Student Interview with Huang Aoshuang | ISI Japanese Language School

Huang Aoshuang

From China
Tokyo-Shinjuku Campus

Waseda University
Graduate School of Japanese Applied Linguistics
Admitted

Hello! Could you please introduce yourself?: Hello, everyone! I am from Huangshi, Hubei Province, and I enjoy reading and playing rhythm games. I came to Japan in July 2024 and began studying at an ISI Japanese language school. In August, I also started taking entrance exam preparation classes at JUQ, a preparatory school operated by ISI. After a year of preparation for this summer’s entrance examination, I was accepted into the Graduate School of Japanese Applied Linguistics at Waseda University.
Looking at your background, I see that you worked as a Japanese language instructor at a study-abroad agency. I’m not sure whether I should call you Ms. Huang or Instructor Huang! (laughs): Please just call me Huang! I taught Japanese for ten years at several major study-abroad agencies in China. As part of my work, I also assisted students with the procedures required to study abroad. As I continued working there, I began to think that perhaps I, too, could come to Japan and further my studies at graduate school. Studying in Japan had always been a dream of mine. At the same time, I had reached a point where I felt stuck in my teaching and had many questions about how I could improve it. I thought that coming to Japan and learning new things would help me improve my teaching significantly, so I decided to make the move without hesitation.
With your extensive experience in the field, you must have already had a good understanding of how studying in Japan works. How did you choose your Japanese language school and preparatory school?: The reason I chose ISI was, first of all, its excellent campus environment. Another major reason was the diversity of its student body, with students coming from a wide range of countries. That is extremely valuable for my future research on Japanese phonetics. After actually studying there, I was also confident in the quality of ISI’s Japanese language education. I realized that I had made the right choice. After every class, I had the opportunity to interact with ISI's Japanese instructors, and through those conversations I learned a great deal about Japanese language education.
I was actually very careful when choosing a preparatory school. After arriving in Tokyo in July, I spent more than twenty days booking trial lessons at almost every preparatory school I knew of in the Takadanobaba area. Having taught Japanese in China for ten years, I understood very well how important the quality of an instructor is. Several schools offered high-quality classes, as well as others with strong expertise in particular fields. However, after attending class taught by Instructor Liu at JUQ, I chose JUQ without hesitation. The instructor not only has solid expertise but also provides practical advice tailored to my needs and promptly adjusts the curriculum to suit my situation. From my perspective, I was perfectly capable of studying books on my own, so I considered only one-on-one lessons. What I needed was an instructor who could teach me things that could not be found in textbooks. Moreover, Waseda University was my first-choice school, and Mr. Liu was pursuing a doctoral degree in Japanese language education there. Liu was a perfect match for what I was looking for, so I enrolled immediately after taking his trial lesson.
Could you walk us through your overall preparation process for applying to Waseda University?: The first step was the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Shortly after arriving in Japan in July 2024, I took the N1 exam. However, I wasn't satisfied with my score, so I retook the test in December and earned 174 points.
The next major step was preparing my research proposal, which is also required for admission to Waseda University. After enrolling at JUQ in August 2024, I began developing my research proposal. However, I went through a great deal of uncertainty and internal conflict during the process, and it was not until around April or May of this year that I finally settled on a clear direction for my research topic. I then worked quickly to complete the proposal in time for the application deadline at the end of August.
In addition, Waseda University does not allow applicants to contact prospective supervisors before applying, so I did not reach out to any professors. Most of the information I gathered about the faculty members and the entrance examination came from my instructor for the specialized subjects. Waseda University does not have a written entrance examination. Instead, applicants are given one month to complete a pre-assignment. I spent a little over two weeks working on mine. To prepare it, I purchased three or four books related to my research topic, although I ultimately cited only one of them in my paper. Even so, all of that preparation was worthwhile. During the interview, the professors asked me many questions about the pre-assignment, and having built up sufficient background knowledge was essential for answering them confidently.
Finally, for the interview, I first prepared answers to commonly asked questions in advance, wrote them out in my own words, and reviewed and memorized them every day. Once I had memorized most of the answers and established a clear flow in my mind, I contacted everyone I knew and asked them to practice interviews with me. I first practiced with a teacher from my language school. Next, I asked my homeroom teacher at the preparatory school to introduce me to a Japanese teacher, and finally, I practiced with my specialized-subject instructor. Through repeated practice with different people, I steadily became better at handling interviews.
Some people might assume, “Since you were already a Japanese language teacher, you should have been able to pass without attending a preparatory school.” But it seems that was not actually the case. What difficulties did you face during the admissions process, and how did you overcome them?: There were many difficulties. The first was writing my research proposal. Although I had a clear idea of the general direction from the beginning, my initial specific topic was related to psychology. However, the only knowledge of psychology I had at the time was the very basic material I had studied to obtain my teaching qualification in China. To better understand and develop my research proposal, I purchased many books on psychology. I read not only Japanese editions but also books in English, as well as numerous academic papers. Even so, I struggled to find a clear starting point for writing a strong proposal. I struggled with it for nearly six months. When classes resumed after the New Year, my specialized-subject instructor suggested several possible new directions. One of them particularly appealed to me and aligned perfectly with my interests, so I decided to change my research topic. I then spent the next four months completing my research proposal.
When it came to writing my research proposal, I was a complete beginner. From start to finish, my preparatory school instructor guided me through every step of the process. It would not be an exaggeration to say that without the instructor Liu, my research proposal would never have been completed. Liu provided meticulous guidance throughout the entire process—from helping me understand the structure of a research proposal and how to approach it in the initial stages, to offering professional advice on the various ideas and directions I later developed, explaining the points I needed to keep in mind in each part of the proposal, and refining the final draft.v
As for studying and memorizing the specialized subjects, Waseda University required only a pre-assignment, so unlike many other universities, there was no need to prepare for a written examination. Because I completed my research proposal relatively late, I applied to only two universities. The other university was Tokyo Gakugei University, which did require a written examination. However, I found preparing for that exam much easier than writing the research proposal. Every day, I read textbooks and took notes in my own words. After finishing each chapter, I created a mind map to organize what I had learned. Then, during my daily commute, I memorized those mind maps on the train. About two months before the examination, I also began memorizing the definitions of key terms, and of course, I did that on the train as well.
Writing the research proposal was truly exhausting. The admissions process is not only a test of knowledge, but also a long and demanding mental challenge.: Yes. Mentally, I found this part far more difficult than the entrance examination itself. During the six months when I was stuck on my research proposal, I felt as though I were on an emotional roller coaster, and even the smallest things seemed enough to make me lose control. Because of that, I spent almost all of my time alone and rarely interacted with my friends. Every day, I immersed myself in studying and kept thinking about how to write my research proposal. Even after four or five months, I had made almost no progress. I began to feel that if things continued this way, my mental health would suffer. So I reached out to classmates at my ISI Japanese language school and started studying with them after classes every day. Before I knew it, we had gradually formed a study group, and at its largest, there were four or five of us. Although we were all in completely different fields of study, simply having that environment made a tremendous difference to my mental well-being. Even when we weren't talking, just looking up from my desk when I got tired, taking in the scenery, or going for a short walk outside helped me feel much more comfortable.

