Hey guys! My name is Zach Parrott, and this is my first term at the University of Oregon. I’m excited to take this class with you guys, and I’m excited to be at the University of Oregon. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to study Japanese. Something just drew me to the language; admittedly, I think it was because of my strong love for Pokemon, but as I’ve gotten older, that’s become a null factor as to why I’m studying the language. Japan’s culture is super fascinating to me, and I want to learn more about it. It’s something that I want to experience first hand; and one big part of culture is the language. Japanese has been very fun to study so far; although it can be difficult at times, it’s been a lot of fun learning a language that’s almost entirely different. Additionally, after being monolingual for over 17 years of my life (I’m almost 20 now for context), I wanted to change that and pick up a second language. Japanese was the obvious choice.

I decided to take this class for a couple of reasons. The main reason is that when I asked O’Brien sensei for a recommendation for a class that can supplement my Japanese learning, she recommended this class to me. I also like studying linguistics every now and then; so this class seemed like an obvious take for me. Combining two things that I like to study is a surefire way to get my attention, and this class does just that. I also wanted to take this class because of the background knowledge it can give me; not just of the Japanese language, but of other languages as well should I decide to learn more.

Aside from studying, my other hobbies include hiking, listening to music, and playing video games. I’ve already mentioned that I’m an avid fan of Pokemon (with my favorite being Krookodile), but I also enjoy other games such as Minecraft, League of Legends, and Bloons Tower Defense. I tend to value games that I can play many times over, and in many different ways. For other things about me, I’m 19 years old and have spent most of my life in the United States. I’ve moved around quite a bit, from Colorado to Texas to Oregon and back, but I’ve liked staying in Oregon the most. I love the people here and the climate is near perfect for me. I went to Japan last year and had an excellent time. I visited many places such as Tokyo, Asakusa, Kamakura, and Nagano. I aim to go back in 2022!

I’m super excited to take this class, and I appreciate you guys for reading!

-Zach