We asked Ágota Duró, a firm favorite with our students, to look back on her first year with us in the Department of International English. Here are her thoughts.
(2023年4月に国際英語学科に仲間入りしたÁgota Duró先生に、この1年間を振り返ってもらいました。)

Ágota Duró on campus on a blue-sky day

It has been almost a year since I started teaching at Hiroshima Jogakuin University, but it seems like only yesterday. During my first year I was in charge of many English classes, which meant that I had the opportunity to teach and get to know a lot of students. Depending on their major, students had different interests, but I built a strong bond with them through various group activities, which meant that even those students previously not interested in English began to enjoy the classes. Teaching the English classes has been a very fulfilling, precious, and rewarding experience. The students also used an online library system called "XReading" and read short books on various topics every week. Learning English is a gradual process but "XReading" undoubtedly helped students increase their vocabulary as well as their reading speed in English.
(1年はあっという間でした。基礎英語の授業を担当し、専攻も興味も異なる様々な学生を指導しました。英語が苦手な学生が、徐々に授業を楽しんでくれるようになり、私も達成感を感じています。基礎英語では、「Xリーディング」というオンライン上で英語の読書ができるツールを使っています。おかげで、学生たちの語彙力や読むスピードがどんどん向上しています。)

Besides the English classes, I had the chance to interact with students from Bowling Green State University (USA) and give a lecture to them on various perspectives related to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Since Peace Studies is my specialty, this experience helped me prepare me for my upcoming Peace Studies courses that I will teach next year at HJU.
(英語以外の授業も担当し、提携校の米国ボーリング・グリーン州立大学の学生たちが来学した際には、私の研究分野である平和や原爆に関する講義を行いました。2024年度からは、女学院でも平和学の授業を担当します。)

I also appreciate the various campus events (such as Orientation Camp, Halloween, and Ayame Festival) in which I could participate and build a good relationship with many students and colleagues. During the Open Campus events and Open Seminars, I could get to know prospective students, and I was always delighted to see how enthusiastically they learn English and take part in various group activities. Additionally, I was in charge of the English Café during the second semester, and every week some lovely and smart students visited my office. We always had a lot of fun while practicing English conversation and learning new words. What made me even happier is that one very talented student eagerly learned Hungarian with me, which is my native language.
(大学では授業以外にも一年を通して様々なイベントがあり、在学生とはもちろん、本学を志望する高校生と英語で話をしたりして楽しみました。特に嬉しかったことは、学生の一人が私の母語であるハンガリー語に興味を持って学び始めてくれたことです。)

Since Hiroshima Jogakuin University is a Christian university, it organizes various events and talks related to Christianity on a weekly basis, which I mostly tried to attend and as a result could gain new perspectives.

Outside my teaching hours, I had the opportunity to make further progress in my research, attend academic conferences, and participate in an educational workshop in Hokkaido. Additionally, my doctoral dissertation will be published as a book by Lexington Books, an American academic publishing company, presumably next year. I am really grateful to Hiroshima Jogakuin University for the supportive environment that enables me to continue my research.
(平和学に関する研究活動も進めています。そして、私の博士論文が、この度アメリカの出版社から出版されることになったのです。)

In retrospect, this has been a wonderful and very fulfilling year and I honestly enjoyed every day at Hiroshima Jogakuin University. Not only could I build positive and friendly relationships with many of the students and my colleagues, but I could also gain valuable teaching experience. From this April, I am really looking forward to facing new challenges, meeting and teaching new students, and further pursuing my passion.
(とても充実した一年で、学生や大学スタッフとも良い関係を築くことができて満足しています。次の一年も新しいことにチャレンジすること、新しい学生との出会いを楽しみにしています。)

It has been wonderful having Duró sensei in our department and the students and teachers look forward to spending more time with her over the upcoming years.
(Duró先生、キャンパス内外でのさらなる活躍を期待しています。)