Studying japanese at a school in Japan with low level = bad idea ?

[Makino]

Hi everyone,
I am a French student who is currently envisioning studying japanese language in Japan for one year. I saw the prices most schools ask (more or less 700000Y that is) and I can afford it, but even after having been searching for a few days now I am still rather confused.
First there is the question of knowing which school is "the best" ; I think that a structure offering all-day courses (like 9am-4pm for example) and with the goal of leading to (at least an introduction to) business-oriented japanese could be really useful for me (I'd like to be able to work efficiently in Japan or with Japanese companies in about five to ten years, and getting JLPT N2 or N1), but maybe I'm not realizing how hard it can be. Are there examples of really efficient schools that correspond to this ?
And does anyone know if there is something like a list of what schools receive the best reviews by ex-students ? I could only find stuff that were more like advertisements for theses schools rather than actual reviewing.
Also, I do not speak japanese very well. I learned the "Genki" books two years ago, but two years of very time-consuming studies kept me from continuing at a steady rate. As such, even with my various tries at resuming a steady learning of the language, I still must be somewhere between what could qualify for JLPT N5 and N4 in terms of reading, listening comprehension and speaking, but with rather bad kanji knowledge (I remember only about 50) and stuff I have completely forgotten (keigo and a number of verbal forms mainly). I know I can be good at learning languages and that if I had time to focus on japanese I could improve a lot in a rather short time.
But with such a level, is it a good idea to try going to such a school or are the courses going to be a high-priced waste of time ? (compared to what someone with a better level could benefit)
I tried to find universities that could offer english-language courses, but my field of studies (filmmaking, on the technical side) does not permit such opportunities in Japan.

 

[madphysicist]

What is your eventual goal? To study a course on filmmaking at a Japanese university, or...?

I think if you already have some basic knowledge, it is not unrealistic to get to N2 level in one year if you are living in Japan and have classes every day. However, you will have to make an effort to use Japanese outside your classes and not just coast along. I do know a couple of people who have been studying in this way for more than a year and are more like N3, so it's not a guarantee.

Personally I have managed to get from about N4 to N2 level through self-study in a year and a bit. I imagine you could do it much more easily in Japan, you just need motivation.

Also, N2 