Reflective Narrative
JAPN 303 was taught entirely in Japanese and any in-class discussions were also required to be in Japanese. This allowed me to develop my Japanese interpersonal skills by discussing class assignments with my peers. Taking this class was a good experience because it allowed me to participate in discussions with students who had a higher level of Japanese, as well as students who had not yet studied abroad. This unique mix of students allowed us all to learn from each other, and feel confident while speaking Japanese as we are all looking to help each other improve upon our abilities. Our abilities were tested every single week with each homework assignment, finally culminating with our final video project. In our final project each group had to create a script. storyboard, poster, and act out an instructional, yet entertaining, Japanese video about proper Japanese business etiquette we learned throughout the duration of the semester. For this project we had to use our critical thinking skills in Japanese and properly create a situation in which we could use our business Japanese knowledge. The video also allowed us to practice our presentational abilities by having us act out the scenes on camera as various characters.
JAPN 303 also taught me a variety of things about how business culture in Japan differs from business culture in America. Each week we learned different concepts, such as Keigo, business letters, and proper business related phrases. These topics allowed me to compare not only how it differed from American business culture, but also how it differs from English itself. For example, Keigo allowed me to learn the proper way to interact with customers, fellow employees, and my superiors. I was able to understand the varying levels of politeness as well as inappropriate ways to address certain individuals. Writing business letters was another activity which helped my ability to properly send important documents. In order to do this, I had to learn about a proper heading, body, and closing. To properly complete this activity, I had to understand the required and order of information necessary to each part of the letter.
JAPN 303 also taught me a variety of things about how business culture in Japan differs from business culture in America. Each week we learned different concepts, such as Keigo, business letters, and proper business related phrases. These topics allowed me to compare not only how it differed from American business culture, but also how it differs from English itself. For example, Keigo allowed me to learn the proper way to interact with customers, fellow employees, and my superiors. I was able to understand the varying levels of politeness as well as inappropriate ways to address certain individuals. Writing business letters was another activity which helped my ability to properly send important documents. In order to do this, I had to learn about a proper heading, body, and closing. To properly complete this activity, I had to understand the required and order of information necessary to each part of the letter.