|
I am 17.5 years old, and am hoping on moving to Japan permanently. (Sorry it's going to be a bit long)
I plan on visiting Japan for two months with my native friend next summer/fall to get shown around and such.
I have currently been studying Japanese for a year and a half, self study, because I am not old enough yet to move to where there are classes. (There aren't any that are commuting distance from my home) Although my speaking abilities are limited for now, I can understand a decent chunk of anything that people are saying, opposed to a friend I know who has taken half a year of real classes, and only knows a few words, and can barely manage to read kana. I can also read 1st, 2nd, and most 3rd grade kanji.
I want to go to university here in America, and get at least a BA in Communications so I can become a translator from Japanese to English, and at least study the art of Shuji for a while.
Do you have any comments on what type of degree I should get for my goal?
I know though, that one can't make a living off being a translator right off the bat, and have accepted that I will probably be a ESL teacher for at least a bit, with some other part time job (if the ESL job allows it).
So, on to my other questions.
Should I expect to study in Japan to get a degree for ESL, or will my American one be enough?
If so, how much would it cost to study in Japan?
And since I mentioned Shuji and translation, what type of racism should I expect? (my friend just briefly mentioned that quite a few people won't believe I truly know the art and tradition of Shuji, or the language)
One more, how much money should I bring with me to start me off, and for emergencies?
I know my questions are rather broad, but I heard that if you have $5000 dollars, it should suffice. Is it just a broad amount, or should I have more like $40,000 (random guess)?
Thank you so, so, SO much for any feedback you may have. I really, greatly, truly appreciate it.
|
