baka said:
Are you sure this isn't a research assignment and we're being unwittingly roped into it? >=]
Why did you start Learning Japanese?
We were forced to learn a language for a year in high school. I didn't really have an interest in any foreign language/culture. I chose Japanese because it was different from Italian and French, which I had studied in primary school for a year (and found boring).
<small>What? At least I'm honest about why I started studying it.
</small>
When did you start learning?
I started learning it in 1999. I was in year eight at high school. It ended up being my favourite subject and so I continued it from then until now. I'm in my final year of a Japanese major at university this year.
How well do you think your Japanese is?
I think I'm capable of going over there, meeting and befriending purely Japanese speaking people, and getting along very comfortably. I can discuss quite a few things in Japanese, and have the ability to give my opinion on things. When I can't think of a word, I'll explain what I mean in simpler Japanese and later look it up. I can also understand spoken Japanese (such as that used in NHK news on at 5:25am on SBS). As for written Japanese: I can skim through a newspaper and be able to understand what articles are talking about. I don't have the kanji prowess to be able to understand everything, and I will need a kanji dictionary beside me, but I'm pretty capable of keeping up with current events.
What career would you like to pursue?
I have absolutely no clue. I'm also a computer geek, so perhaps I might end up persuing a career in that. I finish uni either next year or the year after, so I'll have to see what happens then. I would like to use Japanese in whatever it is I do, however.
Are there any plans of going to/studying in Japan in the not to distant future?
I've been to Japan twice and am planning to go to again at the end of this year as a celebration that I've made it through the JAPA major at uni. Of course I didn't go through such a heavy workload to simply forget it all once I finished uni.
Are you familiar with World Link Edu or any other studying/exchange programs?
Japan's 文部科*省 (MEXT - Ministry of Science, Culture and Education) offer some scholarships every year. Perhaps you should check them out. I think they're listed in
http://www.jpf.org.au Being a government scholarship, they are highly prestigious.
Thanks guys. Your input is greatly appreciated!
Not a problem.