enough, just like spring and fall in Japan. On the other hand, when Australian students came to Japan in the winter as exchange students, I remember how they shivered as if they were freezing. These three distinctive differences gave me experiences that I could not have had in Japan, and all things led to new discoveries.
Third, this study abroad experience had a significant impact on my later life. The first was the student council election held in the fall of that year. I ran for the student council election with the social skills I had learned in Australia and the joy of interacting with many people, and I was elected student body president. Thanks to this, I was able to interact with many people regardless of grade level and made many friends. I also learned the difficulty and responsibility of managing a large organization. Studying in Australia also had an impact on what I wanted to do in the future. I had not had a clear idea of what I wanted to do before, but my interest in Australia was piqued after my study abroad experience, and I decided that I wanted to work in a career that would be international and cross national borders, so I began to think about becoming a pilot. I still haven’t given up on my dream of becoming a pilot, and after graduating from university, I would like to attend an aviation college and eventually work for Qantas Airways in Australia.
For these three reasons, my study abroad experience in Australia when I was in the second year of junior high school was the most memorable experience of my life. I cherish this experience and hope to learn more about Australia and other countries in and I want to work on my English language skills and be able to work in Australia in the future.