I was among 8 students who were selected for the Japanese Immersion trip to Osaka. Without exaggeration, it was an experience and a half! Not only did I get a chance to attend Japanese language classes at Osaka University, I had a first-hand taste of the Japanese hospitality staying with my host family under the home stay programme.

The Japanese language classes offered me plenty of opportunities to interact with the students of Osaka University. We joined them in interesting activities and games such as Japanese traditional dance and making of instant ramen. In exchange, we conducted a presentation for them on Singapore. Although it was challenging putting together the presentation, we managed to do a good job. This has proven to be a very valuable learning experience for me.

Home stay was really a fabulous way to experience life in Japan. My host family took great care of me and even showed me around Osaka. Other than improving my conversational skills, I also developed a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture and lifestyle. Towards the end of the stay, I had become quite adept at their cultural etiquettes and could even speak a smattering of the Kansai dialect!

It has really been a fruitful trip for me because in addition to improving Japanese proficiency, I have also made many friends at Osaka University. It was an unforgettable learning experience that I will treasure forever.

Yeo Jing Xiang

School of LSCT