[Destination] Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand)
[Study abroad period] February to November XNUMX (XNUMX months)
Q.How's Auckland?
Auckland is one of the busiest cities in New Zealand and is what we call a city. Having lived in Hirosaki for 21 years, I was initially excited by the number of people and shops, but in the second half I thought that a calmer place would suit me better.
Q.How are the classes going?
In the first semester, I took a course called Academic English with local students (mainly those whose first language is not English).The main classes are listening, speaking, reading, and writing, such as Listening and Note-taking and Oral Interaction and Presentation.However, I was able to learn not only the four abilities, but also the four abilities such as listening and how to take notes + the abilities necessary for taking classes.
In the second semester, I took four courses related to my major (New Zealand society and culture).In these classes, I studied together with local students and international students from countries such as Europe and the United States.I had a hard time keeping up with discussions and discussions, but when I tried to keep in mind two things during class: "Ask honestly what I don't understand" and "Speak my own opinion", I was able to understand the contents well.
Q. Looking back on your study abroad experience, what would you say?
I studied abroad for a long period of time with the goals of (1) becoming fluent in English and (XNUMX) seeing New Zealand society and culture with my own eyes.Regarding objective ①, I was able to improve my English skills, especially speaking. In the first month, most of the conversations were not established, but in the second half, I was able to enjoy conversations with the people I met there, and I think I was closer to my ideal of speaking English fluently.For purpose XNUMX, I often noticed the difference between the image I had and what I actually saw.
