The Truth of NICOCIA PROJECT in CEBU ニコシアの真実 濱保泰介著

This booklet is a publication authored by the founder, Taisuke Hamayasu, on the above-mentioned themes and philosophies.The English translation of this page is below.

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"What kind of place is NICOCIA where the students are waiting for you? NICOCIA is a cultural exchange spot for both play and learning.

NICOCIA is a Japanese language exchange center. At NICOCIA, the standard language is Japanese. When you're not used to conversation, it's like playing catch with Japanese. Here, you forget that you're in a foreign country and become engrossed in speaking Japanese. It's more important to become a conversation partner than to teach Japanese. That's why the exchange at NICOCIA is a new form of international exchange that anyone who is Japanese can participate in. When Japanese doesn't quite get across, speaking in a mixture of English and Japanese does the trick. In this way, both sides are learning English for free.

NICOCIA is a home for learning language. NICOCIA is not what we imagine a Japanese language school to be. Like parents speaking to their young children, they teach language by mouth. The 'children' of NICOCIA work hard to communicate their intentions to the 'parents.' The parental affection of the Japanese people becomes their confidence as they learn the language. This parent-child communication is the NICOCIA-style 'language learning.' While teaching Japanese through life and play, they also communicate Japanese culture. This is the new international exchange 'volunteer' in the NICOCIA style.

NICOCIA is a room where love is shared. At NICOCIA, the relationship between those who teach and those who learn is entirely voluntary. It's not a school, it's more like a home. When you think about it, all of us, without exception, learn language through communication within the family. Indeed, language is acquired through familial affection and trust. Because language is the most important thing for humans, it is not school lessons but home communication that truly constitutes a 'place of learning' for language."