“If I hadn’t come to LI, I wouldn’t know how exciting learning English can be.”– IALC scholarship winner, Ayaka from Japan

日本語 | English

I’m Ayaka from Japan. I love traveling abroad and talking with people from other countries, but I used to find speaking in English difficult. That’s why I decided to come to New Zealand (NZ) to improve my English. I was lucky, since I won an IALC scholarship for homestay and school fees for posting my NZ life on Instagram. Although it was only a month, I learned a lot at LI (Languages International).

Ayaka at Lake Tekapo

I started in upper-immediate class. When I first went to this class, I was surprised because there were a lot students from all over the world and everyone could speak English fluently except for me. However, I saw this as a great chance to improve my English by learning from others. It was hard to keep up with them, but thanks to my wonderful teachers and classmates, I could enjoy the process of improving my English skills. I really, really appreciate it that they taught me the importance of enjoying English. If I hadn’t come to LI, I wouldn’t know how exciting learning English can be. By the end of my course, I had moved up to the advanced class.

Ayaka at the Auckland Zoo, New Zealand
Ayaka at the Auckland Zoo

Since we can make friends from different countries at LI, I enjoyed my time with them after school. It was also great language practice and helped me improve my English.

Ayaka at Mission Bay
Ayaka and friends at Mission Bay in Auckland

If someone wants to study abroad, I strongly recommend going to New Zealand and to LI. If you come to New Zealand, you might be surprised by how nice and kind the people are. And also at LI, you could meet special friends from all over the world and have a wonderful time. Thank you for everything. I’ll never forget the great time I had in New Zealand.