New Perspectives on Cross-Cultural Exchange Yuan Ze University Students Study in Japan

During the winter break, Professor Yi-Chung Ke, Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Applied, led five undergraduate students and three graduate students to Akita International University in Japan for a ten-day intensive winter program on Japanese language and culture.

The program adopted an immersive learning approach, offering customized coursework tailored to different proficiency levels, allowing students to significantly enhance both their Japanese language skills and cultural understanding.

The courses were taught by second-year graduate students preparing for their teaching certification, with classes divided based on language proficiency. The program maintained an impressive student-to-teacher ratio of 2:1, with first-year Japanese master's students providing one-on-one guidance. Professor Ke noted that the small class sizes and diverse teaching methods enabled students to strengthen their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a relaxed learning environment. Additionally, cultural experiences were integrated into the curriculum, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural context behind the language while learning.