STUDENT INTERVIEW: Sylvie Nay (SILAC/Private)

Sylvie Nay

Sylvie Nay has been studying in the SILAC program whilst also taking private lessons. I spoke to her after her final private lesson with Kato Erina sensei

J: Why did you take the private lessons?
S: My friend was taking them before me and she recommended them as a good way of practicing what you learn.

J: Why are you studying Japanese?
S: I work in a hotel in France and we have Japanese people stay with us on a regular basis. Japanese culture is so different from any European cultures that you need to be able to understand the language to understand the culture and the people.

J: Overall how has the course been?
S: I've been surprised actually. I was a complete beginner when I started, but the way the course is taught you can pick things up very quickly - the speaking takes a bit longer though. I studied English in the UK and I was a bit worried. The school in the UK wasn't bad but the teachers never prepared, there were no supplementary materials to go with the course text and the teachers didn't seem to be as motivated or well prepared as the teachers are here.

J: So the pace of the SILAC program was okay?
S: I thought the course was too quick at one point, so I moved down a class and this gave me the opportunity to review things I'd missed. But once I got used to it, it was fine.

J: Where are you staying?
S: I'm living in the Student Village. It's convenient because it's close to school and everything you need is there - the kitchen, television, piano etc. I thought it would be a problem sharing the bathroom facilities but it wasn't at all.