Smile English Conversation

This is my second time to join the English speaking café. At the first time I went to another café with my ex-​classmates of Business English department of the Vocational school in Osaka about 15 years ago. The reason why I took part in the English speaking café is that I was told by my ex-​teacher that I couldn’t speak English well, though I got high score of TOEIC and the qualification of STEP pre-​first grade. I was not so shocked when she said to me that. I really agreed with her and recognized that I was not good at speaking English compared with reading or writing. But I thought I had better speak English well.
I’m sorry that I’m changing the topics. There were few such English cafes in Japan at that time. I went there with much expectation. However, as soon as I reached the building, I was discouraged to see such a dark and a little dirty building like a ruin. We hesitated to enter it, as if a ghost would appear in the building. Inside the room was also a little dark and I almost suffocated. We were divided into two groups, each of which had one native teacher at the table. About 7 or 8 students surrounded one teacher. My teacher from U.S. was eating Kimchi Donburi while he was talking with the students. It was a pity that the room was filled with smell of garlics. We were served with only one drink (I forgot that but probably was so.). Even if you stayed as long as you could, I remembered that it cost 1500 yen or so including drink charge.
Back to the main topic. I found a brochure of this smile English conversation café and school in Lar5 and became interested in the café. This café and school adopts the same system as that one I went to 15 years ago. If you stay one hour, it costs 1000 yen. If you stay as long as you can, it costs 1500 yen. Both of them include free drinks (coffee, tea, herb tea, cocoa, orange or apple juice, and water). In addition, the room is very clean, bright, and cozy. A Dutch male teacher welcomed me. At first I took him for American or British, because he spoke English fluently. He had been interested in Japan and took a scholarship to stay at home in Japan. There were various places such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Nara to stay. The applicants couldn’t choose the place where they stayed. As a result of lottery, he was taken to Nara and attended to the high school there. He preferred Nara or Osaka to Tokyo (he said that it is so metropolitan and there are many skyscrapers. it was not Japan-​like that he had imagined). In the end he liked Japan much more. Then he entered the university in Osaka and has stayed here for two years. How amazing! During his stay, he learned and memorized English words or sentences from his friends to get 980 points of TOEIC in such a short time.
It was a very fun time for me to talk a lot of topics with other participants in English. If I keep speaking English, I will speak English at will someday (it’s just hope).
If you would like to improve your English ability, don’t be afraid of making mistakes or being ashamed! I had been ashamed many times. I’m not confident in reviewing in English still now. Native persons may be laughing at my poor reviews.
But the shortcut of improving English is talking with foreigners. Try it with courage!