Easy-Going English Learner

I had a really good night today with TUJ friends. We went to Izakaya near TUJ and enjoyed beer and conversation. We talked a lot about Japanese and American culture, politics, tradition, subculture like music, cooking TV shows... I could not even imagin i could enjoy that way in my L2 English, when i was a child. Even one year ago, i did not like so much to go for drinking becaue English everyone speaks was fast and slippery for my ear, but i have gradually been used to it.

I hardly get lost during conversation in that situation, but i still got in trouble to speak what i wanna say. Everytime after i joined casual conversation, i thought i need to polish my English.
Especially conversation with several people, native speaker do not do "teacher talk", so it become more challenging for me.

However, on my way home, i noticed the fact that i felt i need to polish my English is just the way many japanese think. I mean apprehention, anxiety, or some kinda inferiority is the strong driving forse to push Japanese learners of English toward learning English more and more.

I read some articles and attended lectures at TUJ that told me that strong factors for leanrers to study or learn English is different from culture to culture. One doctor said the extent to which they are laid-back and relaxed is the stimulating factor to learn English for Brazilian, while the degree to which they are anxious is in Japan.

If someone from some country who is at the level of proficiency as me are in the situation above like at Izakaya for beer and conversation, he/she may be feel different. I feel that there is much room i should give it a try to reach to higher proficiency.. But i realized that the way i felt is just that typical Japanese learners feel.

Oh, well, i am now at the point of graduating from studying English for just English. It is good time to study something through English. My learning style is kinda test-driven one. I used to be learning English for TOEIC, TOEFL, and Eiken. But i got bored with it. Fortunately, i found the content i get intereted in. One of them is TESOL. TESOL study is practical for me as a teacher and as a learner. I wanna be more reflective learner/teacher.

Anyway, thank you so much for you guys for wonderful time tonight!