WaiWai

Saturday I went and checked out the WaiWai Volunteer English program today at Iidabashi Central Plaza today.

I found out about the program when I was hanging out studying Japanese in the Virgin Record cafe in Shinjuku. Some guy came and sat at my table (I was alone at a 4 person table) and pulled out a 日本語教育 (Japanese Education) book and started studying himself.

I asked him if he wanted to be a Japanese teacher or something, and we started talking. It turns out he was a volunteer at this program called WaiWai, and he is training to become a Japanese teacher for foreigners in Japan.

Thanks man. We need all the help we can get.

Iidabashi is close to Shinjuku, and the building in which the classes are held is connected to the subway station, so it is easy to access. The classes start at 10am, and run until 12. The cost of lessons is 1000 yen per month, that breaks down to 250yen a session, cheap. The cost covers transportation for the volunteer teachers, as well as any expenditures the group needs for the classes, copies and stuff.

When I went there I was honestly surprised at their organization. The classes are divided into 3 groups, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Since I am big-headed, I decided to join the advanced class for my first day. We went over a newspaper article, a short one, took turns reading it, and checking for meaning. There were about 8 people in the group, four teachers, four students. It was good stuff, lots of explanation, lots of assistance. It reminded me of school again.

There were about 50 students and probably about 40 teachers at the event. It is a large group, with lots of willing volunteers. It’s beautiful!

If you are looking for a way to improve your Japanese, I highly recommend it. It is also a great place to meet people!

-Harvey