This is a wonderful experience of Waseda student who participated in the November 2025 Japanese Chat Club!

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Gaining Confidence

Center for Japanese Language （exchange student)　　Sjimmie

I came all the way from the Netherlands to study Japanese for a year at Waseda university. I quickly noticed that, although the CJL program is very well organised, I did not get a lot of one on one speaking opportunities. And on top of that, because the CJL program is for foreigners, I barely got any chances to really talk with Japanese people. That is why I decided to apply for the speaking club, and luckily I got chosen. I went four times over the span of four weeks. We played a lot of games, I learned new words and made new friends! I was a little nervous at first that I would not be able to understand the others but because I put myself a the beginner table I was able to keep up just fine.The volunteers are super nice and very patient so I did not feel bad about making mistakes at all. And because it is only for one hour every week it did not stress me out, but it was enough to build up my confidence in speaking. I would recommend the speaking club to anyone that feels like they might not have enough opportunities to have real conversations in Japanese. It is also a great way for people that might want more interactions with other Waseda students, make new friends, or meet people from different cultures. It is a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere without any pressures to perform. I enjoyed my time all the while I was studying Japanese. The perfect combination.