[3D ACADEMY Semi-Sparta Course testimonial] Interview with Moka

I wanted to challenge myself with something new, so I thought about studying abroad. But I didn't want to be a burden on my parents, so the trip was paid for mainly with money I had saved myself. That's why I looked for my destination by doing a lot of research online and borrowing books from the library.

Because the cost of living in the Philippines is low, you can generally save a lot compared with studying in the United States, Canada, Australia or European countries. Among language schools in the Philippines, 3D ACADEMY offers a relatively affordable cost, and even though it is affordable, it has a long track record and has Japanese staff, so I thought it would be reassuring even for beginners, and I decided to come to this school.

When I actually arrived to study abroad, the first thing that really threw me was that there were almost no other high school students like me. Almost everyone around me was a university student or someone who was already working, older than me, and at first I couldn't fit in well, so more than homesickness I felt a kind of "friend-sickness" (haha). But all the students around me were kind and fun, and little by little I widened my circle of friends with my roommate and with people around 19 or 20 years old in the cafeteria.

Since I'm a beginner in English, at first I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the classes, but the teachers adapt the lessons to each person's level, so I was able to study calmly. As a result, I feel that I lost the reluctance to speak that I had at the beginning and that my listening skills also improved.

There are a lot of words I don't know and I end up asking what they mean over and over, but the teachers always explain kindly. Sometimes I felt that I didn't click with a certain teacher, but since you can change classes once a week, I don't think it's a big problem.

In the one-on-one classes I asked to practice pronunciation and listening comprehension by singing songs, and it was a lot of fun to study by singing together with the teacher during class. The song the teacher recommended was "Photograph", which has a slow rhythm, so it was really easy to study with! And for my part, I also taught the teacher the English version of the Japanese song "Mikazuki".

In the group classes, the speech practice class, where we concentrated on pronunciation practice and had vocabulary and spelling tests, really made me feel that I was studying English.

Also, the casual discussion you could take in your free time was great conversation practice too. Each time, the teacher or one of the students chose a topic and we talked about it. Some days there were 3 or 4 of us, and other days it was one-on-one, but since there was always a set topic instead of just chatting aimlessly, I think I learned a huge amount.

As for the Semi-Spartan Course, I personally think it contributed a lot to my progress in studying and I thought it was very good, but all the friends I got along with were in different courses, so we also had different times for getting back, and that was tricky (haha). For example, when we all went out for dinner in the evening, since the Semi-Spartan Course requires a 10-word test from 7:30 in the morning on weekdays and a self-study session from 21:00, everyone rushed back with me, all because of me, which was fun in its own way, although I thought it would have been better if everyone had been in the Semi-Spartan Course (haha). But I'm really glad it helped improve my English.

I feel that I can now use English more fluently than at the beginning in everyday conversation, and that I can also understand what the teachers say.

Also, outside school, I could feel my English improving when I stopped feeling afraid or nervous about talking to shop staff.

I had decided to concentrate my after-class studying in the Semi-Spartan Course's self-study session, so the rest of my time I spent going out to dinner with friends at the IT Park night market or going to cafes. We also visited all kinds of places such as nearby spas, churches and restaurants. Everything could be enjoyed more cheaply than in Japan, and they are very good memories.

On weekends we went to TOPS, or took trips to Oslob, island-hopping tours, or went trampoline jumping. On these occasions I also joined plans with quite a lot of people on the spur of the moment, and that's how I made new friends, which was a lot of fun.

Also, even though we were very different ages, I found out that a student we called "Occhan" (a nickname for a guy in his thirties... haha) had been a senior at the same school in Japan, and that made me really happy and I felt a special closeness to him, so we became good friends. He was only there for a week, but at the end we threw him a surprise farewell party at PINO and I ended up crying without meaning to... I'm so glad I met him, and he is someone I hope to meet again some day.

My goal from now on is to raise my TOEIC score, and I also want to bring my English to the point where I'd have no trouble if I ever go on an exchange to a native English-speaking country.

And the best advice I can give to those who come next is this: during my stay I had the problem of losing my credit card, and since I had almost no cash on hand, I really struggled... At that moment I thought that if I had known about international money transfers, I wouldn't have been so nervous. This was already explained earlier on this very 3D blog, and I think it's worth everyone knowing about it just in case. Seriously, be very careful with your valuables!

I had several problems, but including that, I was able to have many experiences that you can only have in the Philippines, and I truly had wonderful encounters. I learned that you can make good friendships with foreigners even if your English isn't perfect, and I felt that both studying and relationships can change freely depending on your own motivation and the actions you take.

If you really want to devote yourself only to studying English seriously, you should shut yourself in the self-study room without giving in to temptation! But if it's your first time studying on Cebu Island, I think 3D ACADEMY is the best school, because the cost of studying abroad is low and there are lots of students, so you can enjoy sightseeing and study English at the same time.