Eight students of University of Aizu (UoA) had three-weeks short-term Oversea Programs at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand on UoA's short-term Overseas Study Programs for Academic year 2016.

Here are their reports of their research and daily life in New Zealand.

Participants

• Mr. Yusuke Soeta (a first-year student)
• Mr. Kodai Takihara (a first-year student)
• Ms. Mayu Washizawa (a second-year student)
• Mr. Yuto Shoji (a first-year student)
• Mr. Iori Baba (a fourth-year student)
• Mr. Kohei Nakano (a first-year student)
• Mr. Akitaka Matsuoka (a first-year student)
• Mr. Taiga Takahagi (a first-year student)

Grade during the program

Study Report

Mr. Yusuke Soeta (a first-year student)

This program is going to overseas and learning about culture of overseas. We are able to learn about necessary knowledge to talk with someone speaks English. And the class that was full of activities because I use an electronic board not a blackboard is attractive. I was able to face to the class without boring because I was listening to music and watching the video is English in class. I took a class in the University of Waikato and I think I became able to perform a conversation using English smoothly. In addition, I did study personally before I went, and study hours for English increased. I felt I must learn from now on through the experience.

This studying abroad is first time for me, so I was able to get the great experience because I was interested in the culture of other countries. Through this studying abroad, there was a lot of learning. For instance, it is fun to use English, Consideration to a family...etc. I made use of this background and thought to support children don't get the overseas experience.

Mr. Kodai Takihara (a first-year student)

From March 5th to March 25th

date | report

5th| We arrived at the Auckland airport , met my host family, see the uni with host-mother, check the bus stop

6th| first time in uni, test to share the class, see the campus of uni

7th | the real class starts. after school, went to shop in Hamilton

10th| in uni there is a sports day. played a variety of sports for example, soccer, badminton and so on with foreign people.

11th | went to Auckland. there is not so safe. but could get a good chance to talk with foreign people.

13th | could make the best friend is from China in my class.

14th | joined three new students in my class. each of them is from China, South Korea, Oman, so could get a chance to speak English

17th | fought with soccer PK with an omani, admit the each other's technique and make my friend.

18th,19th | joined the Rotorua tour and Taupo tour. Bus driver surely speaks English so I could get a great chance to study English.

20th | It starts the last week to study abroad. I become to be willing to speak English.

21st | I can speak joke in English with foreign people. Expression is very important when I can't tell my words, but I think that I need to speak English more smoothly.

22nd | appears the last class in some teacher's class. I told my mind to thank you for the class. I got a chance to speak English and I miss my teacher.

23rd| can talk with foreign people, I had my friends taught about their country's culture.

24th | the last class, I told my mind to thank you to my teachers and I promised to go to my friend's country and feel the culture of their culture.

25th | in the early morning, by bus from Hamilton to Auckland airport and via Korea to Narita airport by airplane.

Ms. Mayu Washizawa (a second-year student)

I studied at the University of Waikato Pathways College in NZ for three weeks. I took a test of classification to take the university's lesson at the beginning and based on the result, I learned English in a class that fits my level. The class was small group system and at most about fifteen people. It was easy for me to participate in class because I felt that the distance between the students and the distance between student and teacher is close. On Tuesday afternoon there was a program called English Club and a volunteer teacher and students who want to learn English to gather and freely talk and intercultural exchange and English can be learned. There are a lot of Japanese people of other university and the level of listening and speaking skills is very high, so I was inspired by them. And I could learn a lot of different cultures from Japan through homestay and life in NZ. I was surprised many things different from Japan such as New Zealand's meal, lifestyle habits and way of thinking. In addition I could notice the charm of NZ because I went sightseeing weekends. In the beginning, I often got bewildered that I couldn't understand English and I couldn't say what I meant to say because it was an environment with only English. But I was glad that I gradually became able to communication. I thought I will continue to study English because I was able to reconfirm my absence of English skill by studying abroad.

Mr. Yuto Shoji (a first-year student)

I studied abroad to University of Waikato. I experienced various things there. First, my English skill was improved. I had three weeks in New Zealand. While three weeks, I got confidence about my English skill. I'm thinking I want to act in foreign countries. I have ever gone to English-speaking countries so I want to go to not English-speaking countries like Europe countries. I made a lot of foreigner friends and keep in touch with them nowadays. I'm grad to made friends who live in foreign countries. Second, I think most important experience is I developed broad view of things. I interacted with many foreigner at University of Waikato because a lot of people from many kinds of countries in University of Waikato so I came in touch with foreign culture and sense of values. I learned to looking at things from various perspectives. I'm worried about what I want to research in the future. I think I developed broad view of things in this study abroad program so probably it to affect what I decide on the course to take after second grade in University of Aizu. Therefor I think studying abroad to University of Waikato is great experience for me this time.

