How I Changed After Attending an English Conversation School When I Couldn't Speak English | Changes That Happened in a Year and a Half

If only I could speak more English, I could have had more fun.

That is what I felt strongly when I returned from my first trip abroad.

While that feeling was still fresh, I jumped into a well-known English conversation school.

◆ My first "big contract"

I received an enrollment explanation from the school manager and proceeded to sign the contract.

As it was the first big contract of my life, I read through everything, even the fine print on the back of the contract.

Then, they said one thing.

"You are the first person to read the contract terms on the back."

But for me, it was a lot of money.

I wanted to start only after properly understanding the cancellation and rules.

After that, I took an English proficiency test.

Both the explanation and the test were entirely in English.

The result of the test I took while nervous was—

Of course, the lowest class.

I started with two-hour lessons per week.

◆ The gap with "school English"

The textbooks at the English conversation school were completely different from school.

It was truly everyday conversation.

It was full of words I didn't know, and even reading it was a struggle.

Furthermore, there were many abbreviations.

I am → I’m
He is → He’s
What is → What’s

Even if I could read it, I couldn't understand it when heard.

This was the hardest part.

◆ You can't keep up without preparation and review

Preparation is essential to keep up with the lessons.

And if you don't review, the vocabulary won't stick at all.

“English is so difficult.”

Thinking that, I desperately tried to keep up.

I couldn't go on weekdays because of work, so I took two lessons back-to-back on Saturdays.

Although my level improved little by little, it was still at a junior high school level.

◆ My English improved “outside the classroom”

As I attended the school, I became friends with the students and teachers.

I became especially close with a female teacher from California who was the same age as me.

She was a very powerful teacher, and she was a humble and kind person who came to Japan because she loved the country.

Japanese was prohibited inside the school.

But after class, we would go out for dinner together or go drinking at an Irish bar.

Natives from various countries, such as ALTs and teachers from other schools, gathered there.

There was an environment where I could speak English just for the price of a drink.

That was where I gradually got used to “speaking.”

Before I knew it, I became a regular, and the number of foreigners I was familiar with increased.

◆ Back then, I had no choice but to go out

There was no such thing as online English conversation like there is today.

It was an era where you had to go out to speak English.

That is why I
proactively threw myself into an environment where I could be exposed to English as much as possible.

◆ A year and a half later, my first challenge

A year and a half after I started attending the school.

Around the time I finished the junior high school level,
I took the Eiken Grade 3 exam.

The exam venue was filled mostly with junior high and high school students.

I was about the only working adult there.

Honestly, I was quite nervous.

Even so, I wanted to know my own ability, so I took the challenge.

The result was—I passed.

The written part was tough since it had been a while since I took an exam, but
I didn't feel very nervous during the interview because I was used to speaking in my daily life.

◆ The next goal

Having passed the Eiken Grade 3, I thought to myself.

“Next, I’ll try going abroad by myself.”

And so,
I would go on to challenge myself with my first homestay.

▶ Related articles
👉 The story of the day I first went abroad without being able to speak English
👉 The story of the culture shock and honest feelings I experienced during my first homestay

It would encourage me if you could support me with a like or a follow 😊