funOne goes abroad in part to learn about the every day life of people in another place, and this is something which, in fact, one cannot properly do when living in a dorm with other foreigners—especially other foreigners from the same country. You will spend all your time with them, and you will use nothing but your first language. If you really want to learn the language in your new country, and if at all humanly possible, get a homestay!
If you go this route, you will be matched up with a family with which you will share your meals, living quarters, and activities. You basically become another one of “the kids”, and immersed in the new culture. Immersion is the best way—dare I say the only way—to really learn a foreign language with effect. You can’t escape it. From the moment you wake, having overslept, and have to explain to your host mother that you need to wrap up your breakfast to your goodnights, you will have to learn, if you don’t know already, how to communicate.
Because my university in particular is an American one, my classes are in English, and so the only way for me to really learn Japanese is by speaking with my family daily. For instance, right now I am watching the Olympics on television with my host mother and her close friend, and at intervals explaining the basics of snowboarding (America is doing well, on that note). Another activity I recommend, if your family has children, is to pick up a copy of Harry Potter and try to get them to understand why there is a wizards’ school and how to play wizard sports in a foreign language.
I live with the Narita family in a middle class Tokyo suburb. My host mother’s name is Megumi, and she stays home during the day. She’s in her thirties, but she’s still in a college student mode of fun and she’s great to hang out with. Her husband, Shigeru, is a chef at a restaurant in town, but he’s at work day and night, so I don’t see him unless we go to his restaurant. He did give me an action figure, so I know he’s a cool guy. The two little girls are named Misuzu and Mayuko, and they’re energetic as all else. Child-speak is certainly a challenge to understand, but we have fun. We’re going to Disneyland together next week.
In fact, we never miss a chance to do some activity or other on a free day. That last picture is my family and several other host families’ joint attempt at traditional paper-making. I’m really lucky, because my host mother is friends with another host mother in my town, and I was able to make friends with a host student living nearby. My daily commute is almost two hours (this is quite normal for people who work or study in Tokyo, I assure you) and so it’s great to have someone to ride the train and get lost with.
It’s definitely thanks to my family that my speaking has improved over just the last month. I find myself able to find the words I need, words that I had forgotten quickly when I was learning in the states, quickly enough to hold a respectable conversation. This is something I have never been able to do, in either Japanese, or German before it. I can understand way more. Class will teach you new vocabulary and new grammar structure, but not nearly as quickly or thoroughly as daily contact with the language. I repeat, get a homestay! There’s nothing else like it if you really want to learn.
