Shinji is taking an intensive ESL program everyday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at the ‘Western Language School’. Shinji has decided to meet Hiromi at Blenz after school, his favourite coffee shop. Blenze has stores in Japan, too, but it was originally created in Vancouver.
Hiromi still feels uplifted from her conversation with Sarah.
Since I left Japan, I’ve started to see a different side of Japan that I could never see before. I want to know more about Japan and Canada. How do you find it so far, Shinji?
Shinji appears to be down at hearing this question. However, as Shinji trusts Hiromi, he finds the courage to tell her his current problem.
I don’t have the luxury of thinking about how I feel about Japan or Canada. I find English far more difficult than I thought and I can’t improve my English at all…
Hiromi loses her momentum a bit as Shinji has wandered off-topic, but she feels she has to help Shinji when she sees his sad face.
Hiromi started learning English when she was in high school, and she is now at an advanced level. Remembering when she was learning English as a beginner, Hiromi tells Shinji:
You say you haven’t improved, but it’s only the second month since you’ve come to Canada. You are doing well for a beginner. Like sports, the more you practice English, the better you get at it. However, the key is how you pratice. You can improve your English using almost any method, but memorizing from text books, like they do in Japan, doesn’t work. It’s very important to put your effort into action. By the way, what class do you dislike the most?
Hiromi’s advice is impressive to Shinji. He remembers that his English teacher in high school once said the same thing, and he wonders why it sounds more realistic when he hears it from Hiromi. Shinji replies to Hiromi:
I get a cold sweat during Presentation class. We have to round off our opinion for a topic and present it one by one in front of the class. I get a stomach ache the night before that class. I was very discouraged when my teacher told me I lack pursuasion. I thought I asserted my point as persuasively as I could…
Responding to Hiromi’s request, Shinji reads his presentation in English to Hiromi as he did in class. When Hiromi finishes listening to his presentation, she smiles at Shinji and says:
I think I understand why your teacher said you lack persuasion.