In September, I was asked to make a speech at a symposium about my experiences learning Japanese. The theme of the symposium was "The Power of Words" and the other speakers would be university professors and a TV News announcer.

I asked, "My experience learning Japanese? You want me to talk about that in English?"

The organizer replied, "No, of course I want you to talk about this in Japanese. For 45 minutes."

Oh no!

However, after talking to my Japanese teacher, I decided to take on this challenge. I had never made a speech in Japanese before, but I had a lot to say about learning the language. I have started and quit learning Japanese many times, mostly because life events got in the way. I started studying again after my son entered university and think I am finally on the right track. Now I study the things I want and the way I want. I don't worry about studying "the correct way" and only do what works for me.

The poster was printed up and I started to write my speech and prepare my PowerPoint slides. I shared my story about coming to Japan and not realizing that I would end up spending my life here. I also talked about my negative experiences with one Japanese language school, which led to a 20 year break from studying Japanese!

I finally realized that even though I don't really use Japanese so much in my daily life, mostly because I own an English school, trying to "get by" on my imperfect Japanese meant I was only living half a life in Japan. I started to study again, only to find out that the internet and smartphones had completely changed language learning. Also, it was important to find a teacher who always cheered me on instead of just pointing out my mistakes! My once-a-week Zoom lesson with my teacher ensures that I don't give up on studying.

My speech went well. I made a few mistakes here and there, but was able to communicate to the audience what I wanted to say. I felt very encouraged by my husband, friends, colleagues, and students who came that day.

I closed my speech with these statements:

皆んなが正しいと思う勉強のし方よりも自分が、楽しくなれる勉強のやり方を見つけてください。その方がきっと長つづきします。

and

人生は本当にどうなるのかわかりません。とにかく終わりのない旅を、思う存分楽しんでください。言葉もそうですが色々な勉強をすることはいくつになっても楽しいすよ。

After my speech, I was shocked to find my teacher standing there! He had secretly come all the way from Kobe to hear me!

It was a great day and a positive experience!

I didn't include this in my speech, but thinking about my Japanese language learning journey made me realize that my struggles have made me a better teacher of English. I can understand when students feel frustrated with learning English. I can also continue to encourage them,  knowing that consistent, steady effort will lead to success!