Sena from Okinawa and the “next challenge” she found in three months in Cebu | Listening skills grown while healing in the sea and nature, and a step toward a working holiday

Sena spent about three months studying English in Cebu Island. Learning English while spending a fairly long stretch of time abroad was a big experience for her, and she says that living overseas itself, not just studying, was a new challenge for her.

“The main reason I decided to study abroad was that I wanted to gain English I could actually use when traveling overseas,” says Sena. Rather than going abroad for just a few days like on a trip, she also wanted to live in the place for a certain period of time. Besides studying English, she was interested in trying many different things for herself while living abroad, and that is why she decided on this study abroad program.

Sena chose Cebu Island as her study abroad destination because it has lots of nature and sea, and a warm climate a little like her hometown of Okinawa. One reason was that it felt like an environment where she would be comfortable.

“As for 3D ACADEMY, the costs were relatively low compared with other schools, and the atmosphere and layout of the rooms also suited my taste.” She chose 3D ACADEMY because she thought it would be comfortable not only for studying but also as a place to live for several months.

The course Sena took was the ESL Course. She had 4 one-on-one classes and 3 group classes.

“In the one-on-one classes I had plenty of time to talk 1:1 with my teacher, and in the group classes I could use English together with other students.” She looks back and says it was a great environment for being in touch with English, because every day she spent a lot of time speaking and listening to it.

As for speaking, Sena still doesn’t think she is good enough. Even so, she says that compared with before studying abroad, the situations in which she can understand spoken English have gradually increased.

“Because I kept listening to English in class every day, I feel I can understand what the other person is saying more often than at the beginning.” While saying there are still areas she wants to improve, she told us that, especially with listening, she was able to feel a definite change in her own way.

On weekdays Sena basically put studying first, so she didn’t go out much after classes ended. Instead, she used weekends as time to refresh herself, and often traveled a little farther in search of places where she could feel nature.

“I studied hard on weekdays and enjoyed Cebu’s nature on weekends. That was how I kept a good balance in my own way during my study abroad life.”

At 3D ACADEMY, there were especially many students from Saudi Arabia, and Sena often spent time with them. “There were many very friendly students, and there are people I am still in touch with now that I’ve graduated from the school.” She came to study English, but she says that making friends of different nationalities, and the fact that those relationships continue after graduation, is one of the big gains for her.

Sena’s next goal is to take on a working holiday and live abroad for about one year while working in an environment where she can use English. “At first I was only thinking about doing a short-term language study program in Cebu, but while living at 3D ACADEMY, I met people who were taking on working holidays and people who were aiming for a life abroad beyond that.” Inspired by those people, she came to want to try it herself as her next step.

“Studying abroad at 3D ACADEMY gave me many things, not only English ability but also new friends and information about living overseas. I think my outlook has broadened quite a lot, too.”

To those who are thinking about studying abroad, she has this message: “Don’t make English study your only goal. I’d like you to jump into a new environment and get to know all kinds of people. By taking action yourself, I think you can grow not only in English ability but also mentally and as a person. If you have even a little desire to take on a new environment, I think studying English abroad will be a very good experience.”

The course Sena took at 3D ACADEMY is the Practical ESL Course, the most standard course at our school.

The ESL Course combines 4 one-on-one classes and 3 group classes a day, and puts emphasis not just on “learning English as knowledge” but on actually speaking and using it. In the one-on-one classes, the content can be flexibly adjusted to your own level and goals, and in the group classes you get chances to use English in a practical way while interacting naturally with other students.

As Sena said in her testimonial, this course makes it easy to have a well-balanced stay: facing English seriously on weekdays, then enjoying the local nature and life on weekends. Even in a period of three months, Sena’s testimonial shows that day-by-day effort leads to a real change in listening skills.

The course supports a wide range of levels, from beginners in English to those who want to gain practical English for travel or for living abroad in the future.

Recommended for those who...

• want to gain English they can actually use when traveling or living abroad
• want to study hard on weekdays and also enjoy local life on weekends
• want a good balance of one-on-one classes and group classes
• want to make new friends regardless of nationality
• want to take a step forward with an eye on what comes after studying abroad (such as a working holiday)

Why not start, like Sena, by jumping into a new environment?