I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and moved to New York when I was 11. During the first six months following my arrival the main focus was adapting to a new culture and a new language. The process of learning English, although not as hard as I originally thought it to be, was long, and even today, I'm still learning.
When I got to high school I was given the opportunity to take Japanese as a third language, and so for the following three years, that was the one class that I enjoyed the most. My favorite part was that it wasn't nearly as hard as English (in terms of pronunciation) because it is very similar to Spanish (my first language). I've decided to continue my Japanese studies at Columbia because I'm hoping to spend a semester abroad in Japan. I'm most excited about finally being in a class with people who want to learn the language and about the culture, and who have similar goals as mine. So far, the hardest part has been the amount of work that I have to do outside of the class, but I think that as time goes on, it will hopefully become more manageable.
デボラさはいつにほんにいきますか。
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of going this summer for the 8-week program that covers all of the second year, and whether that happens or not, I'm also planning on going during the first semester of my third year.
DeleteI am also really looking forward to learning Japanese. I think i might try to study abroad in Japan as well. I struggle to find time to study a lot of Japanese every night, however, i believe that in the end it will be worth it.
ReplyDeleteI struggle to find the time to study as well. Instead of spending 2+ hours every night, I've opted for reviewing ahead of class during the weekends, that way it's not as bad during the week.
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