UCD Fall Semester Testimonials

My decision to study abroad was motivated by a sense of crisis. Since I am in the Department of English Literature, many of my classmates in the department were actively trying to get involved in English by studying abroad. I felt a sense of urgency to do something about it, so I decided to join SA. I was also not confident in my English ability and felt that I could not continue like this. I thought that studying abroad would help me gain a little confidence in my English skills, so I decided to participate in SA.

At UC Dublin, students are placed into classes based on the results of a four-skills placement test held on the first day. Students attend two classes of less than two hours each from 9:00 a.m., five days a week. In addition, there are IELTS preparation classes every Tuesday and Thursday. We learned English grammar, how to write essays, how to give presentations, and so on. Although the content was not that difficult, everything was new to us because we learned in English and were taught by native speakers.

We were studying at a facility like a language school inside UC Dublin, and there were no local students. Nevertheless, we were able to interact with students of various nationalities, including Chinese, Korean, Kuwaiti, and Saudi Arabian. The people from Arab countries in particular were very different from those from Japan in culture, and it was very interesting to discover something new every time I talked to them.

At the homestay, my family welcomed me warmly. The English spoken by the host family had a slight accent, and I sometimes had a hard time understanding them. However, they kept repeating it to me until I understood. They also tried their best to understand my English. In terms of meals, they served us delicious local food. In addition, they frequently took care of our laundry and housekeeping. Therefore, I was able to spend three and a half months without any inconvenience.

After participating in SA, I think I have more confidence in my English ability than before. Before studying abroad, I was not very good at listening, but I was able to grow to the point where I could understand all the English classes there. I also learned the joy of learning about different cultures during this study abroad program. Even though I could learn about things like eating manners and clothing from the Internet and textbooks, I could not understand them unless I actually saw them with my own eyes, which made me want to learn more about other cultures. Furthermore, by looking at multiple cultures, I was able to see the good and bad aspects of Japanese culture.

I had a dream of studying abroad as a university student since before I entered university, and I decided to participate in the SA program. The main purpose of my participation in the program was to improve my English skills.

I stayed with a host family and used English all the time when I was at home. At first I was a bit confused about living only in English, but my family was very friendly and I was able to have a good time with them. The rules for washing clothes and showering differed from household to household, but in my case, I was able to spend a comfortable time because my laundry was properly washed once every two days and the showers were not under any rules that made it a burden for me.

At the school, I was able to communicate with classmates from many different countries, and through communicating in English, I was able to develop my listening skills and the ability to express my opinions. In class, I was able to broaden my academic English skills through pair work and presentations based on textbooks and materials provided by the teacher. On weekends and holidays, we went sightseeing (museums, breweries, etc.) and traveled to other European countries, which allowed us to experience not only Ireland but also other cultures. On weekdays, classes sometimes finished after noon, so I spent time after school going to the city with friends or shopping at the supermarket near my house.

My study abroad experience was very fruitful, as I was able to acquire English language skills, the ability to make good judgments, the ability to communicate, and a global perspective. Although I was only in Japan for three and a half months, I was able to participate in this program at a time when I could freely use my time for myself as a university student, and I think it was a very good experience and an important memory in my life.