What we’re about
The best way to learn a language is using it, but it can be tricky to find conversational partners outside of lessons and classes. If you do have Japanese friends and colleagues, it can be frustrating to be lost for words when trying to have a casual conversation, and perhaps feel a bit embarrassing to have to frequently switch to English.
This event is a chance for those who are learning to practice speaking Japanese with someone else. Textbook and class exercises are a great start, but don’t translate perfectly to daily life, so why not join a relaxed group for one hour to have some casual conversation. Level doesn’t matter - if you’ve been studying for 2 weeks or 2 years the only requirement is a willingness to try.
The meet up will last one hour, there will be a short introduction to the format of the session in English, after that- it’s all in Japanese! That’s the first rule: Only speak in Japanese, whatever level you are at. If you need to look up a word, that’s OK. If you need to flip through a notebook or textbook to be sure of a grammar point, that’s OK. If you want your partner to repeat what they’ve said slowly to give you a chance to look it up, that’s OK! Throughout the hour we’ll rotate partners so you’ll have multiple opportunities to practice what you’re talking about, as well as interact with partners with different experience.
Each event will follow the same format - arrive early to grab a coffee or drink from the venue, and we start at 11am with an introduction to that weeks session. In the first section, you’ll talk about what you did over the last week. You can just focus on the weekend, talk about the whole week, as much or as little as you like. Next we’ll speak about our weekly topic. It might be about movies, somewhere you want to visit, food you like, or anything we can think of. The topic will be put on the event page you sign up to, so you can prepare. The final section will be about plans for the next week. As before, as much or as little as you like. Remember to be a good conversational partner, listen as much as you speak and ask questions about what your partner is saying, that’s our second rule.
If you have any questions you’d like answered before making your mind up about coming along, just send me a message! Places will be limited for these first few events whilst we find our feet running it and gauge interest, so please do sign up and give us feedback!
Hopefully I’ll meet you soon and we can enjoy speaking with each other in person!
またね！