What led your path to joining the team at Hokkaido JaLS after being a JaLS student yourself?
After graduating college with an East Asian Studies degree (thanks to my Japanese being bolstered by JaLS), I found myself working in a coffee shop for two years. I was able to make people’s days better there with a smile and a few encouraging words, and I wanted to contribute more to people’s daily lives. I knew the founder, Sojiro Nakano, from being a prior student and contacted him via Facebook about potentially working with JaLS. A few months later, I arrived in Sapporo.
Describe a typical day/week as the Administration and Student Support.
My typical work starts with preparing the café for our students and customers to arrive. Between students’ classes, I answer inquiries from prospective students and work with them to find the experience that works best for them! The emails are a beast, but each conversation represents a student I get to meet in the future.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The international students. I meet so many personalities from around the world as they come to our lounge to study and work together. I love getting to know them and hear their stories for the short weeks they’re here.
How do you use your own experiences as a student with JaLS in helping support current students?
I attended JaLS for five and a half weeks, in which time I experienced carefree days of adventure, the emotions associated with saying goodbye to classmates returning home before me, and everything in between. Shared experience is indispensable when advice is needed.
What qualities does one need to possess in order to successfully learn a new language?
Curiosity and a desire to engage with the culture around you, are more important than natural talent when it comes to motivation to learn.
The advantage to studying any language in its native country is that it is instantly applicable to one’s surroundings!
Why is Japan an ideal location for students to study and live?
Japan is full of natural beauty and rich culture, and Japanese people want to share their culture with the world. In my experience, this makes Japan one of the safest and most welcoming countries I’ve been to.
What challenges do students often face in Japan and while learning Japanese, and how do you help them overcome them?
Navigating daily life in an unfamiliar city can be made more complicated by the language barrier, a difference in culture, or even homesickness. Sometimes these problems require the simplest solutions that newcomers weren’t aware of. Sometimes all that is required is someone to listen.
Why is it important for students to travel and learn new languages?
It's the greatest opportunity we have for harmony in the future. When someone who is curious about the world and is willing to learn a nation's culture and language, they're taking a step toward better global understanding and communication. Both together are the key to peace.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Good communication and mutual understanding is essential to a peaceful future. To me, meaningful travel is experiencing a culture different from your own and finding points of commonality between yourself and a local. This can be done whether you have the vocabulary to talk about philosophy or your favorite food.
What hopes do you have for the future of at Hokkaido JaLS and your students?
I want our students to have the same amazing experience I had when I came to JaLS. I want them to explore Sapporo and the nature of Hokkaido, experience the culture of Japan, and forge international friendships they’ll keep years from now.
