STUDENT INTERVIEW: Vivien Oelberg (SILAC)

Vivien Oelberg

Jon: Do you mind if I interview you for this week's newsletter?
Vivien: No, not at all.

J: What were you doing before you came to Yamasa?
V: I was working at an advertising company in Vienna (Austria) doing graphic design.

J: How's the course been so far?
V: It's going fine. There's a lot to study but with only one other student in my class I find I can concentrate well. I was not used to listening and speaking Japanese so the small class is good for practicing this. I know some of the grammar that we are covering already, but I was not used to using it in conversation.

J: What brought you to Japan?
V: I think the language is really interesting; it fascinates me. I first came across it through food packaging.
J: Food packaging? That's one of the more unique ways of being introduced to the language!
V: It was actually through my job in advertising.

J: Did you know much Japanese before you arrived?
V: I studied for about 4 years on my own, and I had some private lessons.....
J: In Vienna?
T: Yes. But because of work I didn't have much time so I studied kanji which is easy to do on your own. I know about 300 kanji now. I didn't have much opportunity to practice Japanese in Austria so the course has been good for me so far.

J: Have you been to Japan before?
V: Twice, both times on holiday. The first time I went to Tokyo, when I didn't understand any Japanese - that was difficult! And the second time was Tokyo and Yokahama.

J: Why did you choose Yamasa over other schools, in Tokyo, for example?
V: I searched on the internet for a school and Yamasa seemed the most interesting to me. One of the most important things was a place to stay and there was also so much information about the course. Because of the range of programs available everyone can find one that suits them.

J: And how is the accommodation?
V: I'm at the Student Village in a single room. You can concentrate on study in your own room so it's good.

J: How about the teaching faculty?
V: We have four different teachers which I like as you get more variety if you don't have the same teacher all the time. They're kind and take time to explain things when you don't understand.

J: Has Japan lived up to your expectations or preconceptions in the three times you've been here?
V: When I first came here everything was so different from what I thought it would be like. Europeans often say that Japanese people aren't very open, or perhaps a little introverted, but I haven't experienced that at all. I think you can only get a real impression of Japan by actually coming here.

J: What will you do when you finish studying at Yamasa?
V: I'll stay on in Japan for another 3 weeks after the course has finished. I have friends in Nagoya so I'll go there for a while.
J: And after that?
V: I quit my job before I came to Japan, so I have to look for a new job when I return.

J: Any tips for students coming to Yamasa?
V: Any study that you do before you arrive will help.........I haven't been here very long so it's difficult to say.

J: Well, thanks for your time and good luck with the job search!