Waka, a high school student from Fukushima, follows in her sister's footsteps for three weeks | A fruit research project through “TOBITATE! Study Abroad JAPAN” and the confidence to speak built in Cebu

Waka is a current high school student at a school in Fukushima Prefecture. While going about her school life, she became interested in experiences abroad, both for her future studies and to broaden her own horizons, and she decided to take on studying abroad while still in high school.

What started it all was that her sister, one year older, had studied in Singapore the year before. Waka often heard from her sister that living a life different from Japan’s and getting to know friends and teachers at her language school who held a wide range of values had broadened her perspective and been a really good experience.

“Hearing that, I started to think that I wanted to live abroad while I was still in high school and meet people from different countries and cultures too,” says Waka. She figured that, since she was in the second year of high school, she might be able to use this study abroad experience for recommendation-based university admissions and the like, so she decided to go at this point in time.

The program Waka used for this study abroad was “TOBITATE! Study Abroad JAPAN,” a global talent development program run by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The program requires participants to carry out a research project while abroad, and the theme Waka set was “How can I eat the recommended amount of fruit every day?”

“The Philippines, where fruit is produced and eaten in large quantities, seemed like a good fit for my research theme, so I chose it as my destination.” Cebu Island itself was tied to Waka’s research project.

While researching language schools, she found that many other schools were Spartan-style with long study hours, whereas 3D ACADEMY lets you adjust your class hours depending on the course, which suited her. “I wanted to balance studying English with my research project, so I was really glad the Mini ESL plan existed.” In addition, because the school, the dorm and the meals are all part of one daily life, she felt that even a high school student could live comfortably as a student abroad, and that was another reason she chose 3D ACADEMY.

Waka took the Mini ESL plan, which has the lightest study load among the Practical ESL Course plans. She took 3 1:1 classes and 2 group classes while also keeping time free for her research project.

What left the biggest impression on her, she says, were the one-on-one lessons that are special to studying in Cebu. “You talk with the teacher one-on-one and the lesson moves along at your own level, so I could focus on exactly what I needed to study, which was great.” The teachers were very friendly, and besides teaching English they also told her things that are useful for living in Cebu, such as recommended restaurants and cafes. For Waka, who barely knew the area, those conversations were a real help.

The group classes, on the other hand, gave her chances to talk naturally with other students, which made it easy to make friends, she recalls. “One-on-one and group classes each had their own strengths.”

When she first arrived in Cebu, Waka could understand to some extent what people said in English, but when she tried to speak herself, the words often didn’t come right away.

Over three weeks of lessons, she gradually became able to understand English as English, and more and more often she could grasp the content without translating into Japanese in her head every time, as she used to. “Especially with speaking, I spoke so many times in class that I could feel myself improving.”

Even in a short time, being in an environment where she heard and spoke English every day changed how quickly she responded to it. That was the solid sense of progress Waka gained in three weeks.

Waka, who likes shopping, enjoyed visiting various shopping malls after class and on days off, such as Ayala Mall, Ayala Center and SM Seaside.

On a weekend she also went to Kaohagan Island on a school tour organized by the school. “I made new friends on the tour, and because meals and transportation costs were included, I think it’s easy to join even if you’ve just arrived in Cebu and aren’t used to the area yet. The sea was beautiful too, and it was a very Cebu kind of experience, so I recommend it.”

Besides that, because the dorm had a kitchen, Waka would buy fruit after class and eat it there, and she also went to the gym to work out. She says there were many ways to spend her time beyond studying, and she was able to enjoy her life abroad.

At 3D ACADEMY, Waka met students from truly a wide variety of countries, including China, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, France and Brazil. “Even though we were from different countries, studying together at the same school and being able to talk with each other in English felt very fresh to me.” She says that getting to interact with people from many different countries, and not only improving her English, was a great experience too.

When she goes back to Japan, Waka will start studying for her entrance exams. “I hope I can connect what I experienced on this study abroad to my future studies and my own future.”

To students who will be coming to 3D ACADEMY, she sends this message: “Some people may be nervous when they hear ‘one-on-one lessons.’ But once you actually take them, the teachers are very kind and friendly, so it’s okay if you can’t speak perfectly from the start. Even if there are things you don’t understand, I think you’ll get used to it little by little as you talk with the teacher.” As for daily life, she says you can get most of what you need at the supermarket next to the school. “On your first time studying abroad there will probably be a lot you don’t know, but if you make use of the surroundings and get used to things little by little, you’ll be fine. I hope you enjoy not just studying English but also life in Cebu.”

The course Waka took at 3D ACADEMY is the “Mini ESL” plan, which has the lightest study load among the Practical ESL Course plans.

The Practical ESL Course is a practice-based curriculum centered on one-on-one classes that develops all four skills in a balanced way, and it is the most popular program at 3D ACADEMY. You can choose from four plans, Mini ESL, ESL, Intensive ESL and Platinum ESL, depending on how much you want to study.

The Mini ESL plan is built around 3 1:1 classes and 2 group classes, and you can freely combine it with optional classes. As with Waka and her “TOBITATE! Study Abroad JAPAN” research project, it lets you balance learning English with other things you want to do, whether that is a research project or something else besides studying abroad, without strain.

As Waka said in her testimonial, in one-on-one classes you can practice speaking intensively, matched to your own level and weak points, and in group classes you get chances to use English while interacting naturally with other students. Even in a short time, being in an environment where you are exposed to English every day lets you feel real growth.

Recommended for those who...

• want to balance learning English with other activities on a short study abroad
• are in high school or university, are going abroad for the first time and feel anxious
• want to learn at their own pace in one-on-one classes
• want to make friends from around the world in group classes
• want to feel at ease in an environment where the school, dorm and meals are all in one place

Why not take a first step, like Waka, with a short stay?