大三出國、全英語課程 - 國際視野 : 淡江大學大三出國通報及學分採認系統

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2022大三出國輔導通報系統 - 留學心得報告[編輯]

資工 409840062 　陳芃諭　　留學學校：加州州立大學長堤分校

(一)基本資料

I studied at California State University Long Beach, and it's located in the western United State. I went abroad in August 2022, and went back to Taiwan in May 2023. I studied language course in the first semester. In the second semester, I studied formal course because I passed the Duolingo exam which is English exam.(54字)

(二)課程學習

【照片說明：Here are the questions we answer our teacher using Kahoot.】

Because I studied two kinds of course, so I have lots of experiences in the US. Especially at English Institution. The teaching method in the United States is relatively free. They gave us many opportunities to communicate and discuss with international students in each class, but there are not so many opportunities to communicate with classmates in formal courses, so I prefer language courses to formal courses. In the language school, because of the way of teaching, I will meet many international students, so I am particularly impressed by the courses of the language institution. One of the language courses was teaching grammar. The teacher taught in a very lively way, and he also paid attention to using creative ways to make students listen carefully. Every time I went to class, I always looked forward to what method the teacher will use to let us learn grammar. From the content of the teacher's course, I can see that the teacher is very serious about every student, and she really hope that we can live more smoothly in the United States. For example, teacher asked students to use the grammar what we learned in the last class to express what we were doing on weekends. From this teaching method, we can not only express more courageously, but also learn grammar, and let us concentrate on class. In addition to this teaching method, teacher also use competitions to make students feel more involved. For example, she will use Kahoot to do the topic of the previous class content, and then there will be rewards for those who get the highest score in the end. Through this teaching method, we can deepen our impression of the grammar we have learned, and also let us know how to use this grammar in our life. Although the content taught in this class is basic grammar, it will still be unfamiliar after a long time without contact, but teacher of the grammar class is still teaching us very patiently, and uses her own method to help us learn it faster.(344字)

(三)生活環境

【照片說明：This photo was taken before entering the school, with the blue pyramid at the end.】

Let me talk about the campus environment first. The campuses of American universities are really different from those in Taiwan. The campus needs to take a bus to where you want to go. I remembered that the first time I went to visit the campus, I walked for almost an hour to finish the campus, and I didn’t even go to other places. There is a special building in CSULB, which is a blue pyramid with a gym, there has basketball court and volleyball court, which looks really spectacular. In addition, there is a building called Student Union Center. There are several restaurants and a space for students to rest. There are pianos for students to play, and there also has bowling, billiards hall and Internet cafe that you can relax. I really like this campus environment! And I want to talk about accommodation environment. I share an AirBnb with 5 other students. We live next to a main street in Long Beach, so I think it’s not really safe, and we seldom go out at night. And there is a supermarket within a 15-minute walk near our house, and there are also restaurants within a 5-minute walk. There is also buses that go directly to the campus. It’s really convenient! Before I went to the United State, I thought there are a lot of fast food in the United States, there are also many exotic cuisines, especially Asian cuisine. I have tried food from various American chain fast food restaurants, and also tried various cuisines. The one that impressed me the most was poke bowl. It’s Hawaiian cuisine, and it is also a cuisine that I have never eaten in Taiwan. There are many foods that I miss after returning to Taiwan. California is a place with very nice weather, cool in summer and not too cold in winter, not even as humid as Taiwan, and it rarely rains, so I like the weather in California.(330字)

(四)自我成長

【照片說明：When the driver sees a STOP sign or a red sign on the road, they must stop for three seconds or more】

I still remember that when I first came to the United State, because I was not familiar with English conversation, I was too late to listen ordering, so there was a gap between the ordering and what I think. However, time has passed, I can gradually understand how to order food, they have their mode to ordering, and I can speak more smoothly. I think the language problem I can solved it because I need to use English every day, so after a long time, I can understand what the other people want to say. The part of the courses, because I went to a language school in the first semester, and then the class was mainly for students with poor English, teachers spoke slowly, and the language course is originally for students to be brave to talk with foreign, so there is no problem in communication in the first semester. In the second semester, because of the formal courses, the professor’s speech speed will not be slowed down for the sake of international students, so there are a few courses that I can’t keep up with at the beginning, and I can’t understand what professors asking, but after a few classes, I probably know the way professors teach in class, so I can keep up with the contents of class more, and I successfully got high scores at the end of second semester. Let's talk about culture shock. In the social part, because Americans and Asians have different personalities, Americans are outgoing, so they like to chat with us, which also give us more opportunities to practice English. Americans like to greet before a conversation, for example, they will say: What's going on? How are you? Another difference is the traffic. Americans are very polite when driving, especially for pedestrians, and they must stop as long as there is a stop sign, and they must let pedestrians pass before continuing to drive. Another is that the United State can turn right on a red light.(339字)

(五)大三出國建議

I would like to give some advice to students who want to study abroad. The first one is that if you don’t want to live in dormitory, but rent a house, you need an SSN(Social Security Number), or proof of income, However, I’m not an American, we can’t get these information, so we can only find Air bnb, which is a similar the web page for hotel reservations, so you don’t need to prepare complicated information. The second is that the law and order in the United States is not as good as in Taiwan, so, just don’t go out at night. And don’t leave your things when you go out to play or when you are in the lively place. One of my friends put his bags aside, and later his passport and other valuables were stolen before. If possible, don’t put important things together, just separate its. Third is that American university hold a lot of activities. If there are any activities, you can participate as more as possible, and get to know more people. Not only can you enrich yourself, but you can also improve your English ability. The fourth is to understand the culture of the country you are going to, such as transportation, greetings, and the dialogue usually used to order food, so that you can quickly adapt into the local life. Finally, I hope that you who go abroad will not only be serious about the studies, but also go out when you are free. To see the local scenery and experience different cultures. Although you will feel scared and nervous in unfamiliar places, you still have to boldly try various activities. Making an unforgettable experience to your life.(293字)