By Elena Encarnacion

On December 12th, Japanese Plus hosted an Open House. The Open House was meant to help us share our Japanese progress with our friends and family.

One of the most notable parts was when my classmates and I put on skits in Japanese. Although I had memorized all of my lines, the experience was super nerve-wracking. We were going to be performing in front of native Japanese speakers (we had only performed in front of Eshita-sensei and one another previously). My group was third to go. As every group went, we felt the pressure building up. The foreign exchange student scenario . . . the My Hero Academia scene. I was nervous and wondered if our skit would be enjoyed as much as theirs were. I ended up messing up on one of my lines, but overall the experience was fun. The two representatives from Okayama University seemed impressed with us, especially because we all make time after school to study their language.

Another important part of the night was when we were given information by the Okayama University representatives. They opened up a world of opportunities to us when they told us about studying in a Japanese university. They highlighted a program they created for international students, including those from the US, called the DISCOVERY Program for Global Learners. Although it’s not something I plan on doing, it was still nice to learn about the different options available to me. Here’s further information for those who may be interested: https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/prospective_students/PA_DISCOVERY_Program.html

Our Japanese Plus teacher, Yoko Eshita, with visiting Okayama President, Hirofumi Makino, and Vice President for Global Engagement Strategy, Atsufumi Yokoi.