Category A – 6 points
Japanese 1110
In my first year at TRU I took this introduction to Japanese class as I had considered the possibility of working in Japan. At the time I was studying to become a game developer and felt that having the ability to speak Japanese would aid me in that career goal. Although I am no longer planning or studying game development this class is still aiding me in my goals as I plan to be an English Second Language teacher upon my graduation. The course mostly taught us the basics of two of the three Japanese alphabets as well as introductions, plan making, and speaking about the weather.
Japanese 1210
In my second semester at TRU I took this intro to Japanese 2 course. I took this class for the same reason that I took the first introduction to Japanese course but also because that first course sparked a love for language learning that I was previously unaware I had. Due to this realization I feel that I really through myself into learning not only the language but also how the Japanese culture differed from my own. I also took this class concurrently with Japanese 2610 which was originally the international field school course Japanese 2700.
Japanese 2610
I took this class in my second semester of TRU as a requirement for participating in the 2020 Japanese cultural field school. Due to this class being a requirement for the cultural field school it focused almost entirely on spokes Japanese and learning about and immersing ones self in Japanese culture. Although the field school was unfortunately cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown I still feel that I gained lots of experience with understanding and acknowledging Japans unique and interesting culture. Out of the three Japanese courses that I took at TRU I feel this one has been the most impactful experience for my future plans. By taking this class and becoming more familiar with Japan and its culture I encouraged myself to seriously consider moving to Japan after my graduation and becoming and English teacher there.
Spanish 1210
I took this introductory Spanish course at TRU in my third year. I took this class because I had just signed up to get my Teaching English as a Second or Other Language certificate. I have a lot of Spanish speaking friends who encouraged me to learn both the language and about their countries cultures. In the class itself we listened to people from around the world speak Spanish and focused on the various past tenses of Spanish as well. I took this class at the same time that I was taking a global competency class and feel that taking them together made me really appreciate the cultural aspects of this class.
German 1110
I took this class during my second year at TRU. Throughout the class we learnt the basics of introductions, greetings, food, and travel. The final exam for this class focused largely on the cultural aspects of Germany and tasked each student to plan out a trip to Germany and the activities that we would do there. Although the whole project was done in my limited Germany language skills I still learnt a lot about the cultural and society of Germany.
French 1110
I am currently taking this course in my fourth year at TRU. I decided to take this class as throughout my time in elementary and high school I actively avoided learning the French language. As I have now come to understand the importance of and the enjoyment that I get from global competency I wanted to take this class to prove to myself that I have grown as a person. So far in class we have learned basic introductions, routines, food, and personality traits. I feel that this class will help me in my future as a lot of the countries I am looking at teaching in speak French as one of their national languages.
Category B – 3 points
TESL 3030, ANTH 1210, ANTH 2140
TESL 3030
I took TESL 3030 in my third year at TRU. This class focuses on global competency and looks at what it means to be globally competent as well as why it is important to be globally competent. Throughout the course we studied various cultures, the aspects of them that are different in comparison to Canadas and what those differences mean. This class enabled me to truly understand and accept cultural differences without judgment which is a skill that will greatly help me in my future as I plan to teach English abroad upon my graduation.
ANTH 1210
I took this culture anthropology course in my third year at TRU. This course provide a basic introduction into the field of cultural anthropology with a heavy focus on Indigenous content. Over the duration of this course I learnt a lot about how cultures are studied in comparison to one another as well as where a lot of common differences stem from and how to navigate and learn about these differences in a respectful manner.
ANTH 2140
I took this anthropology course in my third year at TRU. This course focuses solely on the Indigenous peoples of Canada and their history with colonial – modern day Canada. While this class focused solely on Indigenous cultures and history I feel that the education I gained in speaking about and bringing attention to sensitive cultural topics will aid me in navigating throughout various cultures in my future career.
Category D – 5 points
For this category I used my work as a Resident Advisor. While working as a resident advisor I worked closely with numerous international students from all across the globe. My work consisted of aiding students in times of crisis, academic struggles, cultural struggles, and many more highly importance situations. Throughout my time as a resident advisor I had to navigate numerous cultural differences while maintaining and helpful and professional attitude within stressful environments. I feel that having this work experience has set me up to successfully deal with any hurdles I may come across in my future career relating to interpersonal and emotional problems that may arise.
Total Points = 14