Foreign Exchange

[DrMikeWolf]

Hello, everyone. I've been a long time reader of Azrael's editorials and browser of these forums although I never really took part of the community itself. I'm going to kiss a little ass here.. You guys are really know what the hell you're talking about.. I've been reading through these forums on different issues in Japan and it's really given me some valuable information. Heh, I find the information from Chinpokomon and Pierrot le Fou to be really helpful, although sometimes it's a little blunt.. That's enough of that..

Back to the reason why I started this..

Lately I've been giving some thought into Foreign Exchange to Japan, but I don't know really where to start.. So that is why I've made this thread, because I would all like to here your stories or personal advice on how you started or how you think I should be going about getting involved in foreign exchange. Also, which programs you think would be best for a High School student.

Right now, I think finances should be my main concern.. To be honest, I'm part of a family that is barely able to survive off it's current living expenses. Or to be blunt almost dirt poor. That's the reason I've went off a got a part time job with the intentions of saving up almost every bit of it to get involved in Foreign Exchange and also buy some material to help me learning Japanese at an early age...(Genki series and Japanese for Busy People)

So, don't hold back, I'm very open to criticism, and what not. I want your full opinions and would very much like to hear how you started.. :hphone:

[kinned7261]

I'm pretty much in the same situation you are in. I'm not poor, but my parents want me to finance every thing of my plans (ARGGG). I am planning on going abroad with www.ayusa.org . Fill out the pre-application online and they will send you a free brochure and packet through the mail. another good one is http://www.ciee.org/hsabroad/ . I know some one on this forum went through www.rotary.org , but IMO its crappy since you have to be with three different families throughout the program. The best i believe is ayusa.org .

P.S. I know at least someone is going to say theres tons of threads on that subject and criticize that you didn't do a search, but w.e.

[Crowley]

If you're looking for cheap ways to learn japanese, don't splash out on expensive series when there are umpteen very high quality learning resources on the Internet.


I've also heard from SOMEONE I ONCE MET that you can get programs that download things from file sharing networks I'VE HEARD I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT MYSELF SOULSEEK where whole japanese learning resources are available for free which you otherwise would have paid for I'VE HEARD LIKE I SAY I'VE NO IDEA OFFICER.

[羽之助]

To be honest, I'm part of a family that is barely able to survive off it's current living expenses. Or to be blunt almost dirt poor. That's the reason I've went off a got a part time job with the intentions of saving up almost every bit of it to get involved in Foreign Exchange and also buy some material to help me learning Japanese at an early age...(Genki series and Japanese for Busy People)

Save your money, go to a college with a Japanese program, exchange, and scholarship.

As for learning materials, ever hear of this (http://thepiratebay.org/details.php?id=3308610)?

For actual books, my textbook was Yookoso and even if it does have the romanization system from Hell (Circle 5), I liked it. Get Heisig's Remembering the Kanji Book I, get an email friend (ALC Keypal Net was still up last time I checked), and try to discipline yourself in regards to study.

[Pierrot le Fou]

Also, check with your high school to see if they have scholarships. Even if you've graduated, sometimes there are scholarships for study abroad that you can apply to post-high school. There are many different organizations who give money for this sort of thing, and you could always try to apply.

[Urban~Ninja]

Rotary do a scholarship dont they?

You can always go to your local Univerities and Community Colleges and ask around like other have said, im Australian so im not familiar with how you would go about Exchange.

Im currently finishing my 3 month in Japan, you will need about 2k (AUD) to survive in Japan, because its expensive place to be.

[Riinuka]

...*lowers head* So expensive...

Out here in the middle-of-nowhere-West-Texas, my school neither provides support for these kinds of things, nor any possible scholarships..

...I was hoping to do this, but after looking at deadlines and prices and such, I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to now.

[Chinpokomon]

Heh, I find the information from Chinpokomon and Pierrot le Fou to be really helpful, although sometimes it's a little blunt.. That's enough of that..

