Kebii Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Kebii, first of all, please tell us a little bit about yourself!: A. Hello Cafetalk! I am Kebii (my real name is Kevin) and nice to meet you! I was born in Taiwan and at the age of 10, our family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada and I have been there since. Take a guess at where I am now. Vancouver? Nope. Taiwan? Nah. Actually I came to work in Japan 3 years ago so I am living in Japan now! A short story on how I got my name, “Kevin”. When I was still in elementary school, I went to cram school to study English. In the beginning as I did not have an English name, the teacher gave me the name “Kevin”. However, as I did not like the name, I did not really use it. A few years later, I started going to another English school. In the first class, the teacher asked me if I had an English name, I told him no so the teacher thought for a while, and said…from today, your name will be “Kevin”! From that point on, I knew it was destiny so I began using the name “Kevin”.
Q. According to your profile, you have an interesting background! Could you tell us about your childhood in Canada?: A. Sure..I will try my best to pick up the pieces from my childhood as I am getting older now, some pieces tend to fall out of the place. (LOL) Anyway, our family moved to Canada when I was 10 and although I studied English when I was in Taiwan, when I first entered school, it was difficult for me as everyone was speaking at a natural speed. However, as I am a big fan of cartoons (anime), I would watch cartoons such as Batman to learn English. Another great way to improve is to make friends who only speak in English because you will be able to push and motivate yourself to learn.
Q. What is the main reason which you came to Japan? How is your life in Japan?: A. I have always been interested in the Japanese culture. I started with manga such as Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Crayon Shin-chan, etc and when I was in high school, I started watching some Japanese dramas. At first, I thought Japanese language sounded really cool but because I could not understand anything, I decided to take Japanese courses after I entered university. During the course of learning Japanese, my interest towards Japan grew deeper. I then went on a one year exchange program in Kyoto and I fell in love with Japanese culture such as tea ceremony. As my days as an exchange student were unforgettable, I wanted to come back to Japan and experience the culture on a daily basis and this is why I came back to Japan. I enjoy my life in Japan as I am always looking for new things to discover every day. Even the tiniest discoveries will make me excited! I also love to interact with the local citizens because they always show great hospitality and it is always fun to learn a new culture!
Q. You have a lot of hobbies! What do you like to do on your holidays?: A. To be honest, if someone asks me what my hobby is, I would have a hard time answering that question because there are too many! I love to play basketball, watch basketball, watch movies, go out with friends, love chatting with friends, listen to music, and a lot more! Usually on holidays, I would watch basketball (during winter in Japan, I would stay in the kotatsu and watch it) and this can last for a whole day. The times when I am not watching basketball, I would go hang out with my friends and explore the city a bit. I also like to go to different shops to look for unique things. I enjoy doing pretty much everything! (笑)
Q. I’m interested in your popular lesson, “Eikaiwa for kids”. In this lesson, how do you teach English to them? Do you use any materials?: A. Sorry I can’t give out my secrets. =p haha just kidding! Usually during my lessons, I would use a small whiteboard as I feel it is easier for the kids to understand when something is written down. The whiteboard is very handy, as I can write English letters, draw pictures, and play games with the kids. Sometimes I would play some songs on the I-Pad and teach them English songs. I would also create games and play them during the lessons as I believe this is a great way for the kids to learn. After all, this is not cram school but a lesson where they can have fun and enjoy themselves yet learn English in an effective way.
Q. Oh, you have a lesson about Taiwan! Could you tell us about the feature of this lesson, “Welcome to Taiwan!”?: A. This lesson features two things: learning the culture in Taiwan or learning Chinese (Mandarin). For students who are interested in knowing more about Taiwan (aka Formosa), I would introduce the history, the sightseeing places, the gourmet, and where to go for entertainment. If you have never been to Taiwan, I strongly recommend it! =) Another feature is that for students who are interested in learning Chinese, they can also request the lesson here. For beginners, I would go over the pin yin (pronunciation) chart first as this is the first thing to remember when learning Chinese. We would then work on vocabulary, phrases, and grammar. If you are looking to learn Chinese, feel free to request this lesson!
Q. Could you give some comments or words of advice to our students?: A. Yeah sure!
One thing I always tell the students is that it is okay to make mistakes. Usually Japanese students want to make everything perfect when they speak but I would always tell them, no one is perfect when it comes to speaking a language. The more mistakes you make, the more and faster you will be able to pick up the language. Another thing is, be proactive. Try to use the language as much as possible whenever you can and where ever you are. For example, if you go study abroad, no matter if it is going to watch some sports game, movies, dinner, picnic or the smallest things, try to get involved with all the activities! You will find a totally different experience!