My Critical Thoughts on the English Café and the L-café

Abstract

In this narrative, a young Japanese man takes a critical look at two social spaces for language learning: the L-café and its predecessor, the English Café, located on the campus of a large national university in Japan. A major problem he cites is the closed atmosphere, which he attributes to the tight-knit social groups formed by regular visitors. In his experience, this atmosphere makes newcomers feel unwelcome. Another point he raises is that these facilities are not ideal for international students hoping to improve their Japanese language skills because they tend to socialize in English. He concludes his account by reminding both Japanese and international students that other language learning options are available and should be explored if they feel L-café is not meeting their needs.