Student Ambassadors
Speaking with a student ambassador is a great way to get a previous student’s perspective on the Language Schools experience.
If you would like to connect with a student ambassador to ask questions, please contact Robin Piya, School of Japanese Assistant Director, at japaneseschool@middlebury.edu.
Zachary Brothers
Hometown: Wyckoff, NJ
Program: 8-week Immersion
Level: 1,2
Current: Indian Hills High School
What surprised you about your experience at the Middlebury Language Schools?
During the program, its remarkable how quickly I felt like I was learning. In high school, I would study the same language for multiple years and still stumble through every oral exam, but because immersion requires you to exercise the speaking part of your brain so often, you can make incredible progress and gain a thorough understanding that you can’t get from just a textbook.
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
The deciding factors that led me to choose Middlebury over another program were the Language Pledge and the campus. When learning a language, its important to make sure that you’re able to use it effectively and in the right situations, which the pledge forces you to do every day. Also, after spending my whole life living in the more urban parts of Northern New Jersey, the much more rural area was a nice change of scenery that I hadn’t experienced before.
How much did your Japanese improve?
Going into the program, I had a decent grasp on the hiragana, passing knowledge of the katakana, and fewer than ten kanji memorized. I was able to leave the program having memorized both the hiragana and katakana and being able to use the 100+ kanji we learned.
What advice would you give someone wanting to attend the School of Japanese?
The best advice I can give to people joining the program is to try to reach out to as many people as possible from the different levels. Talking to people who know more about the language than you do is a surefire way to learn the language. After all, no matter where you’re from, that’s how you learned your native language. As a bonus, you can always stay in contact with your friends after the program ends.
Tenzin Ingsey
Hometown: India, Karnakata
Program: 8-week Immersion
Level: 2
Current: Middlebury College
What surprised you about your experience at the Middlebury Language Schools?
When I first learned about the Language Pledge, I expected it to be extremely challenging, especially since my Japanese skills at the time were still quite limited. But what really surprised me was how much the daily immersion and especially the support from the community helped me grow. It felt less like a challenge and more like a shared experience. By the end of the program, I didn’t even realize how much I had learned until it became hard to speak in English again. I kept forming sentences like I was still thinking in Japanese, which was a really cool moment. It made me realize just how impactful the experience was.
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
Before I was a Middlebury student, I had heard of the intensive summer language program in Middlebury, how challenging yet rewarding they were. I’ve always wanted to learn a new language in a deep, meaningful way, and this felt like the perfect opportunity. The idea of the Language Pledge really intrigued me, and the cultural events seemed like a great way to connect with the language. As a person who has never been to Japan, this felt like the closest I could get to actually being there fully surrounded by the language and culture. That kind of experience is rare, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Please describe how your language skills improved due to your studies at Middlebury.
By the end of the Language Pledge, speaking in Japanese felt much more natural and comfortable than I ever expected. I didn’t even realize how far I had come until we were asked the same interview questions from the beginning of the program, and this time, I could actually answer them. That moment really showed me how much progress I had made. It wasn’t just the classes, but everything else too–the club activities, cultural events, special lectures, and especially our senseis, who were incredibly kind and supportive throughout. All of it created an environment where learning felt constant, but also exciting and meaningful.
What makes the School of Japanese a unique environment to learn the language?
What makes the School of Japanese so special is that it’s not just about learning the language, it’s about living and experiencing it. The Language Pledge creates an immersive environment where everyone around you is speaking Japanese, which pushes you to use the newly learnt grammar and vocabulary. On top of that, the program brings together students from different levels and backgrounds, so you’re constantly learning from others too(sometimes without even realizing it). And through the cultural events, guest lectures, and day-to-day interactions, you get a chance to understand the culture behind the language in a way that’s hard to find elsewhere.
What advice would you give someone wanting to attend the School of Japanese?
My biggest piece of advice is: don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s a natural part of learning, and honestly, I think we learn the most from the mistakes we make. They stick with us in a way that helps us grow. Be open to trying, even if you’re unsure. Also, take full advantage of all the events and activities, they really help you connect with the language and the people around you. Make new friends, talk to others as much as you can, and most importantly, don’t hesitate to ask for help. The senseis are incredibly kind and supportive, and going to office hours can really clear up confusion and give you confidence.
Describe your typical day at Middlebury.
Our day usually starts with classes from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and after that, there are different club activities depending on what you’ve signed up for. On days when I don’t have anything scheduled, I like to study with friends or spend time in the library. And whether I have questions or not, I often go to office hours because they’re always helpful. The thing I look most forward to in my day is during lunch and dinner times (not because of the food but the people, the food is also good though). Sitting at different tables with other students and senseis and chatting as we eat really brings everything together. It makes learning feel more natural and fun.
Benjamin Chin-Hung Kao
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
Program: 8-week Immersion
Level: 2
Current: PhD Student in Geography at University of Wisconsin-Madison
What surprised you about your experience at the Middlebury Language Schools?
While it was not an easy task by any means, I was surprised by the speed in which everyone was able to adjust to an all-Japanese environment. I give a lot of credit to my fellow students, the bilingual assistants, and teaching staff for co-creating a serious but welcoming atmosphere that was conducive to language learning.
