With this rare boot camp style learning experience, we hope you gain some knowledge at least required to have the most fun! To achieve this, we cam up with programs where you can gain some knowledge before joining our camp. It's free contents so don't hesitate to sign up even if you are still unsure whether to join!
Talking about myself
Thanks for signing up to our mailing list! You’re now part of our English team! You’ll be one of the lucky students receiving updates every day from me, Nic-sensei. By signing up, you’ll not only get updates about the camp and your teacher, but also some quick English lessons and videos that will help you improve and get ready for the camp.
You’ll be spending a lot of time with your host, Nic-sensei, so it’s best that you get to know him, right? He’s a simple man, but with big plans. You’ll get a brief summary about Nic, if you don’t already know enough about him! Don’t worry, he doesn't bite ;).
Find out what makes Nic-sensei smile, and wake up in the morning. With tons of travelling and teaching experience, and having called 4 different countries home, Nic-sensei definitely has eclectic tastes and values. He loves the outdoors, of course, but he also loves old literature and cooking. Find out what makes Nic-sensei himself. Maybe you have a few things in common that you can chat about during the camp?
Nic-sensei has been teaching for many years, in 3 different countries across continents and islands! He’s been travelling since he was born, and has over 40 countries under his belt. Learn how this experience has shaped him, and what inspires Nic to keep teaching and travelling the world today.
With so much experience teaching and travelling, it seems natural to want to share this experience. Now, Nic-sensei and Fruitful English have come up with an amazing way to give Japanese a valuable and enriching English studying experience, without leaving the comfort and safety of Japan!
A phrase you may have heard is the ‘turning point’. For Nic-sensei, the ‘turning-point’ for teaching and wanting to inspire children came in Myanmar. Learn more about what changed his life, and the little girl that touched his heart forever.
You’ve heard his inspiration and experiences related to teaching. So, how does Nic-sensei approach teaching, and try and motivate students. That’s an easy and difficult answer! Mostly, it’s all about positivity. Remember there’s no such thing as a wrong answer, or a bad question. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn.
Intro of Tanegashima
Nic-sensei’s ‘discovery’ of Tanegashima dates back to 2017. Nowhere else in the world has captured his heart more quickly and deeply than the island of Tanegashima. Specifically, the island lifestyle is an intangible quality, that you can only truly understand by visiting and experiencing it. That’s why we chose it to host our camp!
Although Okinawa gets all the credit for nice beaches in Japan, we think that Tanegashima can give it a run for its money! The diversity of scenery, from plunging, cliff-strewn coasts to powdery white-sand beaches fringed by turquoise water, makes Tanegashima one of the most visually spectacular areas of the world, not just Japan.
While the natural scenery of Tanegashima is definitely the island’s biggest draw, it’s also definitely not the only one! Tanegashima hosts a wide range of attractions that cater to a wide range of interests. Those interested in what lies behind our world will love the JAXA Space Museum in the south. Cultural buffs will love the history and heritage of Tanegashima. And there’s much more!
Still not convinced! I doubt it. Tanegashima is a place that needs to be visited to be appreciated. That’s why we chose it to host our English camp.
Although Tanegashima is one of the most amazing places in Japan, it’s also one of the least visited. Regardless of your motivation to learn English, Tanegashima is an amazing location to visit in its own right, and should be visited by everyone, Japanese or otherwise! Luckily for Japanese people, it’s in your backyard!
Not only are you learning English on the beautiful island of Tanegashima, but you’re learning with one of the few native speakers familiar with the island. Nic-sensei knows all the little secrets of the island to maximise your enjoyment and fun. Of course, he’ll be there to increase your English skills too, and get you ready to travel abroad by yourself!
As mentioned, despite its undeniable attractiveness, Tanegashima also sits in relative obscurity and is rarely visited. This makes it perfect to learn English on! By being isolated, we’ve created a true English-immersion experience. You’ll feel like you're in a foreign country, and will use so much English that you'll forget that you haven't even left Japan!
English lesson video, likely focused on directions, or a role play of being at a restaurant.
The first of our paid lessons! Of course, the most important part of travelling is getting around! Of course, you need to know how to get around, and that often means asking for help. Although directions are often covered in education, Japanese students still struggle with them. Don’t worry though! Nic-sensei has some great tips and phrases that you'll never forget, and that always come in handy when travelling!
Remember that our camp is designed to give you an English immersion experience in Japan! So, we’ll be giving you all your directions in English too! You’ll feel just Nic-sensei when he came to Japan for the first time, and had to use English to navigate! You’ll see what it’s like to navigate around town with buses and taxis, as well as other commonly used forms of transport! This will definitely help you in the camp!
