Learning a new language
about
I am currently a sophomore in Soka University of America and so far, I have had a wonderful experience here. Soka is a 4-year liberal arts college with a BA in Liberal Arts. It has four concentrations including Humanities, Environmental Studies, International Relations, and Social Behavioral Science. All students are required to take two years of language with the choice of Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, or French. During the junior year, students are required to go to one semester (either fall or spring) of study abroad to study their language. I am currently studying Chinese, hoping to go to Beijing for my study abroad next year. Through hearing study abroad stories from my upperclassmen who went last year or two years before, I have been becoming increasingly excited to experience the Chinese culture and see what kind of adventure I get to run into. Not only is it the study abroad experience, but also, I can’t wait to be able to speak Chinese fluently. Being in a diverse school, there are many students from Taiwan, and this year, an exchange student from mainland China. I frequently practice my Chinese with them, and the longer and smoother my conversations become with these native Chinese speakers, the more motivated I get to study so that in a few years, I may be pretty close to fluent in Chinese. I’ve listened to the seniors and juniors who came back from study abroad speak different languages, and I am always amazed at how naturally they are able to speak in just three years of studying this language. Next year, I may be like them. If you want to learn a language, Soka is a great place to study it.
