Despite my Japanese nationality and origin, I have been studying English ever since I was three. I was born in an obscure little town in southern Japan to a family in which everyone had graduated from a Japanese school. However, by the time I became aware of my surroundings and situation, I was already at an international school learning the English alphabet. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I was simultaneously absorbing English and Japanese; after learning and using English at school, I communicated with my family in Japanese. At my international school, grade school and middle school both proceeded smoothly. My grades were amongst the top of the class throughout my whole career there, and I was confident of my adept ability to understand and utilize two languages.

In seventh grade, I decided to apply to several boarding schools in the United States, presuming that I would be at the same level as a native English speaker. I applied to four schools in the New England region and was accepted by three; I was glad and impressed to be reassured that I was capable of competing in a country where English is the native tongue. My confidence continued to grow as I fantasized about my success in the English language and the boundless career opportunities that I will have with a proficiency in English when I return to Japan. I perceived my English education to be a success, and was convinced that such fame will continue. However, I was wrong.

When I arrived at my new school, it did not take long for me to encounter my first challenge. As I was dragging my heavy suitcases through the doors of my dorm, my corridor supervisor was standing by the door ready to help me lug my baggage into my room. He greeted me with a big smile and a joke; something that I never learnt in school back in Japan. “You must have had a fun time carrying those bags!” he exclaimed. Obviously, he was being sarcastic, however I had no clue what he was talking about and took his words literally. With a straight face I replied, “No, not really. These suitcases weigh 20kgs each. My hands are in great pain from carrying them.” Looking a little confounded, he escorted me to my room, helped me with my bags, and left.

Sarcasm is not a very popular form of joke in Japan, so when I came across my first American joke, I was confused and unsure of how to respond to such exclamation. At times, when people made sarcastic comments that would be offensive if taken literally, I often ignored the surrounding laughter and was greatly disturbed by the unfriendly behavior. My struggle to understand sarcasm continued for the following few weeks.

Furthermore, I became more aware of the differences between the English of a native speaker and a non-native speaker as I began to talk in class and write papers for my teachers. My speech displayed my stiff, textbook-like way of presenting information, and my papers reflected my awkward word choices and the lack of flow. Mastering English was more than just having perfecting grammar or comprehending advanced writing. It was also about assimilating American culture into the language and learning to constantly update my pool of knowledge accordingly.

In contrast to the confidence I had before arriving in the United States, by then, my self-esteem had dropped significantly. I realized that I had been satisfied with my temporary success of being accepted at a ranked preparatory school and was too conceited to recognize that my mastery of English was just the beginning to my advancement in the language. Before experiencing these drawbacks, I was convinced that success was solely the result of one’s efforts to reach one’s goals. However, my struggles to keep up with the native English speakers taught me that success is also the continuous, genuine effort and progress that one makes in order to accomplish a goal. Just because one objective is achieved, it does not mean that the process of success is over; the next challenge and goal will appear for one to continue on with one’s endeavors to overcome and to reach it. I realized that my arrogant attitude had become a detriment to my success and that my next step is to stay humble, to continue to pursue my goals, and to constantly challenge myself. Whether it be writing an essay for an English class or learning to joke with a friend, expecting a greater challenge and constantly giving effort even after the goal is achieved is the way to success.

Even after I spent four years in the United States, I am still learning and trying to reach the English proficiency of a native speaker.  However, unlike my experience during my first years of high school, I learned to persist in my efforts and to expect greater challenges in whatever I am pursuing.  As I took a new attitude towards success, I also realized that happiness comes naturally when one succeeds as a result of trying one’s hardest.  When one approaches a challenge with only half a heart, the accomplishments tend to reflect the incomplete effort, which often leaves one with a regretful, unsatisfied sensation.  Happiness is the measure of whether one has given everything one has, and often complements success.  Ideally, fore one to be truly successful, these persevering efforts should also be an act of altruism.  Instead of giving effort for solely selfish reasons and satisfactions, one should work hard for the happiness of others.  By reestablishing my perspective on happiness and success, I now understand that my education in English is the basic element for me to use in order to spread and create happiness for others.  I will continue to excel in my English education, so that one-day, I will be able to return to Japan as an asset to the community and work to improve the relationship between Japan and America.