Do you love food? So does Nic-sensei, and the first thing he’ll tell you about travelling is that it’s important to know how to get food simply, so that anyone can understand. This email is jam packed with useful phrases you can use when ordering at a restaurant, and when looking at the menu!
How often do you get something to eat during the day? Especially when you're travelling, it’s a lot, right?! Nic-sensei will show you other useful phrases that can be used while at a restaurant. In addition, he’ll show you how to stop by to get your favourite things to eat when shopping at smaller establishments like cafes, ice cream shops, and even convenience stores!
One of the most daunting parts of travelling can be checking into your hotel. It’s important to be comfortable while you travel, so you need a good hotel! Remember that Nic-sensei will also be checking you into your hotel on Tanegashima! The phrases and lessons in this email will help you every time you travel abroad and stay somewhere, and they’re the key to a comfortable night sleep, every night you’re away!
You’re checked into your hotel, but there are cockroaches in the bathroom, your bed smells like a skunk, and your remote control for the TV doesn't work! What do you do?! Rely on Nic-sensei of course! He’s faced it all in his travels, and has the correct English phrases for you. Remember that you can contact Nic for any and all queries regarding your hotel to practice your English during the camp.
Now that your stay is over, it’s time to settle your bill and pay for any additional services you used. But how do you do that? Nic-sensei to the rescue again. No matter where you stay on Tanegashima, your accommodations will be top notch. But, you still need to leave them by checking out with Nic-sensei, and these phrases will be the perfect practice to improve your skills and prepare for your own trips abroad
Everyone likes shopping while travelling! There are so many interesting things to buy around the world! What happens when you can’t find what you’re looking for? Or, you can’t find something you like, and you want to ask for advice. There are so many different situations when you’re shopping, and that’s where some practical experience pays off. Nic-sensei loves to shop too, so he’s got you covered with the phrases he’s used in his own travels. Of course, be sure to ask for more when you meet him!
When you’re at the camp, you’ll be meeting lots of new people. Of course, this is an English camp, so you should try your best to introduce yourself in English, regardless of who it is! Instead of the usual introductions like ‘I’m Nic. Nice to meet you.’, Nic-sensei will show you some more common and casual phrasings that you can use. These are how native speakers introduce each other, and will take your speaking skills to the next level!
Do you like chatting with people, but are unsure how to start? Or, how about reacting to people? Do you want to learn some phrases to show excitement or shock, and express how you feel to what someone says? These phrases will help make your experience at camp special, and help you form deep connections with your other campers, in ways that you didn’t think were possible in English!
Everyone is lazy sometimes, and who doesn't like going out for a meal at a restaurant. However, is there anything better than gathering with friends or family at home, and having a home-cooked meal together? Nic-sensei doesn't think so! Here you’ll find some useful phrases for cooking and following instructions, so you can make all your favourite foreign recipes. Those who are staying for day 3 will find these very useful for the Canadian cooking activity!
We really want you to make the most of your time here on the island. It’s the most beautiful island in the world, and we’ve thought of lots of activities and ways to improve your English while you're here. So, timing is everything. Of course, that applies to all trips, so we’re going to show you some helpful ways to refer to times, and how to schedule things in English.
Remember that time is money, and when you’re on vacation, time is valuable! So, this email will look at even more ways to refer to times, and in particular how long events are. When you know how long something is, you can make plans for more activities! We’ll also look at how English varies across regions, and how you may find different styles depending on where you're travelling
One of the most common reasons for travelling is to see the world around us. It’s always great to try new e activities, eat new foods, or buy new things! However, the world is a big place, and many times we simply just want to see it. There are lots of phrases and ways in English to describe the world around you. Remember these phrases for Tanegashima, so that you can use them to talk to Nic and ask him about what you're seeing!
One of the things that will strike you about Tanegashima is how dark it is at night. If you live in a large city like Tokyo or Fukuoka, you probably notice that it never really becomes dark out. There are always signs for a 7-11 or izakaya that always stay lit, not to mention the myriad of road signs and lights. On Tanegashima though, we’re blessed with very little noise pollution, which results in some amazing skies. Tanegashima probably has one of the best views of the moon in Japan, and there are lots of interesting English phrases to learn regarding the sky. You’ll be interested to hear the similarities between Japanese!
If there’s one thing Tanegashima is famous for, it’s the beaches. There are so many I couldn’t list them all here. My favourite is affectionately called ホテル前 by surfers, but I like to refer to it as ‘Pinkies’, owing to its location in front of a huge pink hotel! Beaches are also a great reason to travel, so you’ll be sure to learn plenty of useful phrases for your next trip. Want to travel to a beach in Hawaii or Thailand on your next trip? This lesson and the camp will teach you some great phrases!
The purpose is to make students excited about travelling and going on the camp.
the state of Tanegashima right now (similar to email 59), showing what students can expect and what we’re doing to make the camp the best possible!