How I Got Involved with the L-café

Abstract

In this narrative, a young Japanese man, hoping to pursue a career as an English teacher, discusses his learning experiences in two social spaces for language learning — the L-café and its predecessor, the English Café, located on the campus of a large national university in Japan. Through his participation in these facilities, he was able to meet foreigners for the first time and become friends. His story illustrates how the L-café provides a meeting place for students whose relationships and linguistic competency develop through interaction and social activities both in and outside the facility. He concludes his narrative by noting that the L-café provided him with opportunities to make friends with foreigners, gain teaching experience and have his motivation bolstered by other hardworking goal-orientated students.