2017年7月16日~8月7日の間、5年S組藤本友梨さんが第31回AIU高校生国際交流プログラムに参加しました。
本校の生徒がAIU国際交流プログラムに参加するのは、3年連続となります。
AIU高校生国際交流プログラムとは?AIU高校生国際交流プログラム(AIU High School Diplomats Program / HSD)は、毎年夏休み期間中の約3週間、日本全国から選抜された高校生40名(男女各20名)を高校生外交官=High School Diplomatsとして米国に派遣します。 プログラム構成■ツアー(7日間) ■ホームステイ(4日間) ■エクスチェンジ(10日間) |
2017年に参加した藤本さんと、担当教師の感想文です。
藤本 友梨 Yuri FujimotoThere were many times when I felt frustrated because I couldn’t express what I thought in English well, so through these experiences, I was really motivated to improve English. Before I joined HSD, I was afraid of speaking in front of people without preparation. During HSD there were many discussions, and every time I said my opinion, the members listened to them seriously, so gradually my anxiety disappeared, and I decided to make the most of the chances that I got. Thanks to the HSD family, I came to think more like this. Every member has their charms and individuality. From now on, I want to cherish these encounters more than before. Thank you. この三週間で英語について同時に二つのことを感じました。一つ目は自分の英語力の足りなさです。ツアーで重要機関を訪問したときや、ディスカッションをしているときに感じた、うまく表現できないことへのもどかしさは、もっと話せるようになりたいと、自分自身を奮い立たせるような経験になりました。二つ目は英語はツールでしかないということです。私は初めルームメイトが私をどのように思っているのか心配でした。しかし、そのままでは嫌だと思い、何度も言おうとしてやっと打ち明けられた後にはお互いがただの勘違いしていたことがわかりました。その時に一番必要だったのは英語力ではなく、正直に話す勇気と伝えようとする気持ちでした。 |
担当教諭 Anthony HollinghurstI was really delighted when Yuri told me that she had been chosen to participate in this year’s High School Diplomats program. This is the third consecutive year that a student from our school has been fortunate enough to spend three incredible weeks in the United States, but Yuri is a year younger than both of the previous participants, which perhaps made her achievement even more impressive. While she is not an extrovert, Yuri is passionate in her beliefs and wants to make her voice heard, attributes that I’m sure helped her to be chosen, and also benefitted her during the program. As a hard-working and very serious-minded student, I knew that Yuri would benefit a lot from the visits to the governmental and international institutions in New York and Washington. Sure enough, she told me that her favorite place had been the Pentagon, but then went on to say that she had been most surprised to find a candy store inside! She also told me that one of her most precious memories was the time spent with her American roommate, particularly as she was worried that they hadn’t got on so well at the start. By the end they seemed to have become great friends, though, so it seems to have been a very rewarding experience indeed for Yuri. I hope that, despite returning to her busy everyday life as a high school student, she finds the time to fully appreciate all the experiences that she had during the summer and is able to utilize the knowledge and skills that she has undoubtedly acquired for her own benefit and for the benefit of the students around her at our school. As I wrote last year, I think that this program is excellent and I would like to thank all the people involved in its organization and implementation. I hope that all of this year’s participants become truly globally-minded souls and help to further enhance the image of Japan internationally. |