Nagase has the University of Tokyo’s degree in Linguistics. Interestingly, when three years ago I came to Russia, I knew Uzbek, met Uzbeks here and talked to them, though I did not know a word in Russian. Uzbek is of the same group, I know it well, I have Uzbek friends. Mongolian for me is, so to say, at the expert level - I know it well, can translate from Mongolian. Take Romanian, I have forgotten it - I’ve studied it for only one year.
At the university I studied eleven languages, though can’t remember everything now.
As I keep failing to pronounce them correctly, Taisuke soothes me, saying 'Don’t worry, not many Japanese speak Chinese!' He, however, speaks four languages - Chinese, English, Mongolian and Uzbek. I try to repeat four melodious syllables. Taisuke finds a Chinese variant and reads it out. Near SAFU’s International Cooperation Department we see a Welcome! sign in a few languages. He admits, he misses Japan, but the confidence that after the graduation he will be a unique specialist is very supporting. The only communication with the family and friends is by phone or on the Internet. He has not traveled to home for two years. His first degree was in linguistics, and now in Russia he studies Laser Physics and Radiation Interaction with Substance. Taisuke Nagase is a third-year student at the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU) in Arkhangelsk.
