JET Programme Series: I knew I wanted - Rachel Khan
2022/9/1
Hello everyone! My name is Rachel Khan, and I’ve been selected to participate in the JET Programme 2022 as an ALT. I first learned of the JET Programme in 2009 (more than 12 years ago!) when I started studying Literatures in English and Linguistics at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.
Having been interested in Japanese culture for most of my life (my first exposure to Japan was through watching the film My Neighbour Totoro, which 5-year-old me begged my parents to rent every weekend on VHS), going to Japan ultimately felt like it was a destined path. Life would take me to other jobs and journeys, but I kept engaging with Japanese media and studying the Japanese language as the years went by. A dream would come true in 2017, when I was blessed with the opportunity to study in Japan. But it wasn’t until 2021 that everything aligned in such a way that I was in the right place, time and mindset to fully pursue this goal of applying for the JET Programme.
I knew I wanted—and was ready to—serve as an assistant language teacher having amassed a variety of English-teaching and cultural exchange experiences. It always warmed me to see how enthusiastic and interested people were not just about meeting people from other countries, but also about learning about our home of Trinidad and Tobago. It both delighted and surprised me any time someone said, “Yes, I know about your country!” and discussed music, geography or cultural events with me. I wanted to share and engage in more of these experiences, and so the JET Programme fell perfectly in this path.
While I previously lived in the colder northern territories of Japan, I am now headed to the hotter Kansai region, specifically Kobe City. One beauty of Japan is its richness of culture and history—while I might be returning, this will be a brand new adventure, with new regional dialects, customs, and people to get to learn and love. As someone who spent most of my life studying and working in a “port city” (our capital), it will be so interesting to live and work in one of Japan’s largest port cities!
As my career goal is to work for international and/or diplomatic organisations, I believe more intercultural and global experiences like those I will acquire on this programme will undoubtedly benefit me, allowing me to be more flexible, open-minded, and fit for a career in this field.
I am absolutely grateful to the Japanese people, the Japanese government and its representatives for facilitating such a programme, and allowing me the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to work, learn, and exchange.
JET Series: I knew I wanted (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives
Having been interested in Japanese culture for most of my life (my first exposure to Japan was through watching the film My Neighbour Totoro, which 5-year-old me begged my parents to rent every weekend on VHS), going to Japan ultimately felt like it was a destined path. Life would take me to other jobs and journeys, but I kept engaging with Japanese media and studying the Japanese language as the years went by. A dream would come true in 2017, when I was blessed with the opportunity to study in Japan. But it wasn’t until 2021 that everything aligned in such a way that I was in the right place, time and mindset to fully pursue this goal of applying for the JET Programme.
I knew I wanted—and was ready to—serve as an assistant language teacher having amassed a variety of English-teaching and cultural exchange experiences. It always warmed me to see how enthusiastic and interested people were not just about meeting people from other countries, but also about learning about our home of Trinidad and Tobago. It both delighted and surprised me any time someone said, “Yes, I know about your country!” and discussed music, geography or cultural events with me. I wanted to share and engage in more of these experiences, and so the JET Programme fell perfectly in this path.
While I previously lived in the colder northern territories of Japan, I am now headed to the hotter Kansai region, specifically Kobe City. One beauty of Japan is its richness of culture and history—while I might be returning, this will be a brand new adventure, with new regional dialects, customs, and people to get to learn and love. As someone who spent most of my life studying and working in a “port city” (our capital), it will be so interesting to live and work in one of Japan’s largest port cities!
As my career goal is to work for international and/or diplomatic organisations, I believe more intercultural and global experiences like those I will acquire on this programme will undoubtedly benefit me, allowing me to be more flexible, open-minded, and fit for a career in this field.
I am absolutely grateful to the Japanese people, the Japanese government and its representatives for facilitating such a programme, and allowing me the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to work, learn, and exchange.
JET Series: I knew I wanted (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives