Name Yuki Takada
From Japan
Program English for Academic Purposes
Why did you choose ELI?
There is an academic writing program and students who have UBC cards can borrow books from the libraries on campus.
What are the top 2 skills that you developed during your program?
Reading and speaking. Before I came to ELI, I couldn’t catch up subtitles of movies. Now I can read it faster, so I watch almost all movies with subtitles. I want to watch them without subtitles in the future. In my course, especially EAP 400 and 450, every student enjoyed making mistakes, so I got the confidence to speak English.
What are your 2 favourite things about your program?
1. X-reading(EAP 400,450,500,550) – For me, it was almost like I was in heaven that I can read English books for free! Those leveled language books were hard to get and expensive in my country.
2. Writing – Because of my job, as a story-maker, making construction, writing, and editing is fun. In Japan, I didn’t have any teacher to tell me such skills, so now I enjoy a writing in EAP600.
What are your thoughts about the teaching style at ELI?
I love all teachers and their teaching. Especially EAP400 and 450, I learned basic writing. I learned all grammar in Japan, but I didn’t know how to use them and to write. The lesson in EAP 400 and 450 was very useful for me. It taught me it is fun to write.
What tools were helpful for you to decide which program to be in?
Before I came in to this program, I took a placement test. That test showed me what is my weak point and strong point and many English learner do not know what their weak point is. You can take it online and it will put you in the best class.
Would you recommend your program to others?
I strongly recommend younger and older people to take EAP class because it has a nice placement test and every EAP class, first the teacher asks us what our goal is. The students say their goal and then the teachers make a plan to get to the goal. The teachers’ action is very good for us [students] because the program is short. Placement test and setting goals are my strong recommendation.
Do you have advice for future students?
My first day in the EAP 400 class, I didn’t have confidence. I know I am in the class because of the placement test, but the first day many students can speak very good and I did not have confidence. Two days after I went to meet Advisor Jody Shimoda, she gave me very concrete advice. She asked me if I read the textbook and if I can understand the textbook. That textbook I can totally understand. Then Jody said “that’s good, you can catch on in the class, but right now you are not used to it so wait 2 weeks”. After two weeks I forgot I went to Jody! I got very used to the class. Advisors’ system is nice because if you don’t have confidence or if you’re not used to Vancouver, you go to Jody and the safety net is very nice. If your goal is confidence, the answer is time. You get resilience.
What inspired you to draw manga?
In Japan, many adult women don’t have the chance to leave and study abroad, so sharing experience in manga may give confidence that it is possible.
Also, this January I published famous Japanese literature by Mishima Yukio. I drew his literature in manga because I like books but nowadays many people don’t read literature because the books are too long and manga has the ability to show it’s interesting. If I write “this is interesting”, nobody will read it but if I draw everybody will read it and are more inspired. Once interested, they might read the original literature. Letters cannot do that [keep you interested] but illustration and drawing have such power to attract peoples interest. My dream is to translate literature to manga.
What has been your favourite thing to do in Vancouver?
In Queen Elizabeth Park, lying and reading a book on the towel is my favorite.
Yuki’s manga drawings are inspired by ELI, the classrooms and the UBC campus. Many thanks to Yuki for participating in this interview.
