MEXT Scholarship Series: 13 Hours - Anastasia Ramjag
2022/4/13
It might seem like an arbitrary choice of number, or – if you’re from the West, even an unlucky one - but, for a small-town girl, at the very least it has been a salient and auspicious one. Thirteen hours: the difference between opposite ends of the planet. Thirteen hours: the difference between past and future. Thirteen hours: the meeting point for the destruction of circadian rhythm. Welcome, April 13th, 2022 – the day that I will finally board a plane for another island.
It has been almost a year since I started a fresh postgraduate academic adventure at Waseda University in the heart of Tokyo. I am currently a research student at the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS); however, I am no stranger to academia. A fierce passion for the linguistic and cultural unknown has always driven me in the direction of international relations and education. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from the University of the West Indies, and a Master’s Degree in Translation and Interpreting Studies from the University of Manchester. I firmly believe that languages are the key to revolutionising modern society and transforming the way we approach globalisation.
Correspondingly, this background in languages led me to pursue a career in diplomacy and higher education, and I was fortunate to have been extended opportunities abroad as well. I received ample exposure to political and economic affairs globally, particularly within the Latin American and Caribbean region and Japan. This afforded me the opportunity to engage in regional cooperation and dialogue efforts, something which I hope to continue doing in the future. These experiences contributed to an imperative personal growth, and have allowed me to develop valuable intercultural sensitivity and respect for diversity; core principles for functioning with multicultural environments.
GSICCS is the embodiment of its programme, it is the lobby of multiculturalism: I have met professors and classmates from all corners of the Earth, all different types of “thirteens”. The nature of an interdisciplinary field is strict: one is of course called upon to have a high level of autonomy (re: graduate study) and be extremely disciplined as it requires specialisation in not just one, but at least three or four fields. Under this umbrella, my final research project focusses on sociolinguistics. I am examining non-hegemonic varieties of English and the development of language teacher identity. In this regard, I am conducting a critical inquiry into the experience of Caribbean Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme.
My objective is to create greater cultural sensitivity at the grassroots level, to raise linguistic diversity awareness and support the development of a more comprehensive global pedagogic and learning environment. It is my hope that my research will encourage closer diplomatic ties and more inclusive internationalisation efforts among countries; particularly between the Caribbean and Asian regions. I believe that my research can serve as an educational and cultural mechanism for easing acceptance of non-dominant varieties of English and thus reduce instances of miscommunication.
In a world that is constantly evolving, I believe that I must also seek to enhance my own knowledge and competence. I would like my skillsets to be contemporary and pertinent to these fast-paced and forward-looking times. I am grateful for this grand opportunity and very appreciative for the support of the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago in my pursuit to further graduate studies and establish myself as an expert in the field.
From one island to another, I seek to discover what connects us. Are we really that different after all?
Thirteen hours: A bridge in the gap.
MEXT Scholarship Series: 13 Hours (Japanese Embassy Facebook)
MEXT Scholarship Series Archives
It has been almost a year since I started a fresh postgraduate academic adventure at Waseda University in the heart of Tokyo. I am currently a research student at the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS); however, I am no stranger to academia. A fierce passion for the linguistic and cultural unknown has always driven me in the direction of international relations and education. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from the University of the West Indies, and a Master’s Degree in Translation and Interpreting Studies from the University of Manchester. I firmly believe that languages are the key to revolutionising modern society and transforming the way we approach globalisation.
Correspondingly, this background in languages led me to pursue a career in diplomacy and higher education, and I was fortunate to have been extended opportunities abroad as well. I received ample exposure to political and economic affairs globally, particularly within the Latin American and Caribbean region and Japan. This afforded me the opportunity to engage in regional cooperation and dialogue efforts, something which I hope to continue doing in the future. These experiences contributed to an imperative personal growth, and have allowed me to develop valuable intercultural sensitivity and respect for diversity; core principles for functioning with multicultural environments.
GSICCS is the embodiment of its programme, it is the lobby of multiculturalism: I have met professors and classmates from all corners of the Earth, all different types of “thirteens”. The nature of an interdisciplinary field is strict: one is of course called upon to have a high level of autonomy (re: graduate study) and be extremely disciplined as it requires specialisation in not just one, but at least three or four fields. Under this umbrella, my final research project focusses on sociolinguistics. I am examining non-hegemonic varieties of English and the development of language teacher identity. In this regard, I am conducting a critical inquiry into the experience of Caribbean Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme.
My objective is to create greater cultural sensitivity at the grassroots level, to raise linguistic diversity awareness and support the development of a more comprehensive global pedagogic and learning environment. It is my hope that my research will encourage closer diplomatic ties and more inclusive internationalisation efforts among countries; particularly between the Caribbean and Asian regions. I believe that my research can serve as an educational and cultural mechanism for easing acceptance of non-dominant varieties of English and thus reduce instances of miscommunication.
In a world that is constantly evolving, I believe that I must also seek to enhance my own knowledge and competence. I would like my skillsets to be contemporary and pertinent to these fast-paced and forward-looking times. I am grateful for this grand opportunity and very appreciative for the support of the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago in my pursuit to further graduate studies and establish myself as an expert in the field.
From one island to another, I seek to discover what connects us. Are we really that different after all?
Thirteen hours: A bridge in the gap.
MEXT Scholarship Series: 13 Hours (Japanese Embassy Facebook)
MEXT Scholarship Series Archives