Japanese Testimonials

"Hello. From February of this year, I studied at a language school attached to the University of Newcastle and completed successfully. From August, we plan to take four undergraduate classes.

The support I got in Australia under the influence of the coronavirus I experienced today I will talk about.

Due to the impact of the coronavirus, which is a major problem in the world, we were banned from going out except for essential requirements for a period of time, and about three-fourths of our language school period shifted from face-to-face classes to online classes. At first, I regret to say that even though I came to study abroad, I would be less likely to get involved with various people, but thanks to various support, I was able to overcome that period. Mainly two kinds of support greatly supported me.First of all, the support from the language school. In online classes, I found it difficult to communicate and get along with each other because I could not meet my classmates and teachers. However, because the teacher took many hours to do group work, I got closer to my classmates and enjoyed learning. After the class, there was a place to ask questions to the teacher online, and there were activities to connect with many people online. Above all, the ones that dance together to the music together were unique and interesting. Thanks to this support, I was able to learn with confidence during the lockdown.

The other is host family support. As I spent more time at home, my relationship with my host family was very important in my life. My host family talked a lot about different things happening in the world, watched movies together, and so on, so I had a good time. It was Having people around me who cares for me has been a great support to me.

Thus, the support we got under the influence of the coronavirus in Australia was very grateful. Some of the university classes from August are online classes, but since the face-to-face classes will begin, I would like to enjoy studying in Australia further."

Natsumi


"From July 2019 I studied Master of Public Health for a year at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW). I had a hard time getting used to English and the school system in the first semester, but from the second semester I was enthusiastic about learning and having fun.

However, going out once a day for exercise and taking a walk along the beach and in the park made me feel calm. I think Australia's natural environment has had a very positive impact on our mental health. In terms of academics, is Australia originally affected by a large land area? There is already a foundation for delivering lessons using the Internet, and the transition to online lessons was smooth, albeit the first attempt. Participating in online live lessons at Zoom and being able to interact with other students was a great benefit to me as I was planting my relationship with others during the lockdown.

Furthermore, the Australian and NSW governments were very quick in responding to the coronavirus and the lockdown was severe (the police were patrolling), so I was worried, but I felt a sense of security. Also, in the lockdown, my friend in Australia warmly treated me. Overall, I'm glad I chose to live in Australia during the coronavirus epidemic and lockdown."

Yumi

私は2019年7月からニューサウスウェールズ州 (NSW) ニューカッスルにあるニューカッスル大学(University of Newcastle)で一年間Master of Public Healthを学びました。1学期目は英語と学校のシステムに慣れることが大変で苦労した分、2学期目からは楽しんで学習しようと意気込んでいました。しかし、2学期目が始まって間もない2020年3月中旬コロナウイルスの流行によるロックダウン、大学のすべてのFace-to-faceの授業からオンライン授業への切り替え、授業予定の変更、とわずか1か月の間に目まぐるしい変化がありました。ロックダウン生活(必要時以外は家から出られない)にはストレスを感じましたが、運動のために一日一回外に出てビーチ沿いや公園を散歩することで気持ちが穏やかになりました。オーストラリアという、自然が近くにある環境は精神面に非常に良い影響を与えてくれたと思います。学業の面では、もともとオーストラリアは広い国土が影響しているのでしょうか、インターネットを使った授業配信の基盤がすでにあり、オンライン授業への移行も初めての試みとは言えスムーズでした。Zoomでのオンラインライブ授業に参加し、他の生徒と関わりあえる授業スタイルは、ロックダウン中に他人との関わりに植えていた私にとっては大変ありがたかったです。

更にオーストラリアおよびNSW政府のコロナウイルスに対する対応が非常に迅速でロックダウンも厳重でしたので(警察が見回りをしていた)、不安もありましたが安心感は感じていました。また、ロックダウンの中、オーストラリアの友人からは暖かく接して頂きました。総じて、コロナウイルスの流行、ロックダウンの中でもオーストラリアで生活することを選択してよかったと思っています。


At first, Kaito was worried about studying English online from Japan, but as he continued to take classes with classmates from other countries and actively participate in all activities, his English has improved and he spent the last 3 months in a very enjoyable and meaningful way.

"I was planning to study at the University of Newcastle, Australia from April of this year. However, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, I could not come to Australia, so I decided to take an online class at my home in Japan. At first, I couldn't understand what the teacher was saying, and I was worried that there were no Japanese in the same class. However, as I continued to take classes with my classmates from China and Saudi Arabia, my English improved and I was able to spend these 3 months in a very enjoyable and meaningful way.Certainly, being able to experience English all day long is the fastest way to improve your English. However, even if I could not go to the field, I had many opportunities to come into contact with English through my club activities, where I had conversations with my classmates in English, and hands-on programs during the lunch break. It is possible to improve your English by actively participating in such opportunities. It's a great pleasure to convey what I'm saying to the other person, and it encourages me. Of course, you can improve your English skills by studying in Japan by yourself, but it is better for someone who wants to work in English in the future or for those who want to work with English in the future if you study with a fellow who will study for the same purpose. I think that those who want to live in the area should especially take online classes."

Kaito

私は今年の4月からオーストラリアのニューカッスル大学に留学する予定でした。しかしながら、新型コロナウイルスの影響で渡豪が叶わず、日本の自宅でオンライン授業を受けることになりました。最初は、先生が言っていることをあまり理解することができなく、さらに同じクラスに日本人もおらず不安もありました。けれども、中国やサウジアラビアのクラスメイトと一緒に授業を受け続けていく中で自分の英語力も上がり、とても楽しく有意義にこの約3か月を過ごすことができました。

確かに、現地で一日中英語に触れることができるのは英語力の上達に一番の近道だと思います。しかし、現地に行けなくてもクラスメイトと授業以外に英語で会話するクラブ活動や昼休みにある体験プログラムを通じて英語に触れる機会はたくさんありました。そうした機会に積極的に参加することで英語力を伸ばすことは可能です。自分の言っていることが相手に伝わることはとても嬉しいことですし、自分への励みになります。日本にいて独学で勉強することももちろん英語力を向上させることができると思いますが、同じ目的で勉強する仲間と一緒に勉強した方が、将来的に英語を使った仕事をしたい人や英語圏で生活していきたい人には特にオンライン授業を受けるべきだと思います。