March 17, 2025
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A language for every dream
EF Language Abroad offers language courses from French to Japanese across dozens of beautiful campuses across the globe. Students learn at their chosen pace – intense or relaxed – and for as long as they choose. Crucially, they fully immerse themselves in their host country.
Find out more at the EF Language Abroad website.
Learning a language opens us to a culture and a whole new way of thinking. At EF Tokyo, our students are using their language skills to connect with their community and open the world to local schoolchildren in Shibuya.
On the famous Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, tourist after tourist stops to take a selfie before moving on to the next spot. It can be easy to be swept up by a place famous for its seemingly never-ending flow of people, endlessly searching for that social media-worthy picture.
Yet students at the EF Tokyo International Language Campus in Shibuya are experiencing something profoundly different: by slowing down and connecting with the local community, they're uncovering a different side of this world-famous place and the people who call it home.
Travelers of all ages from around the world have an opportunity to study a language abroad at one of EF’s 50 global campuses. As they learn their chosen language – from short two-week programs to year-long experiences – they get to know the community around their campus. That is exactly what our students at the EF Tokyo International Language Campus are doing, but they are also giving back to their host city.
Since February 2024, nearly 150 EF Tokyo students have volunteered to support more than 3,500 local schoolchildren to learn English, living the local language themselves but also opening the world to Japanese elementary and middle school students.
In February 2025, local schoolchildren were welcomed to EF Tokyo International Language Campus for a special event to mark the anniversary of the partnership. Credit: Ryo Mizuho.
Top: Donna helping a group of students through discussion.
Left: Schoolchildren present on topics in English and discuss them with EF students.
Right: The EF Tokyo campus overlooks the famous Shibuya crossing.
It’s the core of a unique partnership between EF Tokyo International Language Campus and the local administration to support the English language learning of young schoolchildren in Shibuya.
During the sessions, the room is abuzz with the English and Japanese, as local children present on topics in English and EF students facilitate group discussions. Despite cultural and age divides, they bond over shared interests and laughter is never far away.
“I really wanted to fully immerse myself in Japanese culture”, said Katinka, an 18-year-old student from Germany, who started at the EF school in September 2024 and has volunteered to teach local students several times. “I have been fascinated with Japan for so long and wanted the chance to really improve my Japanese. It’s also so nice to connect with the students in these classes about our favorite anime or local restaurants.”
Between 10 and 20 EF students volunteer each month, with some volunteering multiple times. Donna, 23, is one such student. Having already studied at EF Tokyo for six months in 2024, the Canadian returned in 2025 to keep improving her Japanese and give back to the local community.
“This was an unmissable opportunity”, Donna said. “It really feels like a chance to help the next generation and connect with kids over Japanese culture. We talk about their favorite cities and attractions, but also big topics like the future of Tokyo. It is an incredibly powerful experience.”
Thanks to the fact that EF has campuses in 50 destinations across the globe, our students and teachers have the opportunity to have a positive impact on the businesses, neighborhoods, and schools that surround them as they learn their chosen language.
For EF Tokyo School Director Livia Santana, partnering with local communities is a core part of EF’s mission to open the world through education:
“Encouraging students to engage with the local community is essential in creating lasting memories, friendships, and a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity. Ultimately, these experiences shape them into more open-minded, globally-aware individuals who carry the spirit of cultural exchange wherever they go.”
Her words are echoed by Shun Yanagida, Secretariat of the Shibuya Ward Board for Education. Shun said he was excited by the opportunity to collaborate with EF on this project, and that learning English is supporting young Japanese students to also be more globally minded.
“Learning English is helping local students broaden horizons, deepen international understanding, and improve their communication skills”, he said. “Our students are now more confident speaking to others, and they now dream of studying abroad and making a mark on the world in the future.”
When we take the time to learn a language in a new country, we are not traveling to get a stamp in our passport or snap a selfie. We are there to live it. We are there to experience it, and to unlock a whole world of connection through language. EF Tokyo’s students are doing just that, as well as passing on that opportunity to young people in their community.
3,500
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local students benefiting from the partnership
150
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EF Tokyo students volunteered since February 2024
20
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local schools visited by EF students
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