Name: Kiku Ojima  

Year: 1996 

                                                                                                                               

     I think I started learning English when I was 11 years old. To be exact, I started learning Roman letters. I kept a diary in Roman letters and asked my teacher to check it. I continued to do it until I graduated from elementary school. I remember that it was so interesting and I really enjoyed doing it.

     One of my friends suggested listening to the NHK radio English conversation program, `KISO-EIGO`. So I started to listen to it when I entered junior high school. At first, it was a little difficult, but I did not quit doing it. I raised the level of the program gradually. I listened to the program until I graduated from high school. Last year, I tried to listen to the program but I couldn't. I was so busy with my studies, club activity and living alone. But I still think that it is so important to listen to the program because I can learn many useful words, phrases and expressions from it. So I will record the program on the tape and start to listen to it again as soon as possible.

     My junior high and high school emphasized the teaching of English. So I think I was in a favorable situation of English study. I could meet many good English teachers. I cannot forget the very first class of my junior high school days. My teacher entered the class saying "Good morning everybody!"  She smiled softly and said "How are you, today?" To my surprise, she continued to speak English to us for about half of that first class. I could not understand all of what my teacher had said, but the experience was so fresh to me. She taught me English in the last year of high school (my junior high and high school are in the same building) and she continued to say, "Good morning, everybody! How are you today?" My good English teachers did not talk English all the time in class but they were one reason which I came to like English. They taught me not only vocabulary or grammar, but also about many things of foreign countries. For example, about food, clothing, housing and customs. I dreamed about the mysterious foreign countries, especially the United States. And at last, I decided to go to the States when I was 16 years old. The home stay program was only 3 weeks long, but it was so great. In the summer of ‘97, I will go there again and meet my host family!       Furthermore, in my junior high and high school, there were some native speaker teachers, and there was oral communication class once a week. So I could touch real English since I was 13 years old.

     I do not know why, but I was good at English the last six years. It may be because I love English and I kept working hard. I did not go to any

private English schools. All I did was very simple. I prepared well for the classes, I never missed my homework. I read text books many times and listened to the tapes before the test. I belonged to the badminton club since I was in junior high school. I was so tired after my club, and sometimes I had to start studying late at night. But I continued to do my best. Now I remember my junior high and high school days, I am proud of myself a little bit.

     Now I am studying German as a second foreign language. It is so difficult for me and I almost came to hate it. However, now I know I can do it!  So I will continue to study it, though it will be hard.

     This "I can do it!" philosophy is very helpful.

     When I entered this university, I was shocked because there were many students who were very good at English. Some of them have lived abroad for a few years. It seemed to me that I was very poor at English. But my teacher taught me that I can do it. I sometimes have difficulty speaking English; especially after vacations and absences due to badminton tournaments. But I believe that "I can do it!"  It helps me so much.

     The first year in university became very important for me. Because I learned that making mistakes is O.K., believing "I can do it!" and enjoying learning English are the most important things. I want to advise these wonderful things to next year's freshmen!

     I have two desires while I am in this university. Firstly, I want to go abroad to study. I know it is very challenging for me. But I think it will be a great experience. To do so, I want to improve listening and speaking skills. I also want to learn more useful vocabulary and idioms to make my conversation more interesting.

     Secondly, I want to be able to use German. I can speak little German now, but someday I want to talk with a native German speaker. It is also great to travel to Germany.

     I really love English, and I am coming to like German, too. I like this saying: "We can do well at what we like."  After graduating from university, I want to get a job related to English.

     And I want to keep learning English forever!!!