J. Roman
Center for Japanese Language
This is my fourth time participating in the Language and Culture Exchange program and it has been one of my best experiences at Waseda University. Participating is a great opportunity during your studies at Waseda as it allows you to make new friends and meet people interested in learning your first language. At the same time, you can also share your culture while improving not only language but also communication skills together. I have realized that while motivations to learn a language are diverse, interest in each other’s language and culture allows you to find common points and learn together. You can decide what type of activities may be fun and useful for you within the LCE program, from having meetings during your free time at the campus to visiting interesting places in Tokyo together!
I have met different students and not only I have learned a lot from them, but they have also given me the opportunity to introduce aspects of my culture that my exchange partners were interested in. As our sessions were in pairs or small groups, we had enough time to be flexible and dynamic. From helping each other with doubts concerning grammar and vocabulary to practicing conversation by discussing different topics, including sports, traditional and pop culture, and even our academic interests. Sometimes we also had the opportunity to do fun activities like going for lunch around Tokyo.
My first time I requested one-on-one exchange, but after gaining more confidence I decided to try participating with two students, which made sessions even more dynamic! Having a LINE group made it easier to organize our meetings. During my previous participation in the program, we normally met in person at the university. This time, due to the Covid-19 situation, we were not going so often to the campus, so our sessions were all online through Zoom. However, this didn’t make the experience less valuable as we did our best to have fun and interesting sessions every time.
Finally, for me, the program was also an opportunity to understand cultural differences. It changed my perspective on some aspects concerning my own culture, and allowed me to see my language, Spanish, from the perspective of students who learn it as a foreign language.
New friends (image by author)
