Student exchange goes both ways! NWSE not only brings high school students from other countries to exchange in America, but also sends American students overseas. 克里斯, a high school student from Seattle, 华盛顿, had an amazing time exchange the past nine months with his host family in Osaka, 日本. 克里斯 took a moment to share his experience with us, as well as some advice for those of you who also are considering an exchange overseas,

Upon arriving in 日本, 克里斯 wasted no time immersing himself in 日本ese culture. He stayed with his host family and got involved by joining his host school’s baseball team. He was surprised by how seriosuly baseball is taken in 日本. His practice schedule was even more rigorous than in the U.S. 他几乎没有休息一天! All that hard work paid off, 然而, because his baseball team was ranked the fourth-best in the entire Osaka prefecture!

Once baseball season ended, 克里斯 had more time to enjoy his 日本ese host family and friends he made during his exchange. Among other activities, he visited Universal Studios (yes, there’s one there too!), and even took a trip with his host family to the beautiful Okinawa Islands. 克里斯’s exchange allowed him to gain some insights into 日本ese culture, and perfect his 日本ese language skills. There also were some differences he noticed between 日本 and the United States. 一个很大的不同, 在他看来, was that 日本ese people often seem more organized than Americans, particularly with regard to time. 而在美国.S., it may be acceptable to be “fashionably late,” he observed that this would likely be frowned upon in 日本!

 

Despite his busy schedule, 克里斯 still prioritized practicing and learning the 日本ese language. In addition to speaking 日本ese in high school every day, he attended 日本ese language classes on Saturdays, which proved to be very helpful in accelerating his language acquisition. And, of course, he was able to practice 日本ese with his host family and new friends. He recommends that the best way to learn the language is to immerse yourself in conversation instead of relying solely on textbooks, and enjoy simply practicing reading and speaking the language!

克里斯 had a great exchange in 日本, and misses his friends and host family dearly. He became such a part of his baseball team that they gave him a beautiful baseball glove, embroidered with his name in 日本ese! 克里斯 hopes to return to 日本 after high school and hopefully play baseball at the collegiate level. He has even already begun applying to 日本ese universities.

To have a memorable and successful exchange like his, 克里斯 advises that you start preparing early for an exchange by maximizing your foreign language learning, and by getting involved in as many activities and clubs as possible (especially after you arrive at your high school overseas. He says that this helps you make friends and effectively immerses you in the language and culture.

谢谢, 克里斯, for sharing your experiences with us!