Personal Statement Of Purpose: Tutoring And Japanese Culture

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The JET program combines two of my passions: tutoring and Japanese culture. Japanese culture has infatuated me ever since middle school when my friend invited me to go to a Japanese-styled restaurant with her family. The first time I tasted sushi and nigiri was captivating. The flavors were new and enticing. I never believed I would enjoy something raw other than cookie dough. I always loved trying new foods, and Japan had a variety of new flavors for me to taste. After experiencing Japanese cuisine, I developed a new interest in Japanese culture beginning with anime and eventually expressing an interest to learn Japanese. My high school had Japanese as a foreign language option, so I enrolled not only to learn the language, but to expand my cultural understanding of Japan. However, I felt that my Japanese classes only scratched the surface of Japanese culture and I wish to explore more of Japan’s history and culture while also improving my Japanese language skills by visiting Japan. …show more content…

Through tutoring, I was able to meet and help internationals students from Japan, China, Latvia, Pakistan, and many other cultures. Seeing their excitement and delight after I helped them understand a grammar concept or received a good grade in their classes filled me with joy. Tutoring also challenged me to figure out the best way to help each student because many of the people I worked with were from a vastly different culture from myself. Once figuring out the best way to help each student and seeing them progress solidified my love for tutoring. The JET program will give me an opportunity to implement my previously acquired tutoring skills to assist Japanese students in learning

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