Stories of People Who Used English as a Weapon to Work Abroad After Cebu Study Abroad + Working Holiday

Plenty of people dream of working overseas or taking on a working holiday. But the first wall many people hit is English ability. In part-time jobs and job hunting abroad, there are many situations that require English beyond everyday conversation, and it is true that anxiety is great if you remain weak at English.

What is drawing attention is the two-step approach of **studying in Cebu first and then going on a working holiday**. In Cebu, Philippines, you can take mainly one-on-one lessons at a lower cost than studying in the West, which makes it an ideal environment for building English skills in a short time.

What we introduce this time is the story of one person who used exactly this method to make English their weapon and, through a working holiday, moved on to a job overseas. How did someone who started out weak at English grow to the point of building a career abroad? The story should offer big hints to anyone considering a working holiday or study abroad.

Mr./Ms. A (late 20s, from Japan) had been weak at English since university, scored in the 400s on the TOEIC, and could barely keep up in English classes; in conversation, he or she could only answer at the level of "Yes" and "No."

Even so, A had always held the feelings of wanting to work overseas and wanting to connect with people around the world. When A learned of the working holiday system, A was strongly drawn to it, but at the same time felt anxious: "Can someone who can't speak English really work there?"

When A actually listened to people who had done working holidays, they said that in local part-time job interviews you have to give a self-introduction and explain your motivation in English. Even in customer service, simple everyday conversation is essential. It is not unusual to be rejected if your English is insufficient. A keenly felt, "As I am now, I can't even get through the interview," and nearly gave up on the dream of a working holiday.

That was when A came across Cebu study abroad. The Philippines has English as an official language, and Cebu in particular is an area where many language schools are concentrated. Lessons cost about one third of those in the West, and they are mainly one-on-one. Learning that even someone weak at English could study thoroughly from the basics, A thought, "Maybe I can do this," and decided on a three-month stay.

A chose a spartan-style language school in Cebu. Lessons were scheduled 8 to 10 hours a day, and it was such a thorough study environment that going out on weekdays was restricted.

Lessons were mainly one-on-one, with pronunciation correction, grammar, listening and speaking balanced well. A in particular focused on speaking, and while being asked questions over and over by the teachers, practiced answering in his or her own words. At first A could barely string words together, but after three months A could convey intentions in short sentences and had grown to the point where everyday conversation went smoothly.

Outside of class, too, life was immersed in English. Conversations with roommates in the dorm, chatting in the cafeteria, after-school activities with teachers - there were many natural chances to use English, and A came to feel that English was not a special subject of study but part of life.

A looks back and says: "The first two weeks were really hard. But by using it every day I came to feel that it's okay to make mistakes, and from there I improved all at once. Cebu was the place that gave me confidence in English."

After finishing three months in Cebu, A flew to Australia with confidence. The first thing A tried locally was a part-time job at a cafe. The interview required a self-introduction and motivation in English, but the phrases A had practiced many times in Cebu proved useful just as they were, and A was hired without trouble.

Once work began, taking orders in English and small talk with customers became part of daily life. Nervous at first, A gradually came to handle things with a smile thanks to the listening and response skills built in Cebu. Being complimented by customers and coworkers with "Your English is good!" became a big source of confidence.

Six months later, A thought, "I want to take on more responsible work," and applied for an office job. On the resume A listed the Philippines study experience and the cafe customer-service experience, and in the interview A's attitude of taking on English without fear of failure was valued, and A was hired. In this way, A was able to start a career involved in international work using English.

A looks back: "Without studying in Cebu, I don't think I could even have gotten through the cafe interview. Because I first built a self that could speak English and then took on the working holiday, it led to the next step."

The big key in A's career building was **not going straight on a working holiday**. First building basic English ability and confidence in speaking English through Cebu study, then gaining practical experience on the working holiday - this two-step approach created the foundation for working overseas.

What A gained from Cebu study was not just language ability.

• The nerve to express opinions in English
• The habit of using English every day
• An international outlook gained through interaction with people from many countries

These became big strengths not only in part-time work on the working holiday but also in the job hunt that followed. In particular, the attitude of using English without fearing mistakes was highly valued by hiring managers as being able to adapt to an international environment.

As a result, A got an office job in Australia. Dealing with local staff in English, A seized the chance to be involved in overseas business. A says A never imagined that someone who had been weak at English in Japan would end up working at an overseas company.

A concludes: "Cebu was a warm-up for the working holiday and working overseas. If I had gone straight into the working holiday, I'm sure I would have given up partway. Because I went in two steps, I was able to connect it to a career without strain."

A's story shows how effective the two-step approach of Cebu study plus a working holiday can be.

Even starting from a state of having no confidence in English,

• **build basic ability and confidence through Cebu study**
• **use English practically on the working holiday**
• **and make use of that experience to connect to a job overseas**

if you follow this flow, an overseas career becomes real.

For A, Cebu was less a place to study English than a first step toward broadening one's possibilities. And that step led to a successful working holiday and then on to the next stage, a job overseas.

Even if you are anxious about your English, a path opens if you take on the challenge in the right way. By combining Cebu study with a working holiday, you too can gain the future of working overseas with English as your weapon.