Meet Taka and Jim

Taka is from Japan and has been studying English with Jim for a year now. They meet in person at the library each week.

Taka says this about his lessons with Jim:

"Once a week, Jim conducts an English conversation tutorial for me. The first half of the tutorial consists of conversations about daily life, travel, food, history, etc. The second half is spent learning conversational English using Burlington English. My wife and I enjoy traveling and Jim has shared some very meaningful travel experiences with me. Jim has a talent for cooking that I do not have and I enjoy listening to him talk about cooking and baking. In this tutorial, I am able to learn not only English conversation but also various contents related to daily life."

When Jim was growing up, his parents would host exchange students, and he saw how learning English and American culture helped them acclimate to life in the US. He believes it’s important to help others when possible and is happy to contribute and help someone improve their language skills, navigate differences, and build community.

Jim says this about his lessons with Taka:

“It has been enriching, and rewarding and keeps me busy. Taka and I meet weekly for 2 hours. As his focus is conversational English, we discuss a wide range of topics important to us both. From travel to food and grocery shopping, we cover a lot of ground and complete the coursework in Burlington English.  Moving to a foreign country is a challenge. Taka has made it an exciting adventure for him and his family.  I am thrilled to be part of his adventure in some small way.“

Over Easter this year, they shared a meal together at Jim’s house.