EF Stories: Nankei from Japan at EF Brisbane
1. Why did you decide to study abroad?
When I was a university student, I went on a trip overseas with a friend who had studied abroad, and she was an interpreter and local guide for that trip, which made her look so cool that I really admired her. Moreover, when I had the chance to communicate with some international students from Thailand, I found that they were able to converse very fluently even though their native language was not English. I felt a sense of crisis because I was unable to respond. I also think that English proficiency would give me an advantage in the fields I was studying at university and graduate school.
2. Why did you choose EF?
At first, I requested information through Facebook ads. I was immediately contacted by a staff, and since the office was close to my home, I was able to receive consultation right away. When I actually talked to them, I was able to learn from them that EF divides English proficiency and learning into detailed levels based on international standards (CEFR) and provides quality education that is appropriate for each level. EF also has offices and schools all over the world. I was attracted to the fact that students come from a wide variety of countries and backgrounds, and that the schools provide various activities.
3. What was your English proficiency level before and after studying abroad?
My TOEIC score for reading and learning improved from 540 to 710.
4. What preparations did you make before departure? Is there any information you wish you had known?
I bought some suitcases and daily necessities, and also searched for places to go, etc.
The information about the homestay was different from what I actually went to. I would like to have accurate information if possible, as it seemed that it probably had not been updated since it was first registered.
Please get some advices about climate from local people. You can find out the temperature by searching, but when I went there, it was colder than I expected.
5. Please tell us about the atmosphere in your class and the nationalities of your classmates.
A2 level (April-June): More than half were Japanese, the rest were French, Swiss (French-speaking), Latino and Taiwanese. Our English levels were low and I found it difficult to carry on a conversation due to my accent and poor vocabulary, so I tended to get stuck with people who spoke the same language.
B1 level (June-August): We had students from Japan, French-speaking countries (France, Switzerland), Latin (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador), etc. The teacher of this class was the best, and all of us were improving rapidly. We had great atmosphere in the class where we joked and laughed, and also had serious discussions. It was fun to learn new knowledge by communicating in English with people from different background. I was able to share my experience with them as well.
B2-C1 level (September-December): There were students from Japan, French-speaking countries (France, Switzerland, Belgium), Spanish-speaking countries (Chile, Colombia, Spain) and others (Norway, Germany). Many new students arrived from Europe in February, and the atmosphere at the school had completely changed. Some people felt a little left out, perhaps because they weren't familiar with Asian students, but I ended up hanging out with friends I've known since my A2 days, so I didn't feel uncomfortable.
6. What was your favorite SPIN class (special interest subjects)?
Grammar, vocabulary, and listening.
7. What kind of conversation did you have for the individual consultation every 6 weeks?
At Brisbane school, I went to the consultation almost every week if I had time. The teacher asked everyone for detailed feedbacks regarding their grades and assignments for the week, whether there had been any changes in their daily lives, whether they were enjoying themselves, and whether there was anything they wanted to incorporate into their classes.
8. Can you tell us about your homestay and anything memorable?
In my host family, there was grand mother, mother, children (twins and a 3-year-old), international students (total 4 students including me).
The host grandmother always talked to us for 1-2 hours after dinner, so it was a good learning experience. The stories were all very interesting. The meals were also very delicious.
I had roommate from Macau for 3 months who later became my best friend. He really took care of me at the beginning of my study abroad trip. Then I had someone from France for 2 weeks, and afterwards another one from Switzerland for 1 month who was at the same age as me and we went out to play together a lot. I had another French speaking Swiss roommate after two and half month vacancy. I think I was blessed for having those roommates.
There were also students from France, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Colombia in the house. All of them were nice people.
9. Please tell us about the transportation.
It requires around 75 minutes for me to commute from host family to school. I can take bus and then transfer to train. It costs around 16 pounds per week.
10. How did you spend your time after school and in long holidays?
When I had morning classes, I would have lunch with my friends after school, do assignments in the library, relax at a cafe, and then go home and study.
When I had afternoon classes, I went straight home.
I took two long vacations. On the first one (one week), I rented a camper van and went on a road trip with three friends, driving from Sydney to Melbourne. The second time (2 weeks), I went to Cairns for the first 4 days and then to Malaysia for the rest with different friends.
11. How did your mobile work when you were there?
I bought a sim card locally and used with my smartphone.
12. How was your experience with EF's local supports (housing managers, job coordinates, etc.)?
They were very friendly and responsive.
13. What do you think is the most interesting difference between Japan and Australia?
Australia is free, in a good way, and I feel like my individuality is really respected. Also, Australians are surprisingly friendly, and everyone was kind.
14. What do you think has changed for you through studying abroad? What experiences and skills do you feel useful?
(Please tell us something you cannot develop unless you go to study abroad.)
I think I've become more optimistic in a good way. Now I really enjoy my time when I am having fun. I also learned to respect other people's individuality, culture, and ways of thinking, and to see things from a variety of perspectives. I've also become more kind to myself because of that. Because of the friendliness of the Aussie's, I have gained more confidence in speaking English to people without hesitation, whether it's greeting, saying thank-you, or helping people in need.
Now that I am confident with my English, I am more capable of obtaining information from the media, and I feel that the world I am able to know has expanded considerably. In addition, it is natural for English to be part of my life, without feeling any resistance when talking and sharing knowledge with international students, or reading papers during my laboratory life at graduate school.
If I hadn't gone to study abroad, I wouldn't have been able to meet so many friends from so many different countries and backgrounds, and I think I would have been living in a small world and community without knowing anything about the world beyond. You won't understand that the world is bigger than you think unless you go to study abroad, have fun with people from different countries, and communicate in their languages.
15. Based on your experience, what kind of industry do you want to work in future? Any future plans?
In the future, I would like to work as a researcher at a pharmaceutical company where I can develop and control the quality of drugs. I hope it will help as many people around the world as possible to live happy and healthy lives. There are many things that cannot be accomplished by one person or by the country of Japan alone, so I hope that we can work together with like-minded colleagues from around the world to cope with the difficulties. At that time, I hope to be able to use the English skills and knowledge of each country that I gained through this study abroad experience to build good relationships with co-workers.