When I went to Canada the first time, I was only 18 years old. I was a little leaf bud that had no knowledge. Before I went to Canada, I was a junior college student in Japan. At the time, who could guess that my going to Canada would change my whole life and would give me a lot of confidence and strength? Nobody. Not even myself. At ESLI, there are six levels, which range from beginner, to intermediate and advanced levels. I started in beginner level two. Each class was full of fun and laughter. Moreover, I strongly believe that ESL teachers are all great at TWU. They help not only to improve students' English but also to solve their personal problems. I have never forgotten their kindness and the precious time that I spent with them. Every student in ESL learns writing, reading, listening/speaking and computer. There were some Japanese, and many Korean and Chinese (Taiwanese) students in each class. However, I should tell you that it is really rare to be classmates with Japanese students because there are not so many Japanese students at ESLI in TWU. However, I thought that was a really good opportunity to be friends with foreign students and to improve my English. Thanks to that opportunity, I have a lot of great foreign friends. Even though I came back from Canada, the friendships my friends and me made in ESLI still keeps tight. In addition, I am sure that you do not want to waste time and money speaking your mother tongue in Canada. Fortunately, I could pass the levels smoothly and graduate from ESLI. I became a university student! It was tough of course, but it was also fun studying with native speakers. Now, I would like to mention about Christianity. I know that there are so many Japanese students who do not believe in God. I was one of them. I was not Christian when I went to the Canada first time, and I do not think that I can say that I am Christian right now. However, please trust me. Going to a Christian university as a non-Christian is not a big deal. Why can't a non-Christian go to Trinity Western University? There is no reason that a non-Christian can not go to TWU. While I was in TWU, I could learn about Christianity and the Bible. It was a huge gift for me. I hope that Christian students and also non-Christian students come to TWU. Please do not be afraid of opening the door. Nobody will bite you. Moreover, there is a meeting called "Japanese Bible Study". As I said before, there are not so many Japanese students in TWU. Therefore, ESL Japanese students and university students hang out once a week. We sang gospel songs and studied the Bible. We also talked a lot! Sometimes, we had a party! A lot of FUN!! So, there is no need to be cautious just because TWU is a Christian university. I wish that I could tell you how I grew up in Canada. I was just little leaf bud, but now the plant has grown up. Now I am taking a test for being a JR attendant. I am sure that studying in TWU will make you stronger, and the experience will encourage you for the rest of your life.

Higuchi, Rika - Japan

I came here in order to develop my English skills. Now my English is better than when I came here. It's not complete, but I can understand what the teachers say and write in English. I believe the skills that I learn here will help me in the future.

Kato, Jumpei - Japan

Some students travel thousands of miles from everything they know for excitement, cultural flavor or ambition. Then again, some students come to WKU, Bowling Green, Kentucky. Sophomore Emi Koike, 20, said she just graduated from her Tokyo elementary school when her parents told her and her sister, Anri, 22, that their family was moving to New York. Though they expected to return eventually, after two years the Koike family members were forced to leave their New Jersey home and return to Tokyo when their visas expired. While back in Tokyo schools, Koike said she was introduced to a new realm of athleticism and competition-cheerleading. She said she practiced about 15 hours a week. While she focused on cheerleading and finished her secondary education in Tokyo, Koike's mother and sister moved back to the United States as permanent residents. It would be four years before she and her father could rejoin their family in New Jersey. Though she was busy with school, upon her return to the United States she came to doubt her place in New Jersey. "I didn't like it," Koike said. "Too many Asian people. It's so close to New York. I only see some Americans. Everybody's immigrated. I wanted to learn English as fast as I can, so I wanted to be separated from my mom and my sister so I could learn language faster." That desire along with the dream to be on an American college dance team, brought Koike to Western Kentucky University last summer. She began improving her English at the English as a Second Language International Program at Cherry Hall while she studied textiles. "I didn't even want to go to college in Japan and do dance or cheer. I wanted to come to the United States and be on the team," Koike said. Koike said she feels like she expresses herself when she dances. She said making the dance team is the most exciting part of coming to the United States. Tokyo Sophomore Emi Koike concentrates on learning new moves to practice for the upcoming varsity dance team tryouts. Koike is currently on Western´s new junior varsity dance team. "She is quiet, but she works really hard and is always pushing to the max," said junior varsity coach Amy Kempf.

