Makoto Ogawa returns to showbiz armed with English

[Tokyograph News]

20-year-old Makoto Ogawa is returning to television after almost two years of being away from show business. She graduated from Morning Musume in August 2006 to pursue language studies overseas, and she is now said to be very skilled in English.

Ogawa made a surprise return during the taping of this Sunday's (June 8) episode of "Haromoni." Reunited with some of her former groupmates, she demonstrated her fluency by speaking mostly in English, joking that she had almost forgotten Japanese. She was studying in Auckland, New Zealand, between December 2006 and this past April. She attended language school five days a week, though she also took dance lessons after classes.

Ogawa reportedly scored 730 out of a possible 990 on the TOEIC, an international test used to measure the English ability of non-native speakers. She also devoted her time to other studies, taking the TECSOL course (which trains people in teaching English to children as a second language) and gaining some qualifications as a barista (someone knowledgeable in coffee drinks).

Like talento Lou Oshiba, Ogawa may soon build a reputation for freely mixing English and Japanese in conversation. She says she is currently aiming to become a popular variety show personality.

Link to article