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Activities
Culture Class
This class is held at the end of every term. Great opportunity to experience ORIGAMI (paper folding) or SHODOU (the art of calligraphy).
Japanese Conversation Club
(A video clip broadcasted on Rogers TV)
Are you having a hard time finding the opportunity
to speak Japanese
outside of the classroom?
If your answer is yes ...
We've got good news for you!!
If you are Level 2 or above, you can participate in Ａｉｔａｓ Japanese Conversation Club.
This is a club where you can practice your Japanese by mingling with Japanese volunteers and immerse yourself into their culture. It happens once a month.
Don't confuse this with a "Language Exchange"!!
The "Conversation"at this club is quite different from a language exchange in that there is no expectation of English language teaching on your part. We are not asking a Canadian to teach English to a Japanese person in exchange for help with your Japanese.
Why do we plan to start this club?
I have heard from many AITAS students that there are few social situations in Canada that allow them to practice the Japanese conversations they have learned at school. Even though our students have made Japanese friends, they often find that their new friends would rather practice English than speak Japanese. We want as many students as possible to experience the pleasure of communicating in Japanese without fear or hesitation.
We sincerely hope that the Japanese Conversation Club will be the just the right environment for a mutual cultural understanding between Canadians and Japanese. We believe this is an important goal for us, as teachers of Japanese.
Student comments about the Conversation Club
1.
I wanted to tell you how good the Conversation club was. I was really stressed out before coming, because I wasn't sure what I was going (to be able) to say in japanese. It turns out that even if I am sure I made a lot of mistakes, I still managed to say what I wanted: my hobbies, plans for the future, trips I took or will take, what my supporter was doing in Toronto, how she likes her experience in Toronto, etc. My supporter was very nice and patient and she also helped me with sentences when I couldn't figure out what to put first or second! In short, that's a really good experience, it's like you're in Japan for an hour. So don't be shy and don't hesitate to join in for the next Conversation club. The more, the merrier! (Guillaume/M)
2.
This has now been my third visit to the club. My best advice is to relax and have fun. As long as you are prepared to talk, you will have fun. The conversation can take you in many different directions. It is best to have a long list of questions and topics to start things off and to keep the conversation going. (Brad/M)
3.
The Conversation club was a great opportunity to practice my Japanese even though my Japanese vocabulary is limited; my supporter was very patient, and without saying any word in English we could understand each other. The Conversation club is fantastic..... (Christian/M)
4.
The Conversation club was a lot of fun!! My supporter was very helpful and fun to talk to. I liked now we were in small groups to help each other out when we were stuck on topics. (Tesha/F)
5.
I enjoyed speaking with a Japanese person for a whole hour. It is a little scary. But that is part of the learning. The more I do this the more comfortable it becomes. It is very helpful to speak to a Japanese volunteer supporters because they use language & grammar that we may not have learned in class. They also speak quickly, which is excellent ear training. (Paul/M)
6.
The conversation club really takes AITAS to the next level, because it gives you the opportunity to put your Japanese skills to the real test! Using absolutely no English, I had the chance to talk with native speakers using all the Japanese that I know! The experience is challenging, fun and very rewarding! At the end of the day, I was able to improve my Japanese skills and make new friends with people around the world. (Angelie/F)
7.
The conversation club was an enjoyable experience and enabled us to practice our listening and speaking skills. It challenged us to apply the things we learned and also exposed us to new forms of speech. The people that attended were very patient and engaging with us. It was also fun to learn about the different parts of Japan that the people were from and also learn more about our own classmates. All in all, the conversation club was a very good experience and I hope to be apart of the next one as well! (Hiu/19/M)
8.
I believe that the Conversation Club is very useful; it really complements what I learned in the classroom and it is a very good opportunity to practice my speaking skills. Furthermore, the Club is very fun, not only because I am encourage myself to speak Japanese but also because I can learn so much about our Japanese partners and classmates regarding culture and lifestyle. For me, it was a very good experience and a good way to increase my Japanese network in Toronto. (Carlos Saito/33/M)
9.
