What Language means for Human Relations

Language is one skill that I am extremely proud to say I have experience in. The countless courses I’ve taken and the opportunities that I have been given the privilege to take advantage of all due to my fervor for foreign language has truly shaped me into a better person, communicator, and global citizen. 

In coming to college, I knew that I could not let go of the impact that foreign language has had on my life. With that in mind, one of the best decisions I have made to date was to continue to pursue my passion in the form of a Japanese major. In addition to being extremely fulfilling personally, being a foreign language major has also given me valuable professional capabilities. One skill that I am especially proud of is my ability to engage in meaningful human relations. In learning a new language, I have learned to be patient with both myself and other learning alongside me. In this way, I have found myself quite capable of working in team environments and understanding the very humanistic aspects of working in a professional setting.

A meeting with former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S., Yoshio Okawara (1919-2018). My human relations skills built through language made this possible!

Furthermore, after studying abroad for a summer in 2017, my language ability skyrocketed and so too did my capacity for compassion and understanding the value of relationships with others. After creating life-long friendships with my host-family and host-students, I found myself in a position to work in settings with diverse people with diverse backgrounds. In studying a foreign language and going abroad, I discovered that even in the workplace, people have a story to tell. Whether that story will be told in my native tongue of English or another language, my foreign language major has opened the doors for me to be able to understand no matter what.  

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *