English made me what I am today

Ever Since I was a child, I have been interested in many different things; playing tennis and baseball, observing the stars, or collecting and breeding insects and fish. But my interest never lasted very long. I would often get tired of these things. However, there has been one exception. That is English. Since I encountered English, I have never lost interest in it.

I first encountered English when I entered junior high school. At first, I regarded English as merely one of the many compulsory subjects I had to study. But the more I learned English, the better I understood it and the more joy I got in studying it.

After I entered high school, my enthusiasm for English became stronger and stronger, thanks to an English teacher who I respected very much. His knowledge of English and the way he taught it were of course appealing, but what was even more fascinating were his various points of view. He knew many things not only about Japan but also about other countries. For example, in one of his classes, he told us about the difference between Japanese students’ lifestyles and those of Australian students.

Once, he said, "I acquired many things through English. I was able to talk and interact with many people through English when I was in Australia to teach Japanese to Australian students." At that time, I thought that if I studied English hard and became able to communicate with many people through English, I could find out new things and broaden my horizons, as he did.

Inspired by him, I studied English harder than ever. As I studied English and became confident in it, I somehow came to think that it would be wonderful if I could use English in my future job.

Now, I am a university student. Even though I have passed the entrance exam for the university, which used to be the main factor for me to keep the motivation to study English, I’ve still been studying English hard. Of course one reason is that studying English itself is a lot of fun, but EIKEN also plays an important role in encouraging me to study English. Today, I am honored to represent the candidates who have passed EIKEN Grade-2 test. But my work is far from over. My dream is to someday pass Grade-1. In order to pass it, I must study English harder than ever before and improve my oral communication ability. Thus EIKEN is a perfect way for me to keep the motivation to study English.

Through studying English, I realized how interesting it is to study a foreign language. Now, I’m studying Chinese at university as well as English, and enjoying it very much. Moreover, through talking with many people by using English, I find that it is a lot of fun to interact with people who have different backgrounds. So, in order to communicate with more people, I went to Cambodia this month to participate in volunteer activities, where I met many people and learned and experienced lots of things.

I’ve yet to have a specific picture of my future, but I want to work on the international stage using English and viewpoints acquired through it. Since I began studying English, it has played an important role in my education. I believe in the future, as well, English will continue to be at the center of my life.