I'm not an asshole in real life, really ;)

People can feel free to disagree with me here, but I would recommend a college program instead of going in high school. It's not that going in high school is bad, it's just that if you go with a couple of years of college level Japanese under your belt, you're going to have a much easier time communicating with people around you.

[mikem]

It's not that going in high school is bad, it's just that if you go with a couple of years of college level Japanese under your belt, you're going to have a much easier time communicating with people around you.

If you do wait until college don't forget to actually take those two years of college level Japanese seriously. A lot of the exchange students I know aren't getting much out of their exchange because they aren't serious about learning and studying Japanese. They just talk English all day and basically provide the motivated Japanese students with extra teachers.

We sort of covered all of this pretty recently I think.

[eledoremassis02]

Why would you go to Japan if your not seriouse about it... those people really annoy me, taking the help waya from those who really need it. Ive thought of doing an exchange.

[Riinuka]

I'm talking with twoworldsunited.com right now... They seem pretty helpful about it.

I'm wanting to go in the summer between my last year of highschool and when I leave for whatever college I'm going to. I'm going to go during college if I can't go now...

[eledoremassis02]

I can't, cause the community college I (have) to go to does not do Japanese. So after highschool, thats it. I won't have any college level Japanese. All self study. I either want to do during Senior year or, Summer of Senior.... wich is when the trip of Japan is. Worse comes to worse I take the trip, wich is not bad but if I can stay there longer.

[Riinuka]

Twoworlsunited.com doesn't have a language requirement for people who are out of highschool.

18-26 can go during summertime as homestays without having a Japanese class.

Thay accept self-study... (which is the only way I could get in, as there are no classes here at all, HS or college.)

The condition is that when you get there, they perform a profiency test and place you accordingly. But that's for high school - I doubt it would matter post-secondary.

[eledoremassis02]

That does not sound half bad, I'll take a look at it, thank you!

[Riinuka]

^ ^ You're welcome.

Also, the representative who talked to me gave me lots of pointers on how to get businesses to sponsor you (Like telling them that donations are a tax-deductible expense, so they save money giving it to you xD)...

THe number is 1-888-696-8088; this will get you the lady I talked to.

....though.. I don't know where you live. This number will only help if you're in the US.

*laughs* If you call, tell her that "Shannon" recommended her. xD I just talked to her about an hour ago. Half-kidding on that one.

[DrMikeWolf]

I really didn't expect too many people to respond. Thank you for the ones that did. :clap:

I have a little question about the process of getting accepted.. I just want to know what the interviews are like?


Also, I'd given a lot of thought into waiting until I'd gotten to college to participate in foreign exchange, but impatience kind of settled in.. And in Louisiana there aren't too many colleges that provide Japanese as a foreign language course. Except for LSU..and it's hella hard to get into that university. :bang: So, I decided with a little bit of self-motivation, consistency with my studying, and time..that if I used my 11th grade year to self-study Japanese and save up money maybe, just maybe, hopefully, I could participate in foreign exchange my senior year. :meh:

[Riinuka]

Wistful thinking is what I'm subjecting myself too, currently...

...Except with me, it's my senior year coming up, and I have no money saved. ><''

My aspirations are to maybe cough up enough to go next summer.

[mikem]

Why would you go to Japan if your not seriouse about it... those people really annoy me, taking the help waya from those who really need it. Ive thought of doing an exchange.

Five months of partying in Tokyo. Pretty tempting considering drinking laws are completely unenforced here. I wouldn't really say they are talking help away from anyone. They all sit in the back of the class when they show up.

[eledoremassis02]

Oh, not in my class. They do all they can to de-rail my teacher becuase they don't feel like being there.... getting A's on everything...while I suffer.. lol I have divided the class into 3 groups.

Group One:
The Otaku, we all know them.

Group Two:
The ones who really want to learn the language/culture

Group Three:
Looks good for college, and it's another "smart" language.

There is mostly group one and three in my class, and unfortunalty they don't care too much for the class.. except for getting into a high college (with japanese honor society),...or watching "pure" anime.