In every respect, I felt overwhelmed by one difficulty after another, and I often felt that I was not coping well. The pressure became so intense that I found myself overeating, breaking down in tears late at night, and giving up the gym, which I had consistently attended for more than six months. The most impressive moment when I met with the instructor Wang, the student advisor at JUQ, to talk about how my application preparation was going. After telling her that I had finally finished the outline of my research proposal, I hugged her and cried for more than thirty minutes.

It was an incredibly difficult journey, but by continuing to work steadily every day and persevering through the hardest period, I gradually began to see the results of my efforts. Going through that experience made me much more resilient to stress, and I believe I am now better prepared to deal with similar challenges in the future.
Now, going back to Waseda University's admissions process, could you tell us more about what the examination was like for prospective applicants?: Waseda University does not require a written examination. Applicants are evaluated primarily through a document screening process, and those who pass the first round are invited to an interview. As part of the document screening, applicants must submit a research proposal, a statement of purpose, and a pre-assignment.

The interview was conducted online, which significantly reduced the pressure. I think this is a real advantage for applicants who are not confident in interviews. At the time, there were two interviewers, one of whom specialized in phonetics, the same field as my research proposal. Most of the questions focused on my pre-assignment, research proposal, and statement of purpose. The professors' questions were highly specialized. Rather than asking standard interview questions, they explored specific points that had caught their attention. For example, regarding my pre-assignment, they asked why I had chosen a particular example, how it related to the other examples I had discussed, where I had found it, and exactly how I had come across it. Likewise, when discussing my research proposal, they asked about aspects that I had never prepared for.

In addition, it seemed that the professors had carefully read all three of the documents I had submitted before the interview and had even clicked through the links included in them. As a result, they asked questions that went far beyond what I had actually written. To handle this kind of interview, I believe the most important thing is to have a thorough understanding of every detail of your statement of purpose, research proposal, and pre-assignment. You should be able to explain every word and every point you have written, connect them to other parts of your documents and the references you cited, and, if possible, relate them to your academic field. If you can do that, no matter what questions the professors ask, you should be able to answer them. Most importantly, you need to have a clear overall picture of everything you have written and understand not only the main framework but also every branch and detail that grows from it. If you can do that, the interview itself won't be a problem.
Looking back on your journey to admission, what would you say are the three key words that best describe your entrance exam?: 1. Interest. If your research topic is not something you are interested in, it will be difficult to write a strong research proposal. After all, reading books, searching through academic literature, and organizing your ideas are all tasks that simply cannot be sustained unless you are truly interested in the subject.

2. Concentration. During the more than six months I spent preparing for the entrance examinations, I cut off almost all social activities so that I could put myself into study mode every day. I would not necessarily recommend this approach to everyone, as each person's circumstances are different. For me, once I went out and spent time socializing, it was difficult to get back into study mode afterward, and maintaining my concentration became much harder. Since I had to study every day, this was the only approach that worked for me. So I went to the self-study room every day and sat down. Even if nothing I read seemed to sink in, I would first sit down and open my books. After a while, I would gradually find myself becoming focused.

3. Seek support from others. Studying alone day after day inevitably brings many challenges. From an academic perspective, it is easy to miss the key points, lose direction in your research proposal, or become stuck. Mentally, it can also become overwhelming. That is why I believe it is extremely important to seek help from others when necessary. For my entrance exam preparation, I communicated frequently with my specialized-subject instructor. Whenever I came up with a new idea, I discussed it with my teacher immediately so that we could examine it together and make sure I didn't head in the wrong direction or waste time and effort. For emotional support, I studied with my classmates every day and also relied on my teachers at the Japanese language school and the student advisor at my preparatory school. Whenever I felt overwhelmed by stress, I would simply talk with my Japanese language school teachers. As an extrovert, studying for entrance examinations in Japan was genuinely difficult. Perhaps talking with them was my own way of relieving stress.

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