- I’m a 35-year-old Canadian, originally from Toronto.
I would say that my greatest interest would be travel, I always enjoy visiting new places and meeting new people. While traveling I try to pick up some of the local language, and learn about their culture. When I travel I often go scuba diving, and even have an Assistant Instructor's License.
I also like to go out for drinks with friends, even better if there's karaoke. Otherwise I like to watch sports both on TV and live, such as hockey, soccer (football), basketball and sumo. Musically, I like a lot of international world music that isn't so well known in Western countries or Japan. I also like a lot of alternative rock. Although the music I like best isn't available at karaoke bars, I'll sing nearly anything, though maybe not so well.
If I'm at home, I can often be found using the internet, watching DVD's, or playing a game on my laptop or PS2. I also cook every day, and can make a lot of international dishes. Being a vegetarian in Japan can be a challenge, sometimes when I go out to a restaurant I can only eat tofu or edamame!
- My original reason for coming to Japan is a little complex. I had lived and traveled in other parts of the world extensively, but not so much in Asia. I considered the pros and cons of Japan as well as several other Asian countries: climate, economic situation for work, language, laws or cultural rules (e.g. no chewing gum in Singapore!), whether I had friends living there, etc. I came to the conclusion that Tokyo would be the best fit as it wasn't oppressively hot (except in summer), had a good nightlife, I had 3 friends living here, there was an availability of vegetarian restaurants, the language might be useful in the future, there was a demand for teachers, and so on.
- When I first started working in Japan, I worked for a local conversation school. I found that it wasn't very rewarding on a personal level to work at such a place. I would meet the same students for one hour once a week, who expected that their English would somehow magically improve simply by being around a Westerner. Any progress was marginal, as many of the students were unmotivated and didn't study hard. Some would complain if I tried to give them homework. For some it was simply a passing hobby, perhaps a housewife killing some time. I didn't feel that was the best match for me.
I have been with High-Speed English for almost 8 years now. What I see are motivated students who have decided that they want to seriously make progress in their English skills. I wanted a job where my abilities as a teacher could be put to use, and where I might be able to make a positive impact. It's additionally rewarding for me to see students come a long way in a short time.
- It is the best course that I have encountered in Japan, and I recommend it highly. It isn’t easy or relaxing, but I’m sure that you will find it to be very effective, and you can also have fun and meet new friends. One of our most effective classes is called "Question Training". It´s an energetic, fast-paced and exciting class where you will be forced to respond to the teacher very quickly and correctly. You will learn to think quickly in English, and help eliminate your fear of speaking English. Here the system is very active, and you will be totally immersed in an English-only environment. The teachers are all experienced, energetic, and very capable of helping you.
I really enjoy languages, and have studied many in my free time. I have recently traveled overseas to take intensive courses in Indonesian and Portuguese. I think that communication is one of the most important things in the world, and that it is important to try to meet and interact with people of various backgrounds. I also think that my study has helped me to become a better teacher, in understanding how languages work.
- At this school, a variety of techniques are used, so that you will be speaking, listening, reading, writing and so on ONLY IN ENGLISH. While it may seem difficult, to learn a language is not an easy thing and you need to challenge yourself. I have taught countless students who were able to improve dramatically during the course. In some cases, it meant that they could get new jobs or a better position, an increase in salary or a transfer overseas. In any case, they were able to use English in a functional way on an everyday basis, and overcome any fears that they previously had. It is very rewarding for the teachers as well, to see great improvement in their students in a short time, and seeing people achieving their dreams. I hope that you can take that next step, and reach your goals as well. See you soon!