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
As my doctoral research topic is focused on Japanese history, culture, and society, it is imperative that I improve my Japanese language abilities quickly and thoroughly to be able to do my work in the best way possible. I heard from more senior scholars that Middlebury Language Schools’ summer immersion program has a strong reputation for extensively improving their students’ language abilities in a short amount of time. Therefore, I was excited to receive my acceptance letter alongside the generous Financial Aid package and Conflict Transformation Scholarship which funded a significant part of my studies at Middlebury.
Please describe how your language skills improved due to your studies at Middlebury.
Before the program began, I could not hold a basic conversation in Japanese. By the end of the program, I was excited to not only be able to comfortably talk about my daily life but also explain more of the intricacies of my research in Japanese. After I returned to my home institution, my progress was made tangible as I tested into a Japanese class which would have typically taken me three semesters longer to take. My studies at Middlebury provided a good platform to build upon as I continue on with my language learning journey.
What makes the School of Japanese a unique environment to learn the language?
It cannot be overstated how much the collective commitment to the Language Pledge shaped the language-learning environment at Middlebury. I would go as far to say that committing to the Language Pledge makes learning Japanese at Middlebury as effective as studying abroad in Japan. This is because the Language Pledge forces non-native language learners to communicate with each other in a foreign language. Whereas, when you visit another place in the world, people there will often use English to interact with one another as it is the language of choice for global social, economic, and cultural exchange. In Middlebury, students do not have the privilege of falling back on English as a communication tool, which is at times a humbling experience.
Alongside the Language Pledge, Middlebury also provides students with the necessary scaffolding to assist them in keeping to the Language Pledge. That is to say, without the great work of the teaching staff and bilingual assistants, an all-Japanese environment could not function. Whether it is the well-designed language-learning curriculum or the various clubs and events which introduced students to Japanese culture and society, they all gave life to the language learning process and made us all see how learning a new language could open doors to an exciting world of novel experiences.
What advice would you give someone wanting to attend the School of Japanese?
Be ready to interact with others in the program as much as possible. While at the beginning, communicating only in Japanese may be tough, it is only through applying what you have learned in class during daily conversations that you can cement those grammar usage patterns and vocabulary into your mind. It is also a rare opportunity to be in community with people who are really dedicated in learning Japanese for a whole host of reasons. Hearing about other people’s motivations and goals for learning the language is inspiring as you move forward in your language-learning journey.
Describe your typical day at Middlebury.
Classes would typically start at 8 am and end at noon. After eating lunch, I usually took a nap before participating in club or group activities that I signed up for. I spent some time completing homework and studying before and after dinner. I often attended office hours that the teachers held during most weekday evenings to clarify parts of material that I was struggling with. To wind down for the night, I hung out with my fellow students or spent more time interacting with Japanese popular culture and news articles. I especially enjoyed searching for new music to listen to!
Johnathan Vazquezcook
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Program: 8-week Immersion
Level: 1
Current: Active Duty U.S. Marine, III Marine Expeditionary Force, currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan
What surprised you about your experience at the Middlebury Language Schools?
The dedication and patience of the School of Japanese faculty. Being a Level 1 student in an immersion program is pretty intimidating, but the professors made every interaction feel meaningful. They were very gracious if we made mistakes and always pushed me to try new grammar and vocabulary.
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
I’ve been stationed in Okinawa for years, but I’ve spent a lot of that time working in countries outside of Japan, so I never actually had the need to fully learn the language. My next position involves working closely with my Japanese counterparts, so the 8-week summer program was a perfect way to kickstart my Japanese language studies.
Please describe how your language skills improved due to your studies at Middlebury.
I had a basic comprehension of the language prior to attending Middlebury, but I was completely illiterate in Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. I can now read and write (which is pretty awesome), and I gained a great foundation to improve upon. Living in Okinawa gives me a unique opportunity to go home and immediately implement what I was taught here in my day-to-day business. I was not conversational at all before attending, and now I can hold my own in a basic conversation!
What makes the School of Japanese a unique environment to learn the language?
The immersion forces you to apply something that you may have learned in class the day prior. The faculty also does a great job with leading clubs/groups, and hosting events to stimulate interaction between students outside of the periods of instruction. You make friends and you naturally want to be able to communicate with them on a daily basis, so it almost becomes a group effort, where everyone is helping everyone else progress.
What advice would you give someone wanting to attend the School of Japanese?
Don’t be afraid to stumble! Everyone is welcoming and the great thing about the returning students in the higher levels, is that they get it, and they will help you. Don’t be afraid to interact. Make as many friends as possible. Talk to as many people as possible. You will learn to stretch your language skills by interacting with various students and faculty who provide different insights.
Describe your typical day at Middlebury.
I normally woke up early to run the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) every morning, and afterwards I would go to breakfast. Classes were from 0800-1200, and on some days, I would attend volleyball or one of the various clubs available after class.
On most days, after class I would eat lunch with everyone and then hit the gym (the fitness facilities are great). From there, I would normally head to the library or the student center to do homework and study with my buddies. Dinner was around 6:30pm, and after that I would pretty much be along for the ride with whatever my fellow classmates wanted to get up to.