Conversation club is great opportunity to have real conversation with Native Japanese speaker and I think it is really good chance to have these kind of club while attending a course in AITAS. I love the conversation club and it really help me out a lot to have no fear to talk to Japanese, at the same time learn a lot from each club night. At the same time, we can make many friends from different countries include Japan. Great opportunity for student to have this club! I love it!!!! (YuSun Ok/21/F)
10.
I was surprised on how much I knew and how much I was able to commune in a few hours. They invite real citizens of Japan to sit down with us and make conversation. It was amazing! I will try not to miss any club nights! (Silmar/M)
11.
When I first went to the conversation club I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what to expect and I didn't think I would be able to speak to someone in Japanese for that long. As soon as it started I felt much better and very quickly began to realize that I could actually understand quite a lot and there was no pressure. It was so much fun! We talked about lots of different things. For example they would ask me questions and I could ask them questions and sometimes I asked them to write things down. I absolutely loved the conversation club and highly recommend it to everyone. You'll be amazed at how much you can actually understand. I will definitely be going back again. (Heather/22/F)
12.
Conversation club is the perfect practice of all our study. Your talk is free but only in japanese, so during this time you apply all your knowledge and your brain try to find the easiest way to transmit your mind. I think it s the best place after living in Japan to appreciate your evolution in the reality. I really enjoy those time even if I'm a really beginner. People are kind and always explain your mistake or you acknowledge. There is no silence during this time and the time goes so fast. (Vincent Gouverneur/22/M)
13.
Conversation Club wa totemo muzukashii desu. Anata wa totemo hayai iimashita! Omoshiroi ga tanoshii deshita. Wastashi wa uchi e kaerimashita kinouno ban sorekara nihongo o benkyoshimashita. (Tashi Moore/24/F)
14.
At first, I was so nervous and shy. But I can't come up the right word to express what I think. (Ya Han/F)
15.
If you want to know what it is like to speak to a Japanese person, this club is for you! You can talk about anything you like, ask many questions and gauge your ability to understand and speak Japanese. And you do not have to spend money on a plane ticket to Japan, Japan comes to you! Experienced students of Japanese can have their vocabulary and beginners can have that confidence boost that starts you speaking a foreign language. (Polina/F)
16.
I really like it. It's a definite challenge. Today was difficult but good practice. It's a good reason to study more at home..... I just need to find time. Topics are the most difficult part. It is easy to run out of things you know how to say. I'll be sure to bring lots of topics next time!! (Mike/M)
17.
The club really forces you to think and put the Japanese you learned in class to practical use. It seems overwhelming but the supporters make things easy and are patient when there are inevitable pauses. We are all here to learn and the club is a great way towards advancing our education in the Japanese language. (Derek/M)
18.
I find that I am getting more confidence with every lesson. I think it helps sometimes when the Japanese persons asks you a lot of questions. The conversations we had today were good in that whenever I asked or initiated a topic the other person asked me a lot of good questions back. I had a list of topics but I did not get through them all which was a good sign meanings we talked in detail about each topic. (Elias/M)
19.
I am so glad I took the time to join the Conversation Club. It's a great challenge learning a whole new language with very little time and people to practice what you've learned. I can't remember when I've felt as challenged yet excited at the same time as I did participating in the Conversation Club. This was a totally different experience. Trying to answer questions that you're not anticipating and converse freely with Japanese-speaking guests was nerve wrecking. I felt like I was learning to ride a bike for the first time - trying hard to get a grip so I wouldn't fall off. In spite of the cold weather outside I was sweating buckets and swore I was inducing a brain hernia from trying to decipher what was being asked of me. All this might sound discouraging, which I felt at first, but the guests were encouraging and it really was a good way for me to develop and be more exposed to this beautiful language. I know I'll be more at ease at the next round now that I've got my feet wet. The more I am challenged the less foreign the language will seem to me. I'm really enjoying this journey. I'm so glad to have Kyoko-san's encouragement and enthusiasm. She truly makes you feel like it's ok to run into some hurdles as you continue to learn. Kyoko-san and our guests at the Club arigatou gozaimasu! (Sue/F)
20.
