Talking about life for some reason in an online UK travel course

I'm gradually getting used to hosting courses on Street Academy, and I don't feel as nervous as I did at the beginning... Today was the second session of my 'Online UK Travel' course, and I even received my first review for it.

N, who took the course, didn't seem to realize at first that it was a one-on-one session. I'm the same way, but surprisingly, many people don't read the course details.

After we introduced ourselves—talking about 'why you took this course,' 'where you live,' and 'what you want to know'—we started asking questions to find common ground. As we did, I could feel the moment they opened up.

This time, it just so happened that N and I started talking about our hometowns.

When I said, 'I'm from Fukuoka,'

N said, 'Where in Fukuoka?'

I replied, 'Yukuhashi.'

N said, 'Oh, I lived in Kanda (two stations away from Yukuhashi) when I was seven.'

I said, 'Wow, really?'

Finding that unexpected common ground suddenly made us feel much closer.

I did a fist pump in my heart! Haha.

N, who is aiming to become a nationally licensed guide interpreter, is also studying English (specifically British English). The reason N took my 'Online UK Travel' course instead of an 'English conversation lesson' was because they 'wanted to broaden their world.'

At first, I explained the origins of the UK and its food, but halfway through, N started to take an interest in me. I talked openly about things like why I ended up living in the UK, and by the end, N shared a little bit about their own dreams too.

At this point, it felt more like a life consultation than a course.

The review N wrote after the session:

'Thank you for providing such an enjoyable "course" today. I was able to get a glimpse of life in the UK live. Since I was the only student, the content was customized for me before I knew it, and I was able to have a meaningful session. I look forward to the next one.'

Maybe next time they'll take the course to report that they passed the guide interpreter exam? I'm already looking forward to seeing them again...

By the way, for this course, I also have a schedule prepared in case the student doesn't have any specific requests.

5 minutes: Instructor introduction
10 minutes: Various things about the UK, focusing on recommended spots in London!
10 minutes: UK food culture and accommodations
10 minutes: The status of the UK's lockdown easing
10 minutes: Q&A session

I've only held this twice so far, but it has never gone according to the syllabus! Haha.

Most of the courses I teach on my own are one-on-one these days. The reason is that I want to satisfy the students as much as possible. People come from all over the world to meet me—people I never would have met if I hadn't held courses on Street Academy. I'm actually more interested in talking about life, encouraging each other, and building connections with those people within the limited time we have.

Recently, it's been spilling over the boundaries of the course and turning into counseling... My repeated stories of failure give people courage and empathy. My courses have a high potential to turn into something completely different from the official content, so I'm waiting for open-minded students who can enjoy that! Haha.