Idol English to help with your idle English

Thirty men packed into the small space above Seiyuu no Tamago off Showa Dori in Akihabara on a recent October night to mingle with eight women. These were not ordinary young women -- there were 'idols,' young women in the business of singing, voice-acting and modeling. But on this night they hadn't come to perform: They were the English teachers for a night.

The scene was the opening party for Idol Gaigo Gakuen ('Idol Foreign Language Academy'), a school that seeks to bridge the language gap in Akihabara, the symbolic center of Japan’s increasingly international anime and videogame culture.

"Japanese are paranoid about speaking English, even though they have learned the language," says lonely male 'Lonely Fukusuke,' 37, who founded the school along with partners at Knowledge Square Japan. "Students can relax with idols teaching them English conversation using familiar topics such as anime and manga."

In case you're wondering how organizers located eight Japanese idols fluent in English, know that the idols are not actually teaching classes, but rather assisting teaching professionals. In effect, they act as classmates to encourage students. For example, students will draw cards and then the idols will act out the random scenes, such as "She is mad because I was late." Students must then respond in English.

"These won’t be classes that put you to sleep!" assures Ise Hinata, a singer and voice actress popular in Akihabara.

In addition to assisting, Ise is also in charge of the Japanese class on Tuesdays. Other staff include 'Jesse' from St. Louis, Missouri, and Kimi Rexford, a 'charisma conversationalist' of mixed British and Japanese heritage.

The school's opening party drew men young and old, direct from the street and from the office, including two guys from Denmark. The only woman in the room who wasn’t an idol came with her boyfriend -- Kei is a 33-year-old computer engineer.

"I want to discuss anime with anime freaks from all over the world," Kei's boyfriend explained.

Hopes were high for Idol Gaigo Gakuen on opening night.

"We want to set up an intercultural nexus," says project advisor 'Xaky,' 29, from the United States. "We intend to be a part of the community, offering local outreach programs to assist tourism and businesses. We may even hold seminars to teach maids basic English to use in their cafes."

He stresses that Idol Gaigo Gakuen will be different from English seminar programs, such as the short-lived Cosplish ('Cosplay English').

English classes run from 7-10pm Tuesday through Thursday. Japanese class is on Tuesday from 9-10pm. Cost id ¥2,500 per class or ¥8,000 for four classes. Students receive an instant photo with the idol of their choice with the purchase of four tickets. Every Monday there will be a party with idols and teachers.

Idol Gaigo Gakuen: AOI Bldg. 5F, Kanda Sakuma-cho 2-11, Chiyoda-ku, http://idol-gaigo.com
Contact: info@idol-gaigo.com