Candice Nina

Candice Nina Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Candice Nina! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. May we ask you to briefly introduce yourself?

A. Hello everyone! My name is Candice (or Niina), a bilingual English & Japanese language tutor. I am originally from Japan, but have lived in Canada for 15 years. I studied cognitive science at the University of British Columbia, and after graduating, I worked in research institutes and departments within the university, as well as in non-profit organisations. I also offer a consultation session for those who are interested in studying or working abroad in Canada, or who are currently living abroad and are interested in immigrating to Japan.

Q. Please tell us more about your hometown and the area where you currently reside.

A. I was born and raised in Tokyo. I moved around Tokyo and often spent time after school in Kichijoji and Shibuya when I was a student. I then moved to Vancouver, and also moved around for a while there, but eventually settled in Steveston, where my partner is from. Steveston is a small port town located southwest of Richmond.

   I am currently based in Obuse city, Nagano, which is famous for its flowers, fruits, chestnuts and Katsushika Hokusai. Most of the town fits within a 2km radius, making it the smallest town in Nagano. My partner, who loves maps and city planning, found Obuse city on Google Maps one day and told me, "this place looks like a nice place to live in," which led us to move here from Vancouver. Obuse has a train station, is walkable, quiet, has a great view of the sky, mountains and rivers nearby, many orchards, many cute stores, a thriving art scene, is busy with visitors but not too touristy, and offers a glimpse of a future-oriented city planning while respecting its history. The fact that the things that were important for me and my partner’s daily lives were all in Obuse was a key factor in our decision to move to this town.

Q. What motivated you to become a tutor on Cafetalk?

A. Actually, one of my family members works as an online Japanese language tutor and seemed to enjoy it, so I started to think, “maybe I should try teaching online too.” When I was looking into different platforms, I found that Cafetalk:
・Provides an “Online Standby” system that allows you to offer lessons during your spare time.
・Allows you to offer a variety of lessons, and not just language lessons.
Such aspects led me to think, “I want to teach at Cafetalk.”

Q. What are you usually up to when you're not teaching on Cafetalk? What are your hobbies and interests?

A. During my days off, I enjoy walking and exploring, cooking with my partner, listening to music, painting, making junk journals and playing video games. I am also interested in live streaming and gaming speedruns (strategies to beat a video game record as quickly as possible). One day, I might be making my debut as a game streamer...!?

I also enjoy singing, and I was part of a chorus when I was living in Canada (I was in charge of Alto 2. I love bass and harmony).

Q. A lot of students are probably curious about the atmosphere in your lessons. What can a student imagine a lesson with you to be like? What’s your teaching style?

A. As I have a background in coaching (I have experience doing academic advising when I was in charge of a university department, and I am also a qualified career coach), I will support my students towards the goals they have set. As such, my lessons do not often stick to a textbook, but are more of a “chat freely about a topic” style of lesson. Sometimes I will prepare the topics, while other times, my students prepare a topic they’d like to discuss about. My students work in a variety of fields, such as in education, in medicine, as well as in arts, so I try to cater to each student's individual expertise.

Q. Which lessons would you recommend to your students?

A. Although it is probably a basic lesson, I recommend my free-talking lessons. A regular lesson is 25 minutes-long, but I also offer a 50-minute lesson for those who want to chat more, as well as a 15-minute trial lessons for anyone who wants to try my lesson for the first time.

When you send a lesson request, you can let me know if you have a certain subject or an issue you are currently working on. I will introduce you to terms and expressions related to it during our lesson.

Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for your current and future students?

A. To my current students: Thank you so much for your support! I have been able to learn something from every lesson with all of you. I look forward to continuing our studies together in an entertaining and fun environment.

To prospective students: Please feel free to request a trial lesson or a stand-by lesson with me. I look forward to meeting all of you!

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Candice Nina

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