AITAS conversation club gives you an excellent opportunity to practice your Japanese communication skills. As a student, I can learn vocabulary and grammar on my own, but there is no way to learn listening and speaking without conversation practice. (Alan Leung/M)
21.
Thank you for inviting me to this year's first conversation club. At first I thought I'll come and sit silently observing the others, but the Japanese guests (3 amazing guests at my table) didn't give me that chance. They were excellent in asking us simple questions (slowly and clearly pronounced) that provoked our minds to remember the verbs and our vocabulary. It was a great challenge. I felt great about my ability to understand the questions and find the correct words to answer. Although, I have a long way to go, I'm glad I'm being challenged to improve and strive for success.
Thank you and thanks to the amazing 3 Japanese guest. (Melfidan/F)
22.
I really had a great time at the conversation club! I was very nervous going into it, but it was such a comfortable atmosphere that my nervousness quickly passed. For me, it really illustrated what things I needed to focus my studies on, and I'm looking forward to going back and trying again! (Karen/F)
23.
I think Conversation Club is a brilliant idea!! I usually find it much harder to speak a language than to read it. Conversation Club forces me to try to think in Japanese which is what I need!! Oh, and it's also a lot of fun and you meet interesting people!! (: (Natalie/F)
24.
TANOSHIKATTA!!! (^O^)//
I thought I would have a difficult time being the first time I've gone to the Conversation Club, but it was so much fun! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and everyone was very understanding too, so it was nice... I can't wait for the next one! ^_^ (Amber/20)
25.
AITAS Japanese conversation club is so much fun. Really enjoyable. It's a great chance to practice all that you have studied in class with native Japanese speakers. (Steve Hodges/33/M)
26.
I was very nervous at first. While I attend and pay attention in every class, I have not had much time to study outside of class. I was afraid it would be impossible to participate. I was very surprised when I was able to understand and even speak a little about myself, my hobbies, where I work and so on. The Japanese students were very friendly, and kindly helped me by repeating some things, or making their sentences simpler. I loved it and I will come again!!
If you plan to attend, it will be a great idea to bring some notes from home. Write down a few things about yourself or what you want to talk about in Japanese, and don't be shy to take notes or ask for help in spelling new words you learn. Good luck! (Valentin Kelemen/25/M)
27.
My first experience with the AITAS conversation club was nice. The environment was relaxed, and everyone was open. As well, I enjoyed the fact that we were immersed with native speakers. That brought us to another level. (B.C/26/M)
28.
My first conversation club is totemo omoshiroi desu (extremely interesting)! In the beginning, we had no idea what our native Japanese speakers were talking about. So there were a lot of laughing. Then we picked up on our hobbies, and where we like to go for travel. But we always have to flip through our notes. I still need a lot of practise! It was a great opportunity to speak Japanese. Ichiban desu! (Claudia/F)
29.
I really enjoyed the conversation club. Although I felt nervous at first, the native Japanese people were very kind and helpful. It was a great opportunity to extend your knowledge that you learnt from class towards a more natural everyday setting. Overall, it was an enjoyable and fun experience. (O.L/22/F)
30.
"Oh no, what am I going to say? My Japanese isn't that good yet!" Daijoubu, don't worry, I had the same worries too. The conversation club provided me a very relax environment to chat with some native Japanese people. They're so friendly and patient! I started speaking with choppy words, then getting more comfortable and confidence. At the end of the conversation club night, I spoke more completed sentences with them. It's really fun & enjoyable. I found it's a big help to my confidence on speaking Japanese. Totemo Osusume! (Otto Yuen/M)
31.
The Conversation Club is great! Japanese volunteers are very enthusiastic and patient! I am finishing Level 2 and - my Japanese is not that amazingly fluent (yet). However, volunteers made us feel comfortable, answered questions, talked to us and were super nice! I have found the Conversation Club to be very positive experience that I highly recommend. (Danielle Hrapoonov/34/F)
32.
wow, what can i say, i've attended the culture club 2 times, both times were amazing. Interaction with students from japan was an eye-opener. We talk, we laugh, we talk some more and then laugh some more (not at me, i hope, haha), the 1 hour time just flew by. Even though i am only at level 2, attending this club helps me understand what i need to work on and do even better next time =) i highly recommend it!! (Alan/28/M)
33.
