Coming from a university with few Japanese people, this study abroad program was one of the best ways to be able to experience the Japanese language and culture directly. While I enjoyed studying the language in class and on my own for the year before the trip, there are limits to what can be learned without conversation partners outside of an academic setting. As such, I wanted to take this opportunity to live and study in Japan in order to both experience real Japanese family life, as well as to further my own understanding of the Japanese language. For these reasons, I was especially interested in a homestay experience like the one provided by this program, and am glad to have had the chance to participate in it.

I came to Japan primarily to study the Japanese language.The　benefit of the program was spending time talking to the host family.

I will continue to learn written Japanese to read books in Japanese.