How has ELI helped you improve your English?

I have been studying at the ELI for 2 months. During my first class, my pronunciation was terrible and my professors did not understand what I said very well. However, after class, I asked my Listening and Speaking teacher how I could improve my pronunciation. He recommended “shadowing” to me, and he said it is a good way to improve your pronunciation. I tried shadowing. For example, I recorded my voice, showed him my recording, and received feedback every week. As a result, I have been able to improve my pronunciation.

What is your favorite memory from your time spent at the ELI?

My favorite memory while studying at the ELI is the Festival of Nations. I made Japanese cultural things such as a poster and Origami with other Japanese friends. We made them elaborately so that participants could enjoy them. Fortunately, many participants came to our booth and looked joyful. So, I was glad that I could share my Japanese culture with them. Furthermore, I enjoyed cultural things from other countries like food and costumes. I became curious about their cultures even though I had not known the countries’ names before.

What challenges did you overcome at the ELI?

My challenges at the ELI were not only pronunciation but I also struggled with how to speak fluently and how to keep my conversations long. I overcame them by means of tutoring. For instance, I prepared for what I would like to talk about before I went there. In my case, I found topics from the Internet. I continued tutoring in order to speak English as well as I could.