Jaclyn CP#1

     I first met Yuma in a speaking class I had observed. I want to teach English in Japan, so when Yuma told me he was Japanese, I was very interested in learning more. I asked him to meet me for lunch one day. We ate at Greek restaurant Pitaria and discussed topics ranging from his hobbies to where he sees himself in the future. Yuma wants to enter the masters program at Florida State to study sports management. In order to do this, he needs to pass his TOEFL exam. Yuma’s English is a bit broken, but I would never expect him to be in the beginning speaking class. I was very impressed with his speaking abilities. One of the most memorable things from our conversation was his comment about American culture compared to culture in Japan. I asked him if he liked American culture, he said, “Oh yes, very much so. In Japan, there is no emotion expressed. You would look like the happiest person there.”