After I was selected to be an exchange student at the University of Regina (UR) in Canada, the first thing that I had to do as an exchange student was register for courses. An international advisor of the university told me that I should submit the list of courses that I wanted to take on UR’s official website before the semester started. Even though I studied English hard and prepared lots of things, I regret that I did not make more thorough preparations for studying as an exchange student in a foreign country. However, I experienced many things and I became more mature because of this exchange student program.

Taking a Music Class
    When I was agonizing while choosing courses to take at UR, my friend who had completed the exchange student program recommended that I register for a music class. Because studying major courses in English is much harder than studying them in Korean. He said if I take a major course, I might fail the course. Thus, I searched for some music classes for non-majors, and I could find the course named Introduction to Basic Music Skills.
    The classes were not boring unlike in Korean high school music classes about the theory and history of music. We usually learned how to sing a song and some techniques to sing well. We also played a rhythm game with drumsticks during class. We had to bring drumsticks every class so as to play the drums during class time. There was a music contest on the last day of the course to perform what we learned. I sang a song, “O Canada” which is a national song of Canada. I gained a good grade in the course.

 

Joining a University Choir for Extra Credit
    The course Instructor of the music class noticed that we could get some extra credit by participating in UR’s Choir. I wanted to receive extra credit for a better grade. I joined the choir, which was the traditional choir of the Regina region, which performs during the last week of every semester. After I passed the audition to be in the choir, I attended choir practice from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. every Monday. Frankly, the practice was so hard for me because we practiced eight songs for the performance.
    Moreover, there were also French songs for French Canadian people. I did not know any French, so I needed to ask a Canadian friend about French pronunciations every time. It was hard to learn a foreign language in English. However, I made many friends and got unforgettable moments by joining this choir program.

Breaking the Language Barrier through Music
    By Lee Sung-jin, Senior, Dept. of Library and Information ScienceTaking the Introduction to Basic Music Skills class was the best choice during the exchange student program in Canada. I learned music skills and how to sing a song. After this course, I gained more confidence while singing and had many foreign friends. We knew each other through singing the same songs together and felt a sense of kinship with each other. Finally, I performed a choir performance in front of a large audience. I could learn how to communicate with foreign people by breaking the language barrier with music!
 

By Lee Sung-jin, Senior, Dept. of Library and Information Science

저작권자 © Chonnam Tribune 무단전재 및 재배포 금지