Koike, Emi - Japan

ESLI helps me learn English. My ability to speak English will improve because ESLI has lots of examinations.

Nagae, Taisuke - Japan

I entered the ESLI at TWU in January, 2003, and I started from level four. There were only five Japanese students in ESLI, and I was the only Japanese student in my class at that time. I could not speak English well, and I did not have any expectations about my English. I took level four, five and six. In each level, I always had a difficult time studying English. Whenever I had a hard time, I talked to teachers about my problems, and they were always kind to me and helped me a lot. Because of their support, I could graduate from ESLI. Then, I entered directly into TWU. I was a psychology major. I lived on campus and had a roommate and dormmates. My roommate was very kind and friendly, and she always asked me to go out with her friends. Through this, I could make many North American friends. She is still a good friend of mine, and she came to visit Japan last summer. It was very memorable moment for me and my family. I also went to her hometown and spent a wonderful time with her and her family. Now I attend Miyazaki International College in Japan. I have been enjoying being a student in the school. Why I chose this school was because most of teachers are native speakers of English, so students are required to use English in all classes all the time. I have many chances to show my skills that I had learned in ESLI and TWU. Actually, it is not so hard for me to take the classes, but I always ask teachers to give me extra work, so I can keep my English or even improve my English. In this semester, I take six classes and am doing a psychology teacher's assistant. I also teach English and math for junior high and high school students as my part time job. I am a pretty busy person, but I am enjoying my life. I think that having stayed in Canada for two years is my special moments and has influenced my way of thinking and point of view. My goal for now is to graduate from this school and to get a teaching English certification, but I still want to go back Canada if I have a chance.

Odaka, Noriko - Japan

I am currently a TWU student, majoring in Linguistics with a minor in TESL. My experience in ESLI was awesome. I made lots of friends from different countries, and they are still good friends of mine even after graduating from ESLI. What is special about ESLI is that they gave me an opportunity to enhance my English for undergraduate studies. I really appreciate ESLI's curriculum, it's really meaningful. To be honest, being an undergrad student is really hard. We need to write lots of essays, there is lots of group work, and presentations. If I didn't study in ESLI and got into undergraduate studies directly, it would be a nightmare. I would have no idea how to write essays, no idea how to speak up in group work, and presentations. By having the experience of ESLI, I can enjoy being an undergraduate student with confidence.

Ozawa, Hiromi - Japan

The best part of my experience in Canada is that I could meet a lot of people from all over the world. Still I won't forget all of my good memories with my many friends in Canada. Of course, sometimes it was hard for me to communicate with people from other countries because we had different cultures and different languages. However, I never gave up trying to communicate with them because I wanted to know them as my good friends. I am looking for a job now in which I can help people who are not from Japan but who are in Japan. It is hard for me to look for this kind of job because there are few people in my hometown who were not born in Japan. Now, I work in a police office part time. 3 months ago, the content of my job changed, so now I don't have a chance to meet people who are not from Japan. However, when I had begun working here as a receptionist for 8 months, I had some chances to speak and help people not from Japan. At that time, all of them said to me, thank you for explaining things in English. I was really glad to be able to communicate with them in English. I want to help visitors to Japan in the same way the many people in Canada helped me.

Shibata, Megumi - Japan

Teachers at ESLI are very helpful in improving my English. They do not only focus on teaching English to me, they also care about my problems and worries outside of school. ESLI has a lot of activities for students to have fun together and be relaxed from stress about their studies. Students can experience Canadian culture and make many friends through the activities. Langley ESLI is not the place where I became embarrassed about my English skills. Everyone at ESLI is interested in international students. ESLI is such a good place to enjoy learning English.

Suzuki, Nanako - Japan

It's very important to be involved in something!! Whether it is at work, or a student organization, or any kind of club (on/off campus), getting involved allows you to meet other people with the same interest. You can build great friendships. Evansville is a nice place to live if you are looking for a small-city quality. People are friendly, it is safe, and there are many local events to keep the city entertained. The Freedom Festival during the summer and the Fall Festival, are one of the biggest events (and my favorites) in the community. I also think the riverfront downtown at night is really pretty! USI will give you the opportunity to have a great education to prepare your career. The professors you meet, friends you make, and experiences you will have are something you will treasure for the rest of your life.

Yuka Somiya - Japan