[eledoremassis02]

Sorry to double post... but I was looking at the sites posted here... and www.ciee.org seemed to be the best so far.. how much is the twoworldsunited. I found only so much information, tho the site is hard to follow... but I is in the top 2 on my list. Now just gotta talk to my parents, just wanted to do some reading on it before I decided.

[kinned7261]

best by...price?

idk, i might go with ayusa, but im having trouble coughing up the bucks.

[eledoremassis02]

Yea having that problem too... well best by money yes, it's for highschoolers too, so I only need 2 years of Japanese. (Will have 4 if I go during summer, 3 if going by school year.) Looking deeper in on it too.

[Chinpokomon]

Oh, not in my class. They do all they can to de-rail my teacher becuase they don't feel like being there.... getting A's on everything...while I suffer.. lol I have divided the class into 3 groups.

Group One:
The Otaku, we all know them.

Group Two:
The ones who really want to learn the language/culture

Group Three:
Looks good for college, and it's another "smart" language.

There is mostly group one and three in my class, and unfortunalty they don't care too much for the class.. except for getting into a high college (with japanese honor society),...or watching "pure" anime.

How do you distinguish between groups 1 and 2?

[Niff]

How do you distinguish between groups 1 and 2?

Group 1 uses Japanese in English conversation and make you cringe every time they do it..

[mikem]

Group 1 uses Japanese in English conversation and make you cringe every time they do it..

Does that exclude words like keitai? Certain words like that are pretty common in our conversation. Or taken to a worse degree what about: sushi, onsen, okonomiyaki, nomihodai, sakura, purikura or other annoying to translate nouns? Can we still used fixed phrases?

I'm not saying I'm here just for the green tea and onsens, but not using Japanese even in an English conversation would actually be annoying!

(One exeption. If you are a male and you ever use kawaii outside of the context of a Japanese conversation then you are both gay and otaku.)

How do you distinguish between groups 1 and 2?

I haven't met many people who live and work here that really fall into the group one actually. Exchange students, maybe a JET here or there, but if you're really that otaku my guess is you get disillusioned in the first couple of years.

[ShadowDeth]

Does that exclude words like keitai? Certain words like that are pretty common in our conversation. Or taken to a worse degree what about: sushi, onsen, okonomiyaki, nomihodai, sakura, purikura or other annoying to translate nouns? Can we still used fixed phrases?

I'm not saying I'm here just for the green tea and onsens, but not using Japanese even in an English conversation would actually be annoying!


It surely does. Even between two learning students, I think it's entirely gay to insert japanese words. It's like, "yes, we get it you are studying the language, and barely know it." I see it as pretentious.

Why would you say keitai though? It's one of those instances where there is a perfectly appropriate word in english for it that you choose to ignore for whatever reason. :duh:

(One exeption. If you are a male and you ever use kawaii outside of the context of a Japanese conversation then you are both gay and otaku.)

I haven't met many people who live and work here that really fall into the group one actually. Exchange students, maybe a JET here or there, but if you're really that otaku my guess is you get disillusioned in the first couple of years.

Agreed. However, you're talking about japan? I think all rules are off then. I thought you had ment a couple of college students elsewhere randomly throwing around japanese vocabulary.

[羽之助]

Saying "Has anyone seen my blasted keitai?" is acceptable, and normal, actually. On a university campus, however, anyone who puts a "ne" at the end of their English sentences or randomly blurts out "Nani" deserves to be shot.

[ShadowDeth]

Saying "Has anyone seen my blasted keitai?" is acceptable, and normal, actually. On a university campus, however, anyone who puts a "ne" at the end of their English sentences or randomly blurts out "Nani" deserves to be shot.


I implore you to never visit a livejournal then.

[gentlemanandscholar]

Saying "Has anyone seen my blasted keitai?" is acceptable, and normal, actually. On a university campus, however, anyone who puts a "ne" at the end of their English sentences or randomly blurts out "Nani" deserves to be shot.

