This is Naoshi (38), he was born in Singapore but when he was 7 years old he moved with his family to Yokohama in Japan. Yokohama has a very nice port just like Barcelona. He works as a Digital Imaging Technician which means he is a member of the camera team recording series, movies, and nature documentaries.
In his free time he likes to cook and read books. He also loves to go to the cinema to have a good time out. Here in Barcelona, he has started writing stories in Spanish. At first he didn’t had the intention to start writing, but his Spanish teachers gave it to him as homework to practice Spanish. He loved it so much that he continued writing for fun.
Naoshi started last October with the intensive 20 course at Linguaschools Barcelona in the beginner level and is now in the level B2. Naoshi even wrote this whole story in Spanish! We had a chat with him about how he is experiencing his time at our school and in the city.
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Why did you decide to learn Spanish?
Already in secondary school I was very interested in the history of Spain. So on the age of 22 I went to Spain for the first time. I traveled through Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. It was wonderful! But I only knew some words in Spanish, so couldn’t really communicate with the people. I thought that if I spoke Spanish, I could enjoy Spain even more.
In 2018, I had a project in Spain to record a series for Amazon prime. In 2 months, I went to Salamanca, Valladolid, and Cadiz with a crew from Catalonia. It were happy times, we became friends. And thanks to them, I could really see the cultures of each city in a way I wouldn’t have in a normal trip. The entire project we spoke in English, but I want to work with them speaking in Spanish, so I decided to learn Spanish.
Also, when I was practicing Spanish in Japan by watching Netflix series, it surprised me that there are many Hispanic works that are produced in various countries. It seemed to me that learning Spanish would give me opportunities that I wouldn’t get without speaking the language.
Why did you decide to come to Barcelona?
Because the crew I met during the video project in 2018 became good friends and live in Barcelona. We kept in touch and they invited me to come here, it was an easy decision.
How is your Spanish level improving?
When I came I only knew the basic words and used a computer translator, when speaking and reading. So 6 months ago I started learning from level A1 and I have reached level B2 now. It is still very difficult for my Spanish structure, and there are a lot of errors when I speak and write. However, thanks to studying at the school, it is not difficult for me to watch movies without subtitles and read books and news. And I can communicate in Spanish with strangers on the street.
How are you experiencing your time at Linguaschools?
Fortunately, I am surrounded by classmates who are very friendly and intelligent. I meet new friends, young, older and from all over the world. I can learn, not only from teachers, but also from fellow students, about the cultures of other countries. They always give me encouragement and motivation!
Teachers choose very interesting topics with a lot of variety. Thats my favourite of this school, I can study through many different subjects.
What did you do at Linguaschools besides the lessons?
I like to attend the activities organized by Linguaschools, in which we can learn about the cultures of Barcelona, Hispanic cultures, go to an unknown place and meet the students from other classes.
For example, I went to a very local bar that if it wasn’t for the schools, I would never have known about. We went to Girona, which is a very beautiful city, where we could see the ancient architecture and enjoy the Catalonia feeling. Also, every Monday, after class, I have a favourite activity called “Copa de Bienvenida”, in which we celebrate the arrival of new students and taste home made sangría.
In this school, from Sangría day to weekend trips, we can enjoy so many activities!
Which are your favourite spots to visit in Barcelona?
Here in Barcelona, there are many beautiful tourist sites. Among them, one of my favourite places is Barceloneta, located next to the sea, where I can walk along the beach, play volley playa, and find good restaurants. I also love barrio Born, where I enjoy the architecture of the eighteenth century.
How do you find the online lessons during this stay-at-home period?
On March 14th, the State of Alarm was declared, therefore we couldn’t come to school to attend classes. The school immediately organised online classes so that me and my classmates can continue learning.
Are you in contact with classmates outside of the online lessons?
Yes, I keep in touch with my current classmates and friends who were in the same class and returned to their own countries, we exchange the situation of each country.
Besides studying Spanish, what kind of other things do you do, now that you have to stay at home?
It is no longer difficult for me to read books translated into Spanish, and I began to read Hispanic literature. I live with a host family and my host has many books, so I won’t get bored!
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Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Naoshi. It is great having you at our school for 40 weeks! We are looking forward to see you in person and have our Copa de Bienvenida together again.
Read more Linguaschools Barcelona student reviews here.
