CIEE HS Summer Abroad: Japanese Language & Culture in Kyoto

Going on trips with my school, Ritsumeikan Uji High School, was one of the best parts of the program. Traveling together, exploring new places, and spending time with classmates made the experience more fun and helped us bond.

My most memorable experience was going to Universal Studios with my new friends from school. Even with the language barrier, it was the first time I truly felt connected with them, and it made the day even more special.

This program was a truly unforgettable experience. From going on excursions with people from all over America to living with a Japanese host family and attending a local high school, I got a real look into daily life in Japan. Spending time with school clubs and classmates made the experience even more meaningful, and I can say with full confidence it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d be more than happy to share that experience with peers.

I would likely recommend CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad to a friend because it is a great opportunity to engage personally with a new culture in any target country of your choosing. The host family experience is unique and helps you immerse with the daily lives of a native resident. You end up building very strong connections with people from not just within your program but also with people in your host family. The activities are overall very good at highlighting various aspects of Japanese culture and felt extremely fruitful.

I would be likely to recommend CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad to a friend or peer for a lot of reasons. One reason I would recommend the program is the various opportunities it provides for individuals to explore a foreign world different from their own. Whether it's a Robotics and Engineering program or a Language and Culture session, each program allows individuals to learn or expand on a skill they might want to expand on in the future while exploring the culture and lifestyle behind a place like Japan or Spain. It allows students to become a part of their host country's day to day life and differentiate qualities of the country from their own while expanding on their own knowledge of their desired subjects in new forms. Another reason I'd recommend the Language and Culture programs on the CIEE platform is their ability to help individuals understand the way of life of a culture and become a member of the country as well. Promoting homestays and allowing people to feel as if they're truly living in their host country for a month allows for a greater recognition and attention towards the way of life in a new country and the difference it holds towards their own home country. It allows for such a great expansion and learning opportunity that it grants the "culture" aspect of the program through one's day to day life, providing the "language" experience through the 3 hour class times and community conversations with others.

I loved everything about the program and we did lots of fun things. However, I didn't learn as much history as I thought I would. I learned a lot of Japanese but only about 40% came from my Japanese class. It was hard because our teacher didn't speak much English so there was a lot of unclear information that I never fully understood. I would recommend the trip if they weren't super serious about becoming fluent or learning history.