My best friend's girlfriend is staying in Japan with her brother, and because she took a beginner's course in the language she now peppers her conversation with "ne"s AND "nani"s.
And she said that konnichiha is NOT how you said good day...

I told him to dump her ASAP. :knockout:

[eledoremassis02]

lol, the otaku also really don't care about the class....I feel. Most are always loud and makes anime refrences/inside jokes...to words like "Ranma". When we watch movies in there both Group A and Group C make rude comments and even makes fun of the teacher for picking the movie (unless it's Blade runnder) ..then the subsitute joins in. That really annoys me.

[Riinuka]

...I have a Livejournal.. Is that bad?

[Crowley]

I'll see your livejournal, and raise you a myspace.

[Riinuka]

I'm not familiar with card games, so I can't make a reply to that. X x;

[eledoremassis02]

I'm not big on blogging

[mikem]

Agreed. However, you're talking about japan? I think all rules are off then. I thought you had ment a couple of college students elsewhere randomly throwing around japanese vocabulary.

Ah, I see. In my situation, and thus the one I was thinking of, its a group of Japanese-learning foriegners on a Japanese college campus possibly including some English-speaking Japanese students.

Re: keitai In a mixed foriegner envrionment there is not a single English word that will always work. Do I say mobile? cellular? cell phone? mobile phone? phone?

Anyway, for the most part I agree with you. I really detest certain phrases like, "Have you seen my kasa?" or "Should we go get some gohan?" Basically anything that you learn to say within the first month or so. Just pick a language! :bang:

There are also parts of nouns that just seem to be correct even in an English sentence. Like I tend to say Yamanote-sen ... I also find myself slipping on katakana words or even worse saying things like cola instead of Coke.

Our favorite trick though is to answer questions asked in English in Japanese. This is sort of an unspoken, "You lazy bastard." After all we're all here to learn! :hat:

I think I would probably carry some of these bad habits back to America too, but I wouldn't be doing it to be an asshat. They would be honest mistakes. :boggled:

[DrMikeWolf]

One question..

Japanese for Busy People or the Genki books?

I'm going to end up buying them sooner or later.. It's a little frustrating to find really useful learn Japanese guides on the internet.

[Chinpokomon]

I've never used the "Busy People" series, but the title just turns me off.
"Japanese for people who aren't interested in investing much time in learning the language"

My elementary Japanese textbook: http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=052154887X

My intermediate textbook:
http://bookclub.japantimes.co.jp/english/pages/0859.html

[mikem]

I've used Yokooso! and Genki for self-study. Both seemed adequate. You might want to save your money and get the audio from, erm, elsewhere ... Either way don't miss this important part. It's taken me months to pick out all the words flying by.

I'm currently using Situational Functional Japanese. It's neither good nor bad, but I think it would probably completely suck for self-study.

Also, if for some reason you have an infinite budget it never hurts to have more books. ;) I have Yokooso I, Genki I and II, and SFJ 1-3 all here in Japan. Most everything else I left at home.

Chin:
That's the book we start using next semester. I hope it doesn't suck as much as SFJ did. That book drove me up the wall until I just accepted my fate.

[Crowley]

Save your money, and don't be lazy. There are infinite good resources on the web for language learning. There are several threads on this forum (use the search function), which list good ones.

Also SOULSEEK you can even BITTORRENT download several books if you're a criminal I've heard from people who aren't my friends I wouldn't know about it thought not at all.

[kinned7261]

im using japanese for busy people, its seems good but ive never used genki. If you do get JFBP, get the kana version rather than the romaji version.

pimsleur works great, comes in book I II and III. Its a great audio program, but it cost about 300 $ per book. lakjshflofcourseyoudonthavetopayifyouuseatorrentor sumlikedat;salk;jf;lk.

[eledoremassis02]

I use Japanese for Everyone (because we use it in school). I have Japanese step by step...and I have a few e-books, one to help with the Japanese profiancy (><) test, and one that works with JFBP.