Do You Find Indian English Hard to Understand?
It is not uncommon to hear people say,
“I can’t understand Indian English.”
In fact, some people may feel a slight hesitation when they see the profile of an instructor from India.
However, at CALN Online, we intentionally recruit instructors from many different regions around the world. Our goal is to help students become comfortable with the diverse English used globally.
English is not a language limited to a small number of countries. It is a language used across cultures, accents, and backgrounds.
Sakshi’s Growth as an Instructor
When Sakshi first joined our team, she seemed a little concerned that her profile might not look particularly impressive as an English instructor.
But as many of our students quickly realize after taking just one lesson with her, Sakshi provides extremely high-quality instruction.
Learning inevitably involves a certain level of discomfort.
For that reason, it is important for instructors to maintain an assertive approach—guiding students with the right level of pressure and encouragement so that real progress can happen.
Sakshi has embraced this philosophy and grown into an instructor who delivers consistent, focused lessons that lead to steady improvement.
She has become a very valuable member of our team.
Teaching Japanese Students from Delhi
All of our lessons are conducted online, so Sakshi normally teaches our Japanese students while living in Delhi, India.
After the COVID pandemic ended, however, I found myself facing a personal dilemma as her supervisor.
I sometimes wondered:
“Is it really the best thing for someone at this stage of life to continue working in a job that keeps them behind a screen, instead of going out into the world and gaining different experiences?”
Of course, I already knew when we hired her that she was studying Japanese. In fact, I encouraged her to occasionally use Japanese during lessons especially with beginner-level students so she could also use the opportunity to practice.
This benefits everyone.
Students gain clarity and understanding, and instructors gain learning opportunities as well.
At CALN, we believe that lessons should not be a one-way process where instructors only teach.
Learning from students is also an important part of the experience.
Still, despite the meaningfulness of the work, I continued to feel this dilemma.
The Opportunity: A Business Trip to Japan
Sakshi is someone who quickly understands expectations when a situation is explained to her.
She has excellent comprehension, strong responsibility, and the ability to carry out tasks carefully and on schedule.
In recognition of her consistent work and dedication, we decided to arrange a special opportunity for her: a business trip to Japan.
It would be her:
first trip abroad
first time traveling alone
first visit to the country of the language she has been studying
first time meeting people she had previously known but only online
first visit to the headquarters of one of our major corporate clients
It was a challenge filled with many “firsts,” requiring her to overcome both fear and uncertainty.
Why We Chose Experience Over a Cash Bonus
Of course, from a company’s perspective, it would have been easier and less expensive to simply give a financial bonus.
However, I wanted to give her an experience, not just money.
So we decided to make the trip itself the reward.
This involved arranging visas, coordinating the stay in Japan, and planning several meaningful activities.
During her visit, we also toured the campus of Waseda University, as Sakshi may eventually pursue opportunities to study in Japan through a scholarship.
(Interestingly, it didn’t seem to leave much of an impression on her—she didn’t mention it much in her article! 😅)
Our instructor Lita, who is originally from Indonesia and graduated from Kyushu University, helped provide advice and guidance for the visit.
Seeing the campus firsthand also allowed me to better understand how actively Waseda welcomes international students and encourages Japanese students to study abroad. It reminded me how international Japanese universities have become.
Who Our Courses Are For
For people who already have international experience from their student years, our courses serve as practical opportunities to refine their communication skills.
At the same time, we often meet people who have had very little exposure to international environments—yet suddenly find themselves responsible for global business communication at work.
Ironically, this situation is quite common.
Helping such professionals quickly develop the necessary understanding and communication skills is one of our strengths.
How the Experience Changed Her Lessons
As a result of this trip, Sakshi’s lessons appear to have improved even further.
She now has more topics to discuss with students, and the emotional distance between instructor and student has become noticeably closer.
It also seems that she now understands the subtle nuances of what Japanese learners want to express much better than before.
And as a result, her ability to suggest natural English expressions has become even more precise.
In that sense, this experience turned out to be a very worthwhile investment.
About This Blog
This blog series is a collection of Sakshi’s own travel journal from her visit to Japan.
We decided to publish it—with her agreement—as a light English reading opportunity for students taking our courses.
When you read something written by someone you know, it often feels much less intimidating.
So we hope you will enjoy reading the entries one by one, almost like following a personal journal.
👉 Read Sakshi’s Japan Experience
After reading, it can also be a great exercise to ask questions about the story during your lessons.
It’s a wonderful way to practice conversation skills.
A Little Behind-the-Scenes Story
To be honest, when I first read her draft, my immediate reaction was:
“Wait a minute… this sounds like a personal self-growth diary!” 😂
After all, this trip was meant to be a business trip—to deepen her understanding of the company and improve her professional performance.
During the stay, there were moments when the trip could easily have turned into a simple sightseeing experience. I had to remind her several times about the purpose of the visit so we could adjust the direction.
Since her visa was issued for training purposes, I even asked her to revise some parts of the articles.
But this is actually one of her strengths.
Even when she receives reminders that might feel discouraging, she does not become defensive. Instead, she reflects, adjusts her course, and moves forward.
Maintaining the balance between letting her fully enjoy the experience and making sure the purpose of the trip stayed on track was also a meaningful challenge for me.
What I Learned Through This Trip
During the trip, we had many opportunities to talk in depth—about her health, her relationships with people, what kind of environment suits her best, her future goals, and the kinds of social expectations and dilemmas women of her generation face in Indian culture.
One memorable moment was when I took her to an acupuncture clinic, where we talked extensively about these topics.
Through these conversations, I realized something important.
I no longer had any hesitation about continuing to provide her with work opportunities from Japan.
One More Note
Originally, another instructor from our team, Hussain (from Bangladesh, currently living in Malaysia), was also scheduled to participate in this trip.
Unfortunately, his visa was not approved, and he was unable to come to Japan.
However, this experience has led to a different opportunity.
As Japan expands its foreign workforce policies, the number of workers coming from Bangladesh is increasing. In response, our company has begun collaborating with a Japanese language school in Bangladesh to support people who wish to work in Japan.
We are very passionate about this new project. Japan needs more workers, while Bangladesh has a large and energetic young workforce. We hope to help connect these opportunities through language education and cross-cultural support.
Since Japanese language ability significantly improves visa prospects, language education can directly create new career opportunities.
Hussain will play an important role in this project, and I believe that what may have seemed like a setback will eventually become part of a larger opportunity.