Seiritsu International Education

Michael with his soccer dormitory buddies...

Since being in Japan I have had many obstacles to over come; Japanese food, communal recreational-center style showers, the different soccer style, but the most difficult of all for me would have to be the language. I can say that my Japanese has come on leaps and bounds from when I first arrived.

Firstly you all may think it is easy because I am immersed in the culture so I’m surrounded by the language 24/7, but it also comes down to the awesome group the boys on the team. These guys have been a big help, as they have taught me the Japanese style of playing soccer to going out to town for a simple meal. I have had many good times with them and find I can relax and be myself around them. This fact makes it a lot easier to learn the language as I’m not worried about making mistakes.

For example, the first time I went out with the boys after a game to get a bite to eat, they said to me in Japanese they would pay for me, but I didn’t really understand what they said. They had a good laugh as I was pointing at the menu and then trying to read it in English to the blanked-face waiter. But they helped out which made it a bit easier, and I was happily surprised when they didn’t let me pay. This small gesture of putting up with my lack of language skills at first actually helped me come out of my shell and make little attempts at doing more things. Improvement comes a lot faster when you are having fun and you can relax around new friends. They always help me out when I make mistakes, and actually for their amusement, they sometimes help me make mistakes too.

I can say now that the language barrier, which looked to be unbreakable, has cracked in many places thanks to the great bunch of friends I have made here.

Michael Fitzgerald