So, you want to learn English. And, you want to learn real, living English? Now is your chance! One way to study English is to find a hobby. Before I came to Japan, many of my friends who studied Japanese had a hobby. Some of them studied Japanese martial arts. They did Judo, Aikido, etc. Some people liked to Japanese anime or manga. You do know that Japanese anime and manga are world famous, right?
So, what can you do to study English in Japan? Well, one way is to go to the video rental shop, and find an American TV drama that you like. Now, American TV dramas are very, very popular in Japan. In fact, you don’t even have to go to the video rental shop. If you have cable TV, especially, you can watch an American TV drama any time of the day or night.
But, I have one suggestion. Find a TV drama that you like, and rent the DVD’s. You can watch them again and again, and you can change to the dubbed version or subtitles whenever you want. Also, if you follow a series from the beginning to the end, you can get to know the characters. Then, you can understand how they speak, and you can understand their habits. Then, you can really learn about language, gestures and culture all at the same time.
Don’t forget to have a fun watching TV.　(Williams R. T.)