Through my Workplace English and fieldwork experiences in Kamloops, I gained a practical understanding of how communication functions in a multicultural environment. By interacting with classmates, my host family, and newcomers at KIS. each with different levels of English and diverse cultural backgrounds. I realized that effective communication depends less on perfect accuracy and more on showing respect, confirming meaning, and being patient.
Everyday experiences, such as learning how to take the bus, trying unfamiliar foods, joining community activities at the park, and sharing aspects of Japanese culture, helped me see how cultural differences naturally appear in the details of daily life. At the same time, spending more time alone in an unfamiliar environment made me recognize that I am not “lonely” but rather I’m “independent”, which deepened my self-understanding.
Overall, these combined experiences strengthened not only my practical language skills but also my cultural awareness, observation abilities, and confidence to build relationships with curiosity and flexibility in a new cultural setting.