Cebu Island Stay: Enjoying International Exchange

I am currently staying on Cebu Island.

I meet people from various countries almost every day. I am currently staying at the EV Academy English school. This is my second time enrolling. It seems the number of students has increased even more since last time, reaching 360.

Since it is summer vacation, the children look like they are having fun. There are also many university students and young professionals in their 20s, and this vibrant environment offers an atmosphere you cannot find in Japan. It provides great stimulation for me, as I am in my late 50s.

In particular, there are many Saudis this time; people with deep-set features, beards, and large builds who laugh heartily and talk a lot. There are prayer times and meals prepared specifically for Arabs, making it quite diverse.

Beyond that, interacting with Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, and Vietnamese people is very fun, and I am experiencing the true thrill of international exchange, which makes me excited every day.

I met some Mongolians. They are a trio of 16-year-old girls. They are very free-spirited, even starting to dance or sing during class. It looks a bit like animals that were once grazing now being trapped in a cage and struggling, though.

I learned that there is a lot of enthusiasm for English education in Mongolia. I got the impression that the approach to studying differs significantly from country to country.

People from Saudi Arabia and Mongolia are very proactive. Vietnamese people are also proactive. On the other hand, many Koreans seem to be slacking off quite a bit, and they are goofing around so much that I don't know why they even came.

My impression is that Japanese people are clearly divided between those who are serious and those who are not.

In particular, Japanese students are each unleashing their own individual assertions. An environment where you can speak English in a loud voice without shame is unique to an English conversation school. The shy Japanese people who might be timid and speak in small voices in Japan are not here.

Well, maybe they were here, but perhaps this environment is what is unleashing and drawing out their true personalities.

I am enjoying Cebu Island while being bathed in such stimulation every day!

Related articles ↓