白鴎大学 HAKUOH UNIVERSITY

経営学部

海外留学プログラム

異文化体験報告書

2016経営学部海外留学プログラム 
University of Victoria 私の異文化体験

― Good and bad experience ―

寺島 晃也

It was the first time to go to another country. Off course there were a bunch of different of culture. First of all, language is totally different, so I got anxious about speaking English with native English speaker. In my opinion, if I felt nervous, I couldn't speak English and listening, so I took a tons of mistake. It was related to bad experience. For example, I really wanted to use cellphone freely. I mean anywhere, anytime. I came up idea in my mind that buy SIM card at electronics shop, so I went to Fido. It’s kind of electronics shop. Then, I said “I want to buy SIM card.” It was easy to buy SIM card, but there was a problem. If I bought a SIM card, I wouldn't use it because my cellphone was not unlocked. The Fido clerk said to me “you have to get unlock your cellphone.” After I took obligation. The clerk conducted to shop that I can do unlock cellphone, and I went there then I asked to a clerk. “How much cost to get unlock my cellphone?” Then clerk said “you should pay 150 dollars included tax.” I was astonished because it was super expensive, but it was usual payment for unlocking Japanese cellphone. It meant Japanese cellphone was secured. Sometimes good sometimes bad I thought. I got just bad situation. Anyway I thought a lot about it. Finally, I paid money, and I decided to get unlock. It took me maybe two weeks to do unlock. I mean the clerk said “you should come here after two weeks.” Then, I went there two weeks later, but there was not the guy who I met last time. I thought “ it doesn't matter.” Then, I asked to a clerk “can you do unlock my cellphone?” The clerk said “he went downtown, and he is going to go back here maybe two hours later.” I couldn't wait for him because I had appointment with my friends, so I said “ I’m going to come here day after tomorrow.” But, I couldn't use SIM card more than two weeks, so I suspected about unlocking. Fortunately, one of my friend told me the password of wifi. It’s very useful, and I could use it almost everywhere, so I recognized that I don’t need to use SIM card, but it was too late. Next that day, I went to Fido, and I cancelled the obligation. Also, I went to the store, and I said” I want to cancel unlocking.” But, the clerk said” I can’t because it is just service. If you buy like iPhone case or something like that, you can refund your money.” After that I didn't go there anymore actually. It’s means I just wasted much money. I said that I canceled the obligation at Fido however, I paid 60 dollars. It was awful experience, but I learned to use SIM card, so it’ll never happen to me again I think.

I had good happens as well. I watched tv everyday in my house for my English skill for 30days. It was kind of homework, but it was spectacular. It was very effective for my English skills. I think my listening skill was kind of horrible, but I watched TV every day for 30 days without subtitle. After that something happened to me it was kind of awesome. For example, A person who is a native speaker spoke me while I was waiting for my bus, but it was no sweat because I practiced about listening. Then, elder people said to me” I’m impressed because your English is very good. if I go to another country, I can’t speak same language.” When I heard it, I was touched because I practiced listening English for speaking with native speaker. It was one of my glad affair and then I have some similar affairs. I really glad to hear that because I went to Canada for study English to get a great English skill. Also, It is very useful for my future job. I really want to be a International banker in the future, so I need to secure speaking skill.

I have one more good experience. It is what I met with another country people. I mean I made a lot of friends who came from another country. I was very Anxious to speak another country people because I was very shy and my English skill was kind of bad, but another country people like a Mexican or Columbian or Korean something like that. They are not shy if they had a mistake at speaking English, they don’t care about that, but most Japanese people are shy and they feel terrified to make a mistake. I think we don’t need to feel anxious because we are not native English speaker even if native speaker take a mistake. If we can’t express myself, we can use gesture or body language or something. I learned how to communicate with another country people. It is very easy to communicate with another country people because if we were not Shy, we would make a good relationship with another country people easily. It was stunning opportunity to me with another country people because they made me change my mind. I could be a active person, so I’m not shy right now. I think it is the best harvest for me in my life. I’m extremely happy because I changed my personality while I was living in Victoria. There were a lot of things that happened to me, but I think it is very useful for me in the future because I intend to go to another country and work there. Finally, I learned a lot of things while I was living in Victoria it was awesome experience for me all of them.