Name: Yizhi Hu
E-mail: Yizhi.Hu.52@nd.edu
Language: Japanese
Location of Study: Kanazawa, Japan
Program of Study: Princeton in Ishikawa
Sponsors: Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies
Blog URL: http://sites.nd.edu/sla2017/author/yizhi-hu-52nd-edu/
A brief personal bio:
My name is Yizhi Hu, and I am a sophomore studying Political Science and Japanese. I hail from Wuhan, China and am a resident of Walsh Hall. I have been fascinated by Japanese culture since I was a child, and my experience navigating in different cultural environments greatly cultivated my respect for different cultures. I decided to learn Japanese as I grew interests in Japanese literature and peace studies, and I hope to engage in works related to US-China-Japan trilateral relations in the future.
Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:
SLA grant will enable me to study at the Princeton in Ishikawa program in Japan for eight weeks (equivalent to two years’ ND Japanese classes), which is essential for my Japanese studies as I hope to complete the most advanced Japanese classes and graduate with a Japanese honor.
In addition, SLA grant will offer me an opportunity to enhance my Japanese in an immersive language environment. In such an environment, I will be able to not only practice my Japanese in all different situations, but also deepen my understanding of Japanese culture and gain an insight into the everyday life of Japanese people through personal interaction and observation. The SLA grant thus provides a unique opportunity for me to improve my Japanese and be culturally-informed in ways that normal Japanese classes cannot.
What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:
Because Princeton in Ishikawa covers two years’ language classes into two months, I hope to attain a high level of language proficiency and an ability to learn Japanese at a faster and intensive pace by the end of the summer. In addition, I aim to learn more about Japanese culture and become more culturally-attentive since Japanese people follow a strict rule for etiquette and behave in ways influenced by its unique culture.
My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:
At the end of the summer, I will be able to communicate fluently with native speakers on daily conversations.
At the end of the summer, I will be able to understand all the frequently-used kanjis and read books in hiragana at a faster pace. I will also be able to read at least the level 4 Japanese books at the Hesburgh Library.
At the end of the summer, I will be able to express my opinions and write on any topic in Japanese.
At the end of the summer, I will have a deepened understanding of Japanese culture, social norms, and etiquettes. I will also be able to perform tea ceremonies, flower arrangement, and other cultural activities.
At the end of the summer, I will be able to test into 4-th Year Japanese as a junior and thus maintain a competitive pace of language development for the remainder of my undergraduate career.
My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience: