How to acquire English skills even if you don’t want to. 　Chapter 3 Work and English (1) 3.5 First experience of living as a student abroad

　Following the decline of the US textile industry, the U.S. government had a growing sense of crisis in the auto industry at that time due to the increase in imports of small cars from Japan. However, fuel-efficient Japanese cars were very popular with Americans who wanted to switch from low fuel efficient American large cars. As a student in late twenties from Japan, I was a little proud of that.

　After staying overnight at the hotel in Los Angeles where I arrived, the next day I took a bus half a day south to San Diego and arrived at my destination, SDSU (San Diego State University). There I entered a student dormitory called El Conquistador, beginning my carefree (?) student life abroad for six months until March of the following year.

　Although it was the short-term study abroad program, so-called a "language study program abroad," I was confident that I had acquired a reasonable level of English before going to the U.S. I was also confident that I had a good command of English in everyday life. In fact, I was asked to act as an impromptu interpreter for other Japanese students who had difficulties in English communication during their interviews with the university authorities.

　I took as many study subjects as I could. There were no particularly difficult specialized subjects, and I don't remember working so hard, but my grades were all As.

　I often saw American teachers being at a loss by the fact that Japanese students did not speak up in class and did not (or could not) participate in discussions. That means I had more chances to speak out, and from that point of view, the classes were enjoyable for me. However, the dollar/yen exchange rate was 300 yen to the dollar at the time, so I was not in a position to spend the money I brought from Japan lavishly, and in that sense my life was poor and a bit difficult.

　Thanks to that poverty(?), I was fortunate because the dean, perhaps out of pity for my situation, frequently took me to the parties outside the school, where I could converse and communicate with the local Americans in a reasonable way and I could explain about Japan in a way appropriate for my age. She also gave me part-time jobs such as making necessary Japanese guides on campus for Japanese students. These were also rewards for my English skills, which I had already mastered to a certain extent in Japan.

　As you know, no matter what the purpose of your study abroad, it is very important to have a certain level of language skills before your study abroad so that you can use your time efficiently and get the better results out of your study abroad experience. Otherwise, your study abroad experience will end up being merely an experience of living abroad, and your initial objectives will not be fulfilled, and your English skills will not improve as much as you had hoped. However, it is true that the experience of actually seeing and hearing things is irreplaceable.

　In March 1977, the following year, I flew from San Diego to Los Angeles and back to Haneda Airport via a route completely opposite to the one I had taken when I went to the U.S. I was not rich moneywise, but I enjoyed my Christmas and New Year's holidays in the U.S.

　The next day after arriving Haneda, I returned from Tokyo to my hometown of Onomichi to start my own business. It was the spring when I turned 30 years old.

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