David Morf

STUDENT INTERVIEW: David Morf (AIJP)

Intrepid reporter Patty Lo tracked down one of our long term students for this week's interview which was conducted partly in Japanese and partly in English.........

Patty: Excuse me, are you David Morf?
David: Yes, I am.
P: I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing an interview for this week's newsletter?
D: Sure, no problem.

P: So, where are you from David?
D: I'm from Switzerland.
P: And apart from Japanese, what languages do you speak?
D: Well, my first language is French, but in school, we have to study German and English. I mean I understand German too, but my English is better than my German.
P: The language you speak depends on which part of Switzerland you come from I assume?
D: Yes, that's right. People from the west of Switzerland speak French, the northeast region speaks German and the southern region speaks Italian. There's actually another official language spoken in Switzerland, it's Romansch (Romanche), but only about 1 to 2 percent of the population speak it.

P: So, what were you doing before coming to Japan?
D: I was working at the post office for a year and a half to save some money to come to Japan
P: And why did you choose to study Japanese in particular?
D: I grew up watching Japanese cartoons such as Dragon Ball Z etc, and I started to read manga when I was in high school. I had a great interest in learning Japanese, so I went to the Faculty of Language in Geneva to study Japanese. I actually majored in it for two years....
P: Me too, but I majored in Japanese for 3 years......You only did 2 years in Switzerland?
D: Well, I came to Japan three years ago and I did a homestay for a month at Kanazawa. I felt I learned more Japanese in a month in Japan than I did in two years at university.
P: I see. So what did you do after you went back to Switzerland?
D: I realized university was not efficient enough to learn Japanese, so I quit. My mum wasn't too pleased, but I did it anyway!
P: After you quit university you started working?
D: Yeah, like I mentioned earlier, I worked at the post office at night because I got paid more money so I could save more to come to Japan.

P: How did you find out about Yamasa?
D: Well, probably like many of the students here, I found the school through the internet.
P: When did you apply?
D: I tried to apply in October 2002, but I was declined because the class was full and I applied a little late. However, the admissions coordinator told me that I could still apply for the next student visa start, so I applied again.
P: So when did you start studying Japanese at Yamasa?
D: April of 2003, just over 6 months ago.

P: What did you think about the course so far? Is it what you expected?
D: It's great because after having the wonderful experience in Kanazawa, I was looking for a more intense course where I would have more than 3 classes a day.
P: What class are you in right now?
D: I was in K class when I first came to Japan, but right now I'm in F class (upper-intermediate).
P: How are the classes going
D: I'm satisfied with my classes and the teaching. Right now I'm able to carry on discussions with people. Maybe not about philosophy and things like that, but at least with simple topics. And I'm also starting to understand TV programs .

P: What do you do in your spare time?
D: I read manga, play video games, (but not too much because I have to study!), watch TV, go to the movies, go shopping and listen to music.
P: Since you've been in Japan, have you done much travelling?
D: Well, I've been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka. Since I need to budget my money wisely, I can't do that much travelling. If I have enough time, money, and the opportunity, then I would like to travel because there are lots of interesting places in Japan.

P: So, what are your plans right now and after you finish studying at Yamasa?
D: Well, I signed up for Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2 this year. I don't think I'll pass, so I'll probably stay a bit longer at Yamasa to study more and try again next year. After Yamasa, I hope I can work in Japan for three to five years so that I can continue to improve my Japanese.

P: And finally, any suggestions for newcomers?
D: When I first came to Japan, I was afraid because even though I lived alone when I was back in Switzerland, my family was close by. If anything happened they were right there. But right now they're about 5,000 miles away. I got over it quickly because it's such a great chance to experience a different culture, meet different people, and see something different everyday. So I would suggest newcomers to enjoy Japan as much as you can... besides studying.

P: Thank you very much for your time.
D: You're welcome.

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