My Experience in the UK by 2011 Tohoku Scholar Miho Ito

Studying at Essex

My experience studying at the University of Essex was very enjoyable. The courses I took were mainly related to second language acquisition, which I had been studying in my home university in Japan. In Essex, I could broaden my view about language teaching more because of its good learning environment.

First of all, I found many things at university in the UK quite different from Japan. Because the length of the master’s degree is just one year, I felt we had to read many books before classes. It was very hard to prepare for the classes but what I learned in lectures after reading was invaluable.

Moreover, the reason why my university in the UK is different from Japanese universities is that there were many people from all around the world. They, including me, had different backgrounds. Therefore, there was an atmosphere that we could ask many questions and give our opinions to the lecturers. In Japan, students hardly ever ask questions for cultural reasons. So I was amazed about the style of classes and learned a lot from them. Becoming accustomed to the style, I got to think that discussions with other students and between students and teachers are very important because we can think about issues more deeply than during quiet classes.

In that way, I came to like this style, and enjoyed studying about second language acquisition. Through taking active classes, I could meet and talk with many students who had had classroom teaching experience. There were many opportunities to get advice and exchange ideas about how to motivate learners of foreign languages, as well as how to teach effectively. When I become an English teacher in the future, I will keep these in mind, to apply them to my lessons.

Life in the UK

I was glad I could live in the UK, which I had dreamed of visiting since I was very young. I would like to introduce several things in relation to my daily life in the UK. First, the place I stayed at was Colchester, which is located in the east of England. Colchester is famous for being England’s oldest town. In the centre of town, everyone can enjoy seeing the old “Colchester Castle.” When I got tired of studying, I sometimes had a walk to the castle park by myself and just rested there. And also, I often went to Wivenhoe Park for a walk. The scenery of the English village was amazing. Surrounded by this amazingly beautiful environment, I could really enjoy my stay in Colchester.

Secondly, I also enjoyed life in accommodation in which some students there shared kitchen. The accommodation I stayed at for eight months was “University Quays.” It was one of the university accommodations located by a beautiful river. I had six flat mates who were from other countries: Holland, France, Norway, Germany, China and Japan. They were always working hard on their study, but we sometimes had a party such as food exchanges and farewells. The most unforgettable event was “Hinamatsuri”- or, the Japanese girl’s festival. Some of Japanese students in Essex made food such as “Chirashi-zushi” – a scattered sushi, that Japanese people have in that season. We shared them with our friends.

Next, I enjoyed London as well as Colchester. As it only takes about one hour to travel there, I sometimes had a short trip to London when I had free time. I went to as many historical places as possible such as Big Ben, London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London. I was always amazed by how many historical things existed in this city, but unfortunately I could not visit them all. London was much bigger than I expected, but as it is said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” I do not think I could ever get tired of London.

One of my most unforgettable experiences in London was going to a musical. I had always wanted to see the Phantom of the Opera in London because I performed the theme music when I played trumpet in a brass band. I tried hard to study in order to see the musical after submission date of some assignments. When I went to the musical for the first time, I was alone. However, during the interval, I could also enjoy chatting with English people sitting next to me. It was unforgettable time for me.

Finally, I had some chances to get involved in some events related to the 3.11 disaster in Japan – which had a large influence on me. I came to the UK on 16th August 2011, about five months after the earthquake and tsunami. Therefore, I joined some volunteer, events and did fund-raising with Japanese people in England. I met many people who wished the best for Japan. Moreover, I had a chance to take part in the ceremony of remembrance at the Japanese embassy in London. It was a surprise that I got invitation card, but it was a very good opportunity to chat with Japanese people living in London and English people who came to Japan to support us. That was a time when I learned how the world was united.

Overall, studying in the UK has become the most unforgettable experience of my life so far. It was unfortunate that I could not continue studying there another year. However, I would like to apply this experience to my future career. When I become an English teacher, I will try to tell the story about my life there and also broaden my vision of the world. If I have another chance, I would like to go back and study there in the near future.