January 2023
Do you know this idiomatic expression?
“January isn’t there, February flees, and March is gone.”
It means that from New Year's Day to March, the end of the fiscal year, there are so many events that time flies by in the blink of an eye.
As the saying goes, the new year has just recently begun, but before we know it, a month and a half has already passed.
In the midst of our busy schedule, SAMU Language School accepted a short-term Japanese language trainees from Yong In University in Korea.
In the past, we used to offer a short-term Japanese language training program every year, but the program was suspended due to this Corona disaster.
It has been a long time since the last program was held.
The trainees spent a month in SAMU learning Japanese while also taking on the challenge of experiencing various cultures and cross-cultural exchanges.
In addition to daily Japanese language study, the program also included standard Japanese cultural experiences such as visiting famous amusement spots, strolling around in Kimono, and visiting temples and shrines.
The trainees seemed to enjoy each of these events immensely.
They also enjoyed shopping in Shimokitazawa or Shibuya, visited an underground idol’s concert and a concept café, even made friends with the people next to them at Japanese-style pub, they boldly took on a variety of challenges as if regretting the shortness of their stay.
There were also exchanges with international students studying at SAMU here and there.
The trainees, who at first could not speak well, gradually gained confidence through daily classes, and soon began to speak Japanese.
The sight of learners from various backgrounds communicating in a Lingua Franca-Japanese, truly embodied one of SAMU's educational philosophies, “Encounters”.
Such “Encounters” will be a valuable asset not only for trainees but also for SAMU’s students.
As we mentioned at the beginning, the time we spent with the trainees passed very quickly, but we are confident that they brought back many things to their home.
SAMU Language School Faculty and Staff
