This is a wonderful experience of Waseda student who participated in the May 2026Japanese Chat Club!

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Don’t miss out on the ICC Japanese Chat Club!

SILS (exchange Spring 2026 semester)　SYED Goher Ali　

To anyone remotely interested in improving their speaking skills, the best way to do it is via conversation. It is the most direct method of using your target language and can offer the greatest rewards, especially when others around you start understanding what you tell them. Even if you are new to the language, the Japanese Chat Club can be very fun for numerous reasons. 

Photo by ICC (Origami Activity）

One of the activities I remember doing was making my peers draw (from a set of pictures that were distributed to everyone) based on my description only. As you can imagine, it was very chaotic but fun, and I learned how to describe shapes, depth, size, etc. which made me practice vocabulary that I don’t usually have the chance to use. 

Another great activity we did was making origami together, which I haven’t done since elementary school. It was a nice blast to the past, but it was also fun asking my peers for guidance on some of the harder ones, seeing the origami take shape and competing to see who makes the best one. 

I recommend registering for the Japanese Chat Club at least once (it occurs once per week for a duration of a month) because it is a popular activity, and seats are typically given on a lottery basis. You might have to try two or even three times, but it’s worth experiencing once. If you really enjoy the format, you can try a second month, but I think one month is enough to help you break the ice, make some friends, and then continue talking with them outside of ICC events. Don’t forget that you are in Japan, so you are surrounded by the best environment to help you learn Japanese. Take advantage of it, and I can promise you that you won’t regret it!

Photo by ICC