Q: Why did you decide to live in Japan?

A: I have always been interested in Japanese culture, food, language, people, and art. Last year, I came here as a visitor for 3 months and I attended a Kinstugi workshop, which is the Japanese art of repairing and embellishing broken pottery using gold. This was a really interesting experience and reinforced my interest in Japan and learning more about it. In addition, the difficulty I experienced in communicating with the Kinstugi master due to my lack of Japanese ability was a strong motivation to learn the language to be able to freely exchange ideas.

Q: Why did you choose Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin?

A: Among the reasons for choosing Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin are the location of the school and the experience when applying for a Student Visa. The location of the school is very convenient, right in the lifestyle center of Tokyo. There are many restaurants, cafes and shops around the school which are fun to go to. With so many subway lines and buses available at Shibuya Station, it is also very convenient if you are commuting. When I was looking for a school which can sponsor my student visa, Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin proved to have a lot of experience in the application process, support of applicants and the success rate was pretty high.

 

Q: In your opinion, what is the best thing about studying in Japan at Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin?

A: There are many good points, including the friendly and professional teachers, a variety of interesting activities etc. But what I like best is the teaching method. The teaching method at Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin is to help students learn via speaking rather than writing or just listening to what the teacher says. During class, we listen to sentences spoken by native speakers, either the teacher or from a CD and repeat after them and practice conversations with classmates. I think this is a good way to learn grammar naturally through exposure. In addition, learning is steady and progressive because the words and grammar patterns learned in the speaking class are repeated in writing, listening and reading. At first, I felt the learning progress is a bit slow because of this repetition but I realize that it makes everything just stick better.

Q: What are your plans after graduating from Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin?

A: I plan to stay in Japan for a longer time and hope to be able to get a job at a Japanese company after completing the courses. Also, I want to continue learning about Japanese culture as well as continue to deepen my understanding of the Japanese language.

Q: What would you tell to others who wish to study at Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin?

A: In learning foreign languages, I think that everyone needs to approach studying in a way that they feel comfortable with and they are satisfied with in terms of the progress they make. In the past, I studied other foreign languages in different language schools, but I was not always satisfied with my results. It is important to find the right school, as well as to have the motivation to put in the effort required. From my point of view at least, languages are for communication with other people and eventually speaking skills should be the focus. If you want to feel comfortable speaking Japanese or improve your speaking ability then Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin is certainly a great choice.