Ryotaro Tsuchiya was a student at TALK Fort Lauderdale, where he enrolled to learn English for 9 months. After graduating, Ryotaro took off on a great American road trip. Here, Ryotaro talks about his TALK Fort Lauderdale experience of learning English, as well as the road trip of a lifetime:

Learning English at TALK and on the Road

Ryotaro and his TALK Fort Lauderdale classmates

“I stayed in Florida for about nine months. This nine months gave me an unforgettable memory and made me realize a lot of important things about life. I think mostly Japanese  students are good at English grammar, writing skills and reading skills and not good at speaking skills and listening skills. Actually, I was totally one of them. So I focused on speaking and listening. When I said something, there were lots of mistakes. Actually, I knew that, but I never felt embarrassed because all students in school were learning English like me. So I would like to say to Japanese students who want to study abroad in the future that “Don’t be shy, just try it. Everything is going to be ok as long as you keep trying”.

“In TALK classes, I learned so many things. These were not only about learning English but also about the different cultures! I’ve never felt bored in classes and I am sure that it was because of awesome teachers.

“I’ve never felt bored in classes and I am sure that it was because of awesome teachers.

Ryotaro and his fellow travelers

At the Santa Monica Pier, CA – the Westernmost end of World Famous Route 66

Ryotaro at the Grand Canyon, Arizona

“After I graduated from school, I decided to take a road trip around America by bus, as a backpacker. It took one and a half months and I visited more than 12 states by myself. While on my trip, there were some tough times but there were also many significant moments, such as meeting new people, seeing beautiful scenery, trying to eat traditional foods in each places, sharing information with other travelers and so on.

I would like to say thank you to everybody who has been surrounding me for everything they have done for me. I could get such great experience because of these people. I really appreciate that.

Ryotaro concluded about his whole learning English experience by acknowledging the fantastic start he had in the USA when he decided to enroll at TALK:

“All of TALK staff were really kind, this is one thing that I won’t forget, ever!  After I graduated from school, I had a big problem that I couldn’t handle by myself. So I asked a TALK staff member to help me out and she helped me very kindly – even though she was busy and I wasn’t a student anymore. I mean I really love TALK!! It was like my home!!”