cuttysark

30日間のチャレンジと1日インターン(Cafe Cutty Sark)

2012年04月28日

こんにちは、WEBメディア エヴァンジェリストの押切孝雄です。

今月4月は、30日間のチャレンジとして、スカイプを活用した英語学習を進めてきました。
もうすぐ30日間が完了するのですが、やはり30日間近く続けるといいですね。
英語で話すことにかなり自信がつきました。

私の目的は、自分の言いたいことを、こなれた表現で言えるようになることですので、
毎日スカイプで話をする前に、英語で話したいことをまとめて書いておきます。
そしてその英文を、こなれた表現に直してもらいます。

前回のブログで書いた1日インターン(Cafe Cutty Sark)について、英語で書いたものを直してもらいました。
本日はそれをシェアしたいと思います。

I went to visit the company where my friend works. He is the general manager of that company and he introduced me to the president. My friend and the president also introduced me to their internship program. The program got me interested.

Nowadays, a lot of Japanese companies offer internship for university students. However, the internship program of my friend’s company was slightly out of ordinary. For one, most Japanese companies accept only Japanese students or foreign students who live and study in Japan. Most of the time, the duration is only about one month and is usually held in the month of August. The company that I visited, on the other hand, offers a six-month internship program and only accepts qualified students from Colombia, a South American country.

I was surprised and was amazed by their program (for three reasons). First is the fact that the company allocated a huge budget for this program so they can accommodate foreign students and let them stay in the company for 6 months. Secondly, I think it was a successful program since it has been going on for more than 10 years.

The third reason is that the intern students are not actually required to work. The program was actually developed to expose and immerse the intern to the company’s culture and the Japanese culture as well.

How did I say so? It’s because most of the time, all they need to do is to do whatever they want. If they want to learn Japanese language, they can study it. If they want to go to Kyoto and visit many historical places like old temples, they can go there during their work shift. They can even have fun at Tokyo Disneyland. All the while, these interns also receive salaries from the company.

As for me, my company is not yet big enough. Right now, I cannot offer an internship program that lasts for six months. However, I thought that my company can still accept interns for one day.

So, I decided to open a one-day internship for my students. I offered this to them during my lectures. I was surprised to see that more than 10 students said that they wanted to be part of it. I am planning to hold the internship next week. I want it to be like a happy gathering for these students.

However, I still dream that someday my company will be able to accept selected young people from ASEAN countries. I hope I could give them some opportunities during their stay in Japan and I also hope that it would be a great experience for them.

Thank you Ruth!