EF Stories: Ryouhei from Japan at EF Auckland
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1. Why did you decide to study abroad?
I was disappointed at myself that I wasn't able to say thank you in English to the people who helped me when I was traveling in Southeast Asia, so I wanted to study English and go see them again to say thank you.
2. Why did you choose EF?
It was recommended to me by a friend.
3. What was your language proficiency before and after the study abroad trip?
Before studying abroad, I was really bad at English and thought it was kind of a monster because I had a bad time studying English in junior high school.
After studying abroad, I was able to communicate and understand what foreigners are saying, and I really liked speaking, reading, and writing English.
4. What preparations did you do before departure?
I watched all the English movies I knew.
5. Please tell us about the atmosphere in your class and the nationalities of your classmates.
There were a lot of French students in my class, and everyone had different personalities, so it was a lot of fun to work with them.
I was the main organizer of events and competitions, and everyone worked hard to win prizes.
The class also had a variety of other nationalities, including Switzerland, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, and Spain.
6. What was your favorite SPIN (special interest subject)?
TED talks. It was a lot of fun to watch different people's TED shows each time and to have discussions based on the content and the thoughts of the presenters.
I also liked the pronunciation class. This was my first time studying pronunciation, and I kept trying to imitate my teacher to overcome my poor speaking.
7. What did yo discuss during your individual consultation that happens every 6 weeks?
Thankfully, I didn't have any worries or issues, so we had a lot of small talk.
8. Did you participate in any overseas internship, volunteer work, or any activities that worth mentioning?
Although it wasn't kind of a club, I often played soccer with my friends and local residents after school.
I didn't have many friends other than those from my school, so it was a great opportunity to communicate with the locals and get a feel for the local English.
By the way, the accent was so strong that it was often difficult to understand.
9. Can you tell us about your homestay?
My host family was a mother and a son from India. I had Mexican and Columbian housemates.
I also found a flat and lived there later.
10. What was the transportation like? How did you go to school?
I walked to school and it took around 40 mins.
11. How did you spend your time after school and during long holidays?
After school, I always went out for a drink with people from all ages and various backgrounds.
I rented a car and travelled elsewhere during my long vacation.
12. How was your experience with EF's local supports?
They are all very kind and responsive. They helped a lot.
13. What do you think is the most interesting difference between Japan and Auckland?
I was surprised to see the adults were quite serious about playing (anything), and I felt like the same way.
14. What do you think has changed for you through studying abroad? What experiences and skills are useful?
The most important thing is being able to speak.
I think the good thing about studying abroad is that you can work hard with friends who are at the same level as you are with the same purpose.
15. Based on your study abroad experience, what industry do you want to work in? Any future goals or plans?
I was doing video production as homework almost every week. When I made videos with the intention of making people laugh, my audiences were very happy. So I became very interested in video production.
I also made a graduation video and received a lot of feedbacks!
16. Do you have a message about Auckland to say to anyone who are thinking of going there?
The local people in New Zealand were really kind and I had a wonderful experience.
My teachers also said that Auckland (New Zealand) has the best environment at EF, so I highly recommend it!
If you want to experience nature, please come!
