Our Study Trip is going well here in Manila. Every day the weather is hot but not as hot and humid as Tokyo in summer.

The main purpose of our trip is English language study. Classes start at 8am and end at 3:15pm with an hour's break for lunch.

The university has allowed me to observe our students during their lessons. So far, I have joined the Conversation and Pronunciation courses a few times.

From what I have seen, the style of learning is active and communicative. All students are expected to practice speaking English, sometimes in a controlled way, at other times freely. Class sizes are small – just a few individuals – so the teachers get to know everyone quickly. The atmosphere is friendly but hard-working. The teachers are enthusiastic and have clear goals. They support the students with many kinds of feedback and encouragement.

Yesterday two of our students gave a short spoken presentation on the topic of "A Special Place", explaining why it is important to them and what memories they have about it. The teacher had demonstrated her own presentation based on a template. She had also provided typical vocabulary for the students to use. She made sure that the students prepared just “hints”, not full sentences. So, instead of simply reading aloud or memorizing text, the students had to express their ideas “on the fly”. It is not easy but it is a great skill to learn!

Apart from learning English, we also have the chance to get to know about daily Philippine life. Last Saturday we visited an area of Manila called Ugong. It is known for its clean and charming streets. We were invited to visit the homes of local people and have lunch. This was a precious experience for us and, of course, another opportunity to chat in English.

Near our university in central Manila, there are narrow streets full of people: not only DLSU students but also little children running around excitedly or teenage boys playing basketball. People are smiley and friendly and say "Good morning" when you pass by.