Hello, everyone!
I can't help but be surprised at the fact that the half of this year is about to pass me by... is this because I'm getting older? Hmmm...
Well, the other day I received the score of TOEFL. Some of you might be familliar with TOEFL, and it stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. In short, it's the test for the people to measure how much one can use English in terms of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. I hadn't taken the test before, so this time I decided to give it a try. I've always thought about studying abroad as you can easily imagine, but whether or not I should go for it actually remains undecided in my mind because I'm not sure how it turns out when it's time to get a job, which is about to come. Moreover, I just didn't expect to do well on the exam because it was the first time for me to take it, and the test has been renewed in a way which some of the Japanese might be overwhelmed. That is, introducing a new section, speaking.
However, after taking the test, I guess it was not that hard as many people in Japan said as the first impressions. Rather, I even had fun writing my opinion in the Writing section. It made me feel as if I'm just updating my blog! Also, listening to the lectures used as a measure to solve the problems actually fascinated me even though it was not the main purpose to do so at the time.
Then, about 3 weeks later, the score came to me. I was surprised to find that my score was enough to apply for the program of studying abroad conducted by AGU.(But Getting accepted would be whole another story!) It does let me rethink about studying abroad, and even seek for further information.
Some people say that I don't need to do so because the main purpose of studying abroad for undergraduate students, which is to learn the language, has been achieved somehow. The other say that I should do so because what you can experience now is priceless. So... I'm confused!
Well, it looks like the outpouring of my mind!
Any suggestion, please?
That's all for today!
See you soon.
VerveEarth
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Something to think about for my future...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Hi Hiromi,
I am not at all surprised that you did well on the TOEFL the first time you took it! All of the things that you do (reading, blogging, listening...) help you to constantly improve your English. (I can't evaluate your speaking because I have never heard you speak very much, and not at all since you left Maryland to return to Japan; and I am not sure how much speaking practice you seek out on your own.)
I can't speak to the issue of what is best for getting your dream job, but my own experience of study abroad was very enriching. You have managed to experience a lot of other cultures through the internet, which was not available to me in the 1970s; and you have traveled quite a lot. Still, there is something about a more extended stay in another country. It deepens your understanding of that country and gives you a different perspective on your own culture. I think a period of study or work abroad is like nothing else.
As I have gotten older, I have been less eager to uproot myself to travel. If you marry and have children, or get a certain kind of job, it is difficult to pack up and go somewhere else. For that reason, the opportunity to live abroad while you are still a student is one that many people take.
If you feel that AGU is fulfilling your academic goals very well, consider graduate study abroad, after you receive your AGU degree. With such excellent language skills, you should be able to get a teaching assistantship, which would defray the costs of the experience significantly.
I presume you are thinking of going to the US if you decide to study abroad. Have you also considered other countries?
Nina
Hi Hiromi,
Don't be confused.
I'm like you learning English as foreign language but I know that I'll need it in my life and so I'm learning it permanently.
"If you want to live long learn more and more"
Muhanned (A student of teacher Hala)
Sudan
Post a Comment