What is a share house?
A share house is a type of rental property where multiple people share a single residence and live together.A typical share house is one where residents share common spaces such as the kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and living room, while also having private rooms to ensure privacy.
One of the advantages of living in a share house is that the initial costs and monthly expenses are lower than renting a regular apartment. Also, for people who are living alone for the first time, living in a share house initially can be beneficial as it allows them to live comfortably and safely while they adjust to a new environment.
When choosing a share house, you can also decide based on the property's concept. For example, there are various types such as those that encourage interaction in the living room, those that prioritize cost-effectiveness, those where people with similar interests or hobbies gather, pet-friendly properties, and those designed for seniors.
Additionally, there are international exchange-style share houses where foreigners of various nationalities can live. Of course, Japanese people are also welcome to live there. These are popular with people who are internationally minded and want to develop an international perspective and improve their English skills.
Advantages of living in a shared house with foreigners
International exchange-oriented share houses offer more opportunities to use English in daily life, making them ideal for those who want to improve their English skills. So, what are the specific benefits? Let's explain from the perspective of someone whose goal is to learn English.Learn English easily without going abroad
To quickly acquire English skills, it's essential to create as much of an English-speaking environment as possible. In addition to studying at English language schools or through online English conversation classes, actively participating in events where you can interact with foreigners and increasing opportunities to converse with them will improve your English proficiency.If possible, going abroad alone and living in an English-speaking environment will help you acquire even more practical English skills.
However, traveling abroad requires both time and money, making it difficult to plan freely. Therefore, an international exchange-style share house allows you to easily learn English without having to go overseas.
Speaking with foreigners in person is a good way to practice your English.
As you increase your opportunities to converse in English with foreigners, your listening and speaking skills will improve. Building on the English you've learned in school, you can then acquire practical, usable English.The key to improving your English is both input and output. By using the English you've learned in school classes to converse with foreigners in a shared house, you can practice output-focused English.
If you only focus on inputting English grammar and vocabulary, your motivation can easily decrease. However, by using an international exchange-style shared house, you can practice using the English you've learned in real life, allowing you to enjoy learning English without getting discouraged.
You can interact with residents who want to learn English.
People who choose to live in international exchange-oriented share houses often share similar goals. These include not only those who want to improve their English skills, but also those who have lived abroad for a long time, love traveling internationally, or have foreign partners—in short, people with connections to overseas cultures.If you want to improve your English skills, in addition to language learning, understanding foreign cultures, customs, and values will further accelerate your ability to absorb English.
Living in a shared house with an interest in overseas cultures expands your network of contacts with people who are interested in English and have a global outlook. Those who plan to travel or study abroad in the future will also have the opportunity to gather information about various countries.
Search for a room
Only furnished properties with appliances are listed!
Key points for choosing a shared house to improve your English
Time for independent study is also necessary.
While international exchange-oriented share houses certainly offer an English-speaking environment, whether or not residents can make the most of this environment depends on the individual residents themselves.The foreigners living in the shared house are not English teachers, so they won't teach you English according to your schedule.
To make the most of an internationally-oriented shared house, it's a good idea to actively communicate in English in the common areas, and dedicate the rest of your time to self-study where you can input English.
The learning environment is not consistent.
Share houses are currently a popular type of accommodation, so there is a high turnover of residents. In the case of foreigners, some who do not reside permanently in Japan use share houses as short-term accommodation while traveling abroad.Therefore, your English learning environment may change easily if a foreign friend you've become close to, or someone you have easy conversations with in English, moves away.
Understanding different cultures
You can interact with friends from various nationalities, allowing you to experience diverse values and different cultures.In Japan, we don't often think about being Japanese, but in internationally-oriented shared housing, there are more opportunities to realize that we are Japanese.
It can be an opportunity to re-examine your past values and gain new perspectives, allowing you to grow as a person in a way similar to traveling abroad.
On the other hand, differences in values can sometimes lead to problems, so communication requires both parties to compromise and find common ground.
Is there a system in place to encourage improvement in English conversation skills?
Some international exchange-oriented share houses offer events and opportunities for interaction. By participating in party-like events away from your usual living environment, you can also expect to improve your English conversation skills.Even within the category of international exchange-style shared housing, there are various types, so it's a good idea to view them in person before making a decision.
Are there opportunities for international exchange?
If you live in a shared house with foreigners, you can communicate in English anytime by taking the initiative to strike up a conversation or encourage interaction.However, even if a property listing states that foreign residents are welcome, there are cases where no foreigners actually live there. If your purpose is international exchange or to practice English, it is recommended that you either view the property in person or check with the management company about the nationality ratio before making a decision.
Basic English related to shared housing
Here, we'll introduce some basic English related to shared housing.- shared house: shared house
- roommate/roomie/flatmate: roommate
- house rent: rent
- Deposit: Security deposit
- bond: deposit
- Budget: budget
- Continued: Electricity, gas, and water charges
- furnished: Comes with furniture
- unfurnished: No furniture
- Amenity: Comfortable environment in the room
- notice: notice
- Refundable: Refundable
Search for a room
Only furnished properties with appliances are listed!
Useful Application Phrases
Here are some useful English phrases to use when searching for rental properties in English.I was wondering if I could come for an inspection of the room for rent advertised.
What's included in the rent?
Would you pay me back the deposit when I move out?
How many people live in this house?
Improve your English skills in a shared house.
Share houses come in a variety of concepts, and those with a large number of foreign residents offer opportunities to improve your English skills.If you're planning to study abroad or considering which English conversation school to attend, I recommend trying out an international exchange-style shared house.
