Michael is a teacher and he also teaches weekly Japanese lessons at the Japanese Embassy in Wellington.
Japanese language study
Secondary:
Studied Japanese for four years at secondary school
Tertiary:
Completed a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Economics and Japanese at Victoria University of Wellington
Michael believes that he gained a solid foundation of knowledge about Japan and Japanese culture through a course about Japanese history which covered aspects of various periods in Japan’s past, but focused on intellectuals from the Meiji Period.
Motivation to begin Japanese
Studying a second language was compulsory at Michael’s high school for at least one term, which was sufficient to pique Michael’s interest in Japanese. His fascination in Japan grew as it provided such a contrast to New Zealand. Specifically, the differences between the languages, Japan’s relatively long history, its hierarchical structure of society, and the food kept the attraction going for Michael. He says:
Historically, Japan is also an economically strong nation and has a big role to play in world affairs, so I think that it is a really interesting country to learn about.
Japanese in the workplace
Michael worked as an Assistant Language Teacher on the Japan Exchange and Teaching programme in Otaru, Hokkaido for two years and found that having studied Japanese previously helped him adapt quickly to life in Japan, and helped him communicate with friends and co-workers. Back in New Zealand, Michael has gained a qualification in teaching, and while his first teaching position does not include Japanese, he hopes to be able to teach it in schools the future. In the meantime, he keeps up his language use by teaching weekly Japanese lessons at the Embassy of Japan in Wellington.
Aside from Japanese language teaching, Michael feels that roles involving trade and relations between Japan and New Zealand could be a possibility for future employment. He believes that knowing Japanese definitely gives him an excellent opportunity to build connections between the two countries.
Skills gained
Michael states that having studied Japanese he feels that his communication skills have increased, not only in Japanese but also in English. He thinks that learning another language has made him think about the way people communicate, and has helped him become more effective in his own communication. He says:
Learning about Japanese culture has also forced me to be more open-minded, and see that there are a number of different ways to look at the world. Learning about a language and culture so different to my own has given me greater analytical abilities, and helped my to understand different points of view.
Time spent in Japan
After he finished high school, Michael visited Japan for three weeks with some classmates from his Japanese class. They were keen to put into practise some of their Japanese knowledge, taking in the sights as their learning came to life.
Spending time in Japan on the JET programme also enabled Michael to meet a lot of great people not only from Japan but also from around the world, and the varying experiences that he had while living and working in Japan helped him develop as a person. He now feels much more confident in his ability to face any challenges that come his way, and looks forward to new experiences in a way that he didn’t prior to going to Japan.