Mr. Iori Baba (a fourth-year student)

I stayed in New Zealand for three weeks. I will show you what is the memory of the struggle, pleasant memory. First, pleasant memories are exchange with student studying abroad and local people, school lessons, tour. My class consisted of four Asian students and six Japanese students. The environment is that I can talk freely another country students and teacher. I felt it fresh and valuable time. I joined the Rotorua tour. It contained sheep show, lake of there's rumor is a ghost appears, Luge is that we dropped from the summit with a ranch. Therefore, I felt the scale of different from Japanese and abroad.

Next, memories of struggle are a difference in language, meal, and prices. English is a second language for us. So I had struggled that I tell my intention. However, after two weeks, I was able to understand that things of host mother and teacher want to say. Also, I wrote diary. Therefore, I can talk simple phrase. The meal is not match at all. I missed Japanese food. The price was expensive compared to Japan. So, I felt that it was impossible to act unless I bring to a somewhat larger qurity money.

This time, I experienced overseas for the first time. In New Zealand, there are many nature, many friendly people. So, I got the impression is hearty country. On the other hand, there are parts of not technologically developed. Therefore I realized that Japan is too fortunate. And It is not natural..

Mr. Kohei Nakano (a first-year student)

There are two things that I have learned from short-term study abroad at Waikato Pathways College for three weeks.

The first one is necessary for communication in English. Communication in English is to listen and understand properly what you are talking about, clearly tell what you want to say. It was a very simple thing, but I felt that this was the most important thing. It is simple to realize it, so it is necessary to firmly understand grammar and enhance vocabulary. As time passes, if you can not hear it you will gradually understand. But when you do not understand grammar or words in the first place you can not do anything wrong. I have a relatively small vocabulary and I have listened again and again.

The second is the importance of thinking in English expressions, not thinking in Japanese expressions. Japanese people often wish to put words to say "perhaps" or "probably" in the conversation, which is "Maybe" in English words. Japanese often use ambiguous expressions, but people do not like it in English-speaking countries. I used "Maybe" heavily, it was an unclear expression, so I was told to avoid heavy use. This happens from converting Japanese to English. I listened to English firmly and realized that it is important to think in English.

Mr. Akitaka Matsuoka (a first-year student)

I went to go University of Waikato in New Zealand for three weeks. I had never experienced studying abroad. At the first, I were not interested in this studying abroad. However, I began to think that I would like to listen to the recommendations of my family and the presentations of the people who went to study in the previous year. I thought that I was good at going to New Zealand and I was able to experience various things at the studying abroad. For example, cultural differences, everyday in English, I ate and saw something unique to New Zealand etc. Especially, I ate the meat of a deer first time. It is healthy with a low fat content and it seems that it is relatively popular in New Zealand. It was so delicious. Also, when I went sightseeing in the place called Rotorua, I saw a show by indigenous Maori of New Zealand and I felt I could experience Maori culture a little. It was a very fun and meaningful time as class content that I could learn words in everyday life that I do not know yet in weekday classes. Also, in the selected class, it was a completely different class with a different direction from the morning lesson and it was a bit difficult but I learned a lot. It was a very fun and meaningful time as class content that I could learn words in everyday life that I had known yet in weekday classes. Also, in the selected class, it was a completely different class with a different direction from the morning lesson and it was a bit difficult but I learned a lot. I was able to spend meaningful time in this study abroad. I was made to feel again that there are things I do not understand until I go there. I made a big mistake. I write it because I don't want people to fail next year's student. JCB's credit card was inconvenient (hardly used). If you are going to take credit card, I recommend VISA or MasterCard.

Mr. Taiga Takahagi (a first-year student)

What I learned in my study of language this time is mainly the cultural difference and the difference between classes with Japan. What I felt most about cultural differences is that foreign people are very friendly. Even those who are such as school teachers, shop clerks, older than I students, will be able to speak to them like a friends at study abroad so I enjoyed conversation very much. Furthermore, I could make a lot of friends. Even after I came back to Japan, I enjoyed conversation and I became quite friendly.

Next, about the lesson, about 16 students in small classes, the teacher surely gives each person the opportunity to speak, so I gained the courage to speak. Japanese people are not good at speak, so I think this is a very good experience. Also, I spent a lot of time with pair work, so I speak conversations using what I learned in class so I immediately learned what I learned in class. In addition, the teacher took a minute look at each grammar at the time of learning the writing, and taught us the wrong places in a way that makes it easier to learn the power to write sentences. Throughout these three weeks, I feel that I have acquired a certain level of English ability.