Since I was a child, I have had a deep interest in Japanese anime and always thought “Someday, I want to visit Japan.” Because of that, after graduating from high school, I decided to study Japanese and chose the Japanese Language Major at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education. I have been majoring in Japanese for about three years, but every time I try to speak in Japanese, I often get nervous and struggle to express my thoughts clearly.
I also took the N2 level of Japanese Language Proficiency Test, but my listening and speaking skills were still not strong enough, so I failed the exam. In the future, I want to become a professional interpreter, but I realize that I still have a long way to go before I can make it happen unless I figure out how to improve my weaknesses. Since I’m in my country, most people around me only speak Vietnamese so I don’t have many opportunities to practice Japanese and my skills haven’t improved as much as I’d hoped. That’s why I chose to study abroad in Japan, where I can live surrounded by native Japanese speakers. Studying abroad will allow me to improve my conversation fluency and responsiveness, then I can gain the confidence to speak Japanese more comfortably.
Moreover, Japan is a country that has experienced many hardships such as earthquakes and tsunamis, but it always recovers and continues to develop rapidly. I admire this strong and resilient spirit of Japanese people and want to learn from it. Even though I failed the N2 test, I believe that if I study hard in Japan, I will definitely grow. Through studying abroad, I want to improve not only my language skills but also learn about Japanese culture, values, people’s politeness, and their sincere attitude toward work so I can grow into a more mature and well-rounded person.
Additionally, interacting with international friends will expose me to a variety of cultures and values, helping me to broaden my perspective. I want to step out of my comfort zone, take on new challenges in a new world, and live an independent life.
After returning to my country, I plan to graduate from my university and look for a job where I can use my Japanese skills as a working adult. Through my study abroad experience, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of Japan and the Japanese spirit. I chose Japan because I want to learn everything about Japan through real-life experiences - something that books and movies cannot provide. Studying abroad in Japan will not only improve my Japanese skills, but also become an important milestone in my future.
