Cebu Island Stay: Lessons at QQ English

In 2014, my English studies on Cebu Island became the catalyst that significantly changed my values. Time has passed since that experience, and I am staying on Mactan Island in the Philippines once again. This time, I took half-day lessons for three days at the QQ English Beachfront Campus, one of the largest English language schools on Cebu Island.

You might think, 'What, only three days?' I used the free time I had before a friend arrived for English lessons. I think such a short period is a viable option for working adults looking to relearn or as an entry point to overcome a complex about English.

Today, I will write about the real appeal of QQ English that I felt firsthand.

A campus environment that boosts motivation to learn

First of all, the impression of the campus is that it has an atmosphere that really boosts the motivation to learn. When people think of studying abroad in Cebu, they often associate it with slightly old facilities or the inconveniences unique to developing countries. However, the entrance to the QQ English campus is just like a hotel.

The clean, well-maintained space and, above all, the open design that lets in the bright Philippine sunshine naturally lift one's motivation for learning. The Wi-Fi environment was also very stable, allowing me to utilize online materials and tools without stress.

When staying in a foreign country, being safe and comfortable is extremely important. This is because you can concentrate 100% on learning English without wasting extra energy on dissatisfaction with your environment. The security system was also solid, and the environment was perfectly set up so that even those who are studying abroad for the first time or are concerned about hygiene can feel at ease.

Comparison with other English conversation schools

There are many language schools in Cebu, so I will list the pros and cons of choosing QQ English among them.

Pros
The biggest advantage I felt was the system that allows you to enroll and graduate on any day of the week. Regular English conversation schools usually have fixed enrollment on Mondays and graduation on Fridays because they require enrollment in one-week increments.

I enrolled on a Tuesday and graduated on a Thursday, taking lessons for only three days. Being able to choose such a short schedule is a major advantage.

I have experience taking QQ lessons online, and I feel that the quality of the teachers is high, based on my impressions from both online and offline lessons.

The president, Yorimitsu Fujioka, mentioned that all QQ English teachers are full-time employees and are required to obtain an international qualification for teaching English to foreigners (TESOL).

Because of this, there is no inconsistency in teaching methods regardless of which teacher you get, and a high standard of lessons is always guaranteed.

It is also worth noting that it is an officially certified school for the 'Callan Method,' which is said to allow you to acquire English at four times the normal speed. While systematic, their passionate instruction sets them apart from other schools.

[Cons]
In regular English conversation schools, the same teacher usually handles the same curriculum. This allows the teacher to understand the characteristics of individual students and teach them appropriately. Also, as the number of lessons with the same teacher increases, communication becomes smoother.

However, at QQ, while it is possible to have the same teacher if you book well, in my case, I had 10 teachers for 12 lessons. In other words, the teacher I had today was a different teacher the next day.

This was a disadvantage for me.

My real impressions of the lessons I took

After actually taking the three-day lessons, what left the biggest impression on me was the boundless cheerfulness of the instructors.

In one-on-one lessons, there are inevitably moments when you get stuck for words or feel embarrassed about making grammatical mistakes.

However, they never rushed me; they carefully grasped the intent of what I was trying to convey and guided me toward appropriate English expressions with a smile. I felt the fear of making mistakes simply vanish after just a few hours of lessons.

The Callan Method classes were particularly intense. The pace was so fast, as if I were being showered directly with English, that it left no room for me to translate into Japanese in my head.

I was bewildered at first, but once I got used to it, I experienced the pleasure of responding in English reflexively, like a sport. Even in just three days, being able to reaffirm the 'joy of speaking out and conveying thoughts in English' at a cellular level was a huge gain for me.

For those interested in enrolling

The Philippines, which once showed me a new world, still warmly and powerfully welcomes those who take on challenges. My three days at QQ English were a rich experience that went beyond mere language learning, allowing me to rediscover my own potential.

When enrolling in QQ English, an admission fee of $150 is required in addition to the tuition. The CEO, Mr. Raiko Fujioka, taught me a keyword to make the admission fee zero yen. If you would like to enroll in QQ English, please let me know, and I will share that keyword with you.

I highly recommend QQ English in Cebu to those who want to be able to speak English but cannot take that first step, using age or their environment as an excuse.

Chatting (which is what I call the lessons) with professional instructors who have the best hospitality, along with the beautiful sea, is a lot of fun. It is sure to provide the spark that breathes a fresh breeze into your life.