Interview: Kazu on Language Learning

Participants

• Steve: Host
• Mr. Kazu: Guest from Kazu Languages

Key Points

Introduction

• Steve introduces himself and mentions the presence of a special guest, Mr. Kazu from Kazu Languages.
• Steve encourages viewers to subscribe to his channel.

Background

• Steve lived in Japan for 9 years and noticed a dominance of English learning materials in bookstores.
• Perceptions in Japan: Japanese people are mostly interested in learning English.

Kazu's Channel and Language Learning

• Kazu's main reason for learning languages: Communication and friendship.
• Believes learning languages helps in understanding and respecting different cultures.
• In his channel: Conversations with people from various countries in their native languages.
• Languages spoken by Kazu: Japanese, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Indonesian, Russian, Arabic.

Language Learning Insights

• Romance languages (French, Italian, Portuguese) are considered easier by Steve.
• Kazu studies languages that are culturally different from Japan.
• Kazu intentionally chooses languages from different language families.

Language Learning in Japan vs. Europe

• In Europe: Multilingual gatherings in pubs, swapping seats, etc., common; other languages often adjacent geographically.
• In Japan: Increasing interest in English, more people taking English classes seriously.
• Shift in attitude: More Japanese people learning other languages like Spanish and Chinese.

Challenges in Learning Arabic and Indonesian

• Difficulty in finding suitable materials for Arabic (especially Egyptian dialect) and Indonesian.
• Use resources like YouTube and Netflix for learning these languages.

Future Plans

• Kazu plans to visit countries where the languages he learned are spoken (e.g., Indonesia, South America).

Encouragement and Conclusion

• Steve believes anyone can learn multiple languages, emphasizing the ease due to modern technologies (e.g., MP3s).
• Steve considers Kazu a "discoverer of languages" and encourages him to learn more languages.
• Closing statements and well wishes from both Steve and Kazu.