[International Exchange] Participants in the Australian training program in February have returned home.

Eleven students who participated in a two-week training program at the University of Wollongong in Australia from Friday, February 23rd, completed the program and returned home on Sunday, March 10th. They took English classes at the university every day from Monday to Friday and stayed with host families during their stay. Through their interactions with their host families, they came into contact with Australian culture and had a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of different cultures.

Below are some comments from students who participated in the training.

・My host family was always considerate and took me to many places. While visiting my homestay, the university, and various other places, I was able to rediscover Australian culture, the differences with Japan, and the charms of my own country. Unlike Japan, Australia is a country where English is the official language, so I felt even more strongly the responsibility of having to speak and act on my own. The host family I met this time became my second family, and they have become precious memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. This short-term training program allowed me to once again feel the connections and kindness of people.

・Although there is a language barrier in Australia, it is natural for Australians to accept differences in people. They didn't say that my thoughts are different because Japanese and Australians have different nationalities, but rather accepted all of me, saying, "Nationality doesn't matter, we just think differently as people." Those words helped me to gain confidence in myself. Also, when I consulted my host mother about various things, she would acknowledge them at first, saying, "That's a good idea!" and then give me advice, so my values changed and I was able to experience feelings that I couldn't experience in Japan, so I felt comfortable spending time with my host family. Through this overseas study abroad program in Australia, I didn't just listen and learn, I saw, felt and experienced with my own eyes, came into contact with different cultures, made many encounters, and my way of thinking has broadened greatly. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity. Thank you.
Thank you.

・Through this study abroad experience, I was able to discover many good things about Australia. My host family also asked me to come visit them again the next time I come to Australia, so I would like to go to Australia again. At first, I was worried about whether I would be able to communicate in the language or get used to the culture and customs, but the local people spoke slowly to me, and I felt their kindness. Even after I return to Japan, I will continue studying English and do my best to be able to communicate with more people in English.
　
・What I learned from this study abroad in Australia is that it is important to take action on your own without feeling anxious. The reason is that if you go from an environment where you were able to live comfortably in Japanese and you are only speaking English, you will feel more anxious if you are not confident in your English. However, if you do not take any action, it will not lead to your growth and you will waste a valuable opportunity. Therefore, I lived consciously, thinking about how I can make the most of the difficult environment for me and acting accordingly. I feel that I was able to connect this to my growth in the end.

・I learned a lot from my friends' mindset. I was not good at speaking up because I was not good at expressing my opinions, but when I saw my friends actively speaking to local people in English, it was as if something changed inside me, and I was able to actively speak to them in English. What I realized from this experience is that nothing will happen unless you take action yourself. By actually taking action myself, I was able to make friends with local people, and my teacher at school was the first to remember my name, so we became good friends. I had not had much experience going out with friends after school, so everything I spent with my friends was fresh and fun for me, such as buying lunch with my friends after school and going to the beach or playing basketball. It was a good experience to talk to many local people. I'm glad that my first overseas trip was in Australia. It made me like English even more and made me want to learn more. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who was involved and gave me this opportunity. Source: International Exchange Center