Sherman Kar Nang Chan

STUDENT INTERVIEW: Sherman Kar Nang Chan (SILAC)

Patty: Excuse me, Sherman? I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing an interview for this week's newsletter?
Sherman: Sure, no problem.

P: So, where are you from Sherman?
S: I'm from Hong Kong.
P: Have you studied Japanese before?
S: Not very long, only for about three to four months.
P: Why are you interested in coming to Japan to study Japanese?
S: Well, it's the first time for me to come to Japan and I wanted to know more about the country, their culture, living style, etc. I wanted to be in a real Japanese speaking place to learn Japanese.

P: So, it's you first time in Japan, what do you think of it?
S: Just what I had expected. Very quiet, safe, people are polite, and the city is well organized. Although I find the living expenses are a little bit high. To think of it, if Okazaki is already this high, don't even mention what places like Tokyo and Osaka will be like!

P: How did you find out about Yamasa?
S: I went across a magazine in the University and inside it had information about Yamasa, so I searched through the internet to find out more about the school and felt everything suited what I wanted. I went to Caritas (Yamasa's agent in Hong Kong) for more information and applied.
P: Right now you're in SILAC, why did you choose SILAC?
S: Due to time constraints. I can't stay too long and I want more conversational chances, so I chose SILAC. Being able to speak is what I want to focus on.

P: What did you think about the course so far?
S: It's very similar to a language school I went to in France. The teachers try to make you speak more Japanese which is really good. If there was something about writing, such as short paragraph that kind of lesson, it would be more perfect.
P: How about your classmates? Do you speak Japanese to them during breaks?
S: Well, I'm still a beginner so I communicate in English with students who came from English speaking countries and Mandarin to students from Taiwan.
P: Wow, practicing all the languages you know?
S: Not exactly, but it's just easier to get our points across sometimes.

P: Where are you living at the moment?
S: I'm staying at the Student Village in a shared room right now.
P: How do you like it?
S: It's very clean, tidy, and comfortable. Compared with the language schools in France and Beijing, it's much nicer here and it's a great point to have internet access available because the students can keep in touch with their family and friends. However, it would be great if there is a separate study room available because I've seen students studying together with friends at the commmon room where other students around them are chatting, watching TV, etc. I mean it would be nice to have a room the they can concentrate on studying beside staying in their rooms to study.

P: What do you do in your spare time?
S: I cook, study, do my homework, watch TV, hang out with other students and that's about it.
P: Have you done any travelling so far?
S: Well, I'm just staying for four weeks and travelling wasn't my primary reason for coming to Japan, so I'm just concentrating on studying.

P: What are your plans after you finish studying at Yamasa?
S: I quit my job so I can do my masters degree in Melbourne Australia in January. In between that time, I had a two month break, so I figured I should take the chance to improve my Japanese.

P: Thank you very much for your time.
S: You're welcome.

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