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My Challenge

Takashi Komori (Asahikawa National College of Technology)

This summer I attended an English training camp at EIT, the Eastern Institute of Technology in Napier, New Zealand. I had a great time there, but before I talk about that, I would like to tell you why I decided to join the program, even though I did not like to travel or get involved in events.

Let me tell you a little about my character. I was passive. I was not an active person at all. I didn’t like to socialize. In fact, I sometimes felt sick, especially on a day when there was a school event. I was often absent from school on those days. I was also lazy sometimes. I would say I was the kind of person who “put off till tomorrow what I could do today.” Of course I didn’t think it was good to spend time doing nothing in particular. I wanted to change myself.

One day I noticed an invitation to an English training camp in New Zealand on the notice board at my college. A few days later, after thinking about it a lot, I went to the administration office to get more information about the program. I thought attending the program would be a good chance to change myself. After reading the camp’s information document, however, I started to become worried about going abroad and attending the program. I was such a lazy and careless person, the EIT’s student acceptance and declaration form made me extremely anxious. It said, “I understand that EIT will not be responsible for any damage caused by me or for any trouble that I may get into. I will take full responsibility for any loss of private property and money. I have read, understand and accept the policies, rules and procedures regarding the EIT accommodation contract and agree to abide by them.” I didn’t have the confidence to take responsibility for myself.

That evening at home, I had a talk with my mother about going to New Zealand. Fortunately she agreed with my proposal and alleviated my anxiety. To enable me to think positively, I came up with three aims:

1. To be responsible for my speech and behavior.
2. To brush up my English.
3. To be friendly with people at school and the host family.

Nevertheless, I got a bad cold the day before the demonstration at the elementary school. As a result, I wasn’t able to go there and stayed in bed for four days. I was really depressed. I thought of my partners. Someone would have to do my part for me. I felt terrible that I had to inconvenience my partners. I failed the first and most important aim I planned to achieve, “to be responsible for my speech and behavior.”

I was really sick not only because I had a cold but because I felt really miserable. On the fourth day since I got a cold, I became a little better. My host mother called me to come to the living room. She had rented movie DVDs for me because I could not go out. She and I watched some DVDs and then had a light meal. After eating, I felt much better and told her all about my absence from the elementary school and how I felt about inconveniencing my friends. She patiently listened to my story in my broken English. She said simply, “Apologize to them. That’s all.” I felt it would be so hard to speak to them, though I knew I had to. That was the same feeling I had in Japan.

The next morning I went to the EIT and said to all my partners, “Sorry.” That relieved me from the pain. I was really happy because I thought everyone seemed to understand me. I also felt I could continue in a responsible manner. Thanks to my host mother, the atmosphere in New Zealand, and English, it was possible for me to do it. I think, to some extent, I could accomplish my three aims.

My challenge has not finished yet. Now I am speaking to you here. This is another challenge. This is the challenge to make myself understood in a responsible and friendly manner by using English as a tool of communication.