Konniciwa mina-san, I have joined the conversation for twice now. For the most, I think I am only able to understand 5-10% of what the Japanese volunteers say >.< However, it's nice to get a chance to listen to conversational Japanese. ^.^ One thing that I'll make sure doing for the next time: write up questions or things I am going to say! It's just too difficult to go without any preparation...like what I did last time. (Rius/F)
34.
The conversation club is awesome!! I liked it because it's difficult to meet real Japanese people to practice what you've learned in class and this provided the perfect opportunity for that. (F)
35.
Thank you for organizing the conversation club. It was a great opportunity to attempt to put everything I've learned to use. There is no other way to do this other than conversing with real people! Despite the challenge, the Japanese people were kind and patient. Definitely a little easier that we had some common interests. It was great that they were enthusiastic about helping us. It motivates me to work hard and try to improve for the next conversation club! (Dennis/31/M)
36.
The Japanese Conversation Club was a lot of fun!!! It was such a great opportunity to get to speak in Japanese for an hour. I was really glad that I got to test my listening and speaking skills. Although I was really nervous to speak at first, but eventually I got over that fear and ended up having a wonderful time. The Japanese speakers were very nice and patient. I'll definitely go back next time! (A.T/F)
37.
The Conversation Club was one of my main reasons of learning Japanese with AITAS. This is my 2nd time to the club and I could hardly wait for my 3rd time. It is very hard to immerse in full Japanese environment in Toronto. So the conversation club is the answer!! It is a lot of fun and for sure motivate us to speak and even think in Japanese. I have been missing Japan ever since my trips there, and the conversation club make me feel as if I am in Japan for one and a half hour each month. Thank you Kyoko sensei to make it happens!!! (N.S/34/F)
38.
I think the conversation club was really fun and besides we can make new friends in there with Japanese people. The first time I was a bit nervous, but after we starts to chat, things went quite well. Even when there are times that I could not express what I want to say with all the words that I know. The volunteers were being really helpful and patient and try to understand what I want to say, too. Therefore I would encourage everyone to try the conversation club, I think once you go, you will love it. (Adrian/24/M)
39.
It's a challenge for sure, but at the end of each session we don't want to go home! I have learned many new words and verbs through this club. (Yonsoo/21/F)
40.
Very interesting, it was hard to follow the first 2-3 minutes, but then you get used to it. (S.B/F)
41.
Conversational Club is a challenging, but a really great opportunity to test your progress in learning. Our Japanese volunteers are so kind and patient is a heartwarming experience. Once I cross the fear-to-speak wall the conversation become interesting and friendly. Of course it so much still to learn, but each time I am trying to speak is a little victory. This Club really makes me to work on my Japanese harder. Thank you so much for your work, sensei. (Lyudmila/F)
42.
It was a great experience to test my conversational skills in Japanese. (Cindy/F)
43.
The AITAS conversation club provides me a chance to communicate with Japanese in Japanese language. It not only makes me improve my Japanese speaking& listening abilities, but gives me a good chance to make friends from Japan. It's an excellent Japanese learning opportunity that you never want to miss. (Ken/22/M)
44.
It was a great experience for me to use my Japanese language learnt from the AITAS and really used it at the conversation club. I am surprised that I was able to communicate in Japanese in basic level, though I used some inappropriate words which drew laughter sometimes. Conversation Club sure is a great place where we can practise Japanese and know Japanese friends. After the events I recognized that I need to work harder to catch up with the Japanese language. I need to sharpen it to order the right sushi in Japan!! (Wesley Chan/M)
45.
I've been to the conversation club twice now, and although I am still a beginner and it's Totemo Muzukashii, it's really a lot of fun !! The club is a great place to practice Japanese conversation with Japanese people, and to watch yourself improving with time by being able to converse more and more each time! It also shows that AITAS really cares about their students by providing this great club. I'm looking forward to the next one :) (Zev/28/M)
