With a smartphone, you can instantly access information from all over the world, and voice translation is even possible now. If you were asked what the point of learning a foreign language is in these times, what would your answer be? Having been asked the same question over and over again, I thought back to my school days. I had complex feelings about the fact that I had never accomplished anything on my own, so I decided to study in the United States. I was greatly influenced by the young American man I met there. At first, my English wasn't very good and I couldn’t communicate as well as I wanted to. However, as I gradually started to gain confidence in expressing myself using English, I was able to have more serious interactions with him-even confrontations. We fought and made up many times. Through such ordinary daily moments, I was able to deepen my understanding of different cultures and values. One day, my friend suddenly decided to go to a conflict zone to get involved in conflict resolution activities. I really wanted to know what he was thinking. My time in the US was an experience where people with different birthplaces, upbringings, native languages, and even destinies met by chance and connected emotionally. I realized that the more you learn about international issues such as poverty, conflict, and disasters through your friends, the less they will be just someone else's problem. My experience made me ask myself: “What can I do? What kind of life do I want to live?” Learning a foreign language made me realize my potential that I hadn’t understood before. Why not find hope in the possibility of learning a foreign language (such as English, French, or Japanese as a foreign language) and changing your inner self at the Department of Foreign Language Studies? Now is the time to Unlock Your Potential.
I'm looking forward to welcoming you at Seinan in April 2026!