Because we are very interested in our students’ opinions, we did an interview with one of our long-term students, and this is what he told us:
A.: Hello Finn, how are you? Thank you for doing the interview with us.
F.: Thank you, I’m fine. And I’m happy that I can help.
A.: Glad to hear that. By the way, how old are you?
F.: I’m 28 years old, 29 soon to be exact.
A.: Finn, you are German, right? Which city are you from?
F.: I come from Hannover, a city in the north-western part of Germany.
A.: Why did you come to Japan, and why did you choose Fukuoka in particular?
F.: To begin with, my wife is Japanese and after being together for eight years, I was very eager to get to know her home country. My wife is actually from Gunma, a city near Tokyo, but that area is too big in my opinion compared to Fukuoka. Fukuoka is located close to the sea and has nice beaches, which is perfect because I really like water sports. It is one of the safest cities in the world as well. After deciding to go to Fukuoka, I knew I had to apply for a Japanese language course.
A.: Was it difficult for you?
F.: Since I had no previous knowledge in Japanese, it was kind of difficult (laughs).
A.: Do you want to stay here or go back to Germany?
F.: Since my wife has found a really good job, we both decided to stay in Japan because it benefits the both of us. She also helps me with everything that I cannot do on my own.
A.: What do you do in your free time?
F.: I love to play board games. My favorite game is called “Stratego”. I also won a regional tournament back in Germany a couple of years ago. Also, like I said before, I really like the ocean and water sports.
A.: Why did you choose Asahi Nihongo for your language course?
F.: Asahi Nihongo has its own school car and takes students to many different places that are difficult to reach by public transport like the Aso volcano, Takachiho, Miyazakia and river-rafting in Hitoyoshi.
Additionally, they go to the Fukuma Beach twice a week to do marine sports like surfing and stand-up paddling.
A.: What are your long-term goals in terms of language?
F.: After reaching a level of B1, I would like to start working in the service sector because I like talking to Japanese people.
A.: What was the most difficult thing you encountered during your stay?
F.: At the beginning, I had booked a group course but I soon recognized that studying in a group was pretty difficult for me since I had no Japanese skills at that time. I then changed to a private course, which gave me the opportunity to study at my own pace.
A.: Finn, Thank you very much for your time.
F.: You are welcome.
http://www.japanese-school-asahi.com/
