Japanese (Beginners): Jia Nan Liu

Jia Nan Liu, a non-credited student from China, studied Beginners' Japanese at The University of Manchester's University Language Centre (ULC).

Why did you choose to study a language at The University of Manchester?

Studying languages has always been an interest of mine, and the University presented the opportunity for me to develop skills in this area.

Learning a language helps me to understand a culture better. It is definitely a skill worth spending time on for now and for the future.

Apart from class time, how much time did you spend a week on your studies?

Effort is needed to keep up with the class. An average of two to five hours per week was sufficient.

How did you find your course in terms of level?

Beginners' level was just right for people who have no knowledge of the language. It requires some time to study; as long as effort is made, it is not a mission impossible to get a fair grade.

What did you most enjoy about your course?

Teachers and classmates were friendly and helpful; this experience was tremendously rewarding both socially and academically.

Also, the feeling of starting to understand animations, movies and Japanese sayings without extra help was gratifying.

Have you been able to put your newly acquired language skills to use outside the classroom? If so, please tell us how.

Learning a language always helps you to understand a culture better. It is also useful when buying products from Japan. A fascinating thing is that when I watch television programmes from the past, the sayings actually make sense.

What advice would you give to someone intending to study a language at the University Language Centre?

From my experience, learning a language from the very start is not something that can be achieved easily. However, all the work will be worth it in the end.