Language Exchange on Campus (Japan<>Egypt)

The NUCB Language Exchange Program is one of the most popular on-campus activities in which international students from around the world and current students at our university teach each other languages. This program is open to all students, regardless of their faculty or grade, and is free of charge.

In the second semester of 2022, 56 groups are enjoying the Language Exchange. We interviewed Ms. Kitano, a 2nd-year student in the Faculty of International Studies. She previously was paired with Philip from Brazil and at that time they talked about anime, manga, and the cultural differences between Brazil and Japan. This is the second time Ms. Kitano has participated this semester. We caught up with her to see how the exchange is going with Jehan from Egypt.

What kind of interaction do you have?

With Jehan, we take turns weekly teaching each other English or Japanese.

During English week, we watch a movie together so I can learn new vocabulary. We also talk about each other's hobbies, holidays, and habits in English. I was surprised to learn that Jehan's high school uniform was a blazer and trousers, and in Egypt, they do not have ribbons or ties.

During Japanese week, Jehan studies her assignments from Japanese class and I help her to write hiragana and katakana, as well as the parts of the Japanese text that she does not understand. In Egypt, characters are written horizontally, from right to left (the opposite direction from Japan).

Message to prospective participants

This program gives you more opportunities to come into contact with the English language and learn about cultures of countries you do not know. If you make a mistake, your partner will teach you how to use the word or grammar correctly, so you can speak freely.