STUDENT INTERVIEW: Ya-Ching Xu (SILAC / Semi-Private)

Ya-Ching Xu

Xu,Ya-Chin (Jessica), from Taiwan, has been taking semi-private lessons at Yamasa since the middle of December. As a fellow Taiwanese and the fact that we both live in the Yamasa Villas, I decided to interview her for this week's newsletter. I caught up with her inside her classroom just after she finished her morning lessons.

Huang: Hello, Jessica, how are you? How's everything going?
Jessica: Everything's fine.

H: Right, I'm going to get straight down to the questions. Firstly, I would like to know what is the main reason which motivated you to study in Japan?
J: Two years ago, I had a tour to Hokkaido with a colleague and stayed with a Japanese family. My colleague was the secretary in my previous company. And as she had finished her bachelors degree in Japan, she could speak very fluently with the host family. This is what motivated me to learn Japanese.

H: Is this time your first experience to study abroad?
J: No, I used to attend a language course in Iowa, USA and then spent 2 years in Australia for my masters degree.
H: It sounds like you have a lot of experience studying overseas. How do you find it studying at Yamasa?
P: So far, so good. I have got used to the life here. Basically, there is not much difference between the life style in Japan and the one in Taiwan. I do like staying in a smaller city near the countryside rather than living in a noisy city.

H: Is this the main reason you chose Yamasa?
J: Not exactly, I think Yamasa has done a good job with the homepage and you have a very good Chinese website. Everything about the programs, accommodation, etc, is described in detail, which made me feel comfortable about applying for a course here.

H: By the way, I heard you studied on SILAC before attending semi-private lessons. What made you choose semi-private lessons this time?
J: Pretty much because I could study exactly what I wanted, and focus on particular areas of the language. Also, the pace of SILAC was a bit too quick for me. I couldn't keep up with the lessons, which can be hard for absolute beginners sometimes.

H: What do you think about Yamasa's accommodation?
J: It's fine but the room size is a little..............
H: Do you mean that the apartment is a bit small for you?
J: Yes, thats right. My bedroom in Taiwan is 3 times as big as Villa 3. Also, this is my first time to stay in an apartment where the kitchen is not separated from the living area. It can get a bit smelly when I cook!! Otherwise it's fine ? it's quiet, has good privacy and is a good place for self-study.

H: Have you traveled anywhere apart from Okazaki so far?
J: I have been to Nagoya, Kobe, and Shizuoka. Three weeks ago, my family came to visit Japan and I also joined them. We went to Takayama and Shiragawago when there was heavy snow and the views were fantastic. Shiragawago is famous for the houses with the thatched roofs. Under the snow, the scenery looked like an image from a postcard. You can't imagine it without being there.
H: I also heard that Shiragawago is a very good place to go and is also on UNESCO's world heritage site list. Declan sometimes takes students there on the Discovery program.
J: I think the Japanese government makes sure it protects its traditional architecture and historical relics.

H: Well, we're coming to the end of the interview now. Do you have any message for prospective students?
J: The reality is always different from the imagination! And I was so happy that I could go from SILAC into semi-private lessons without any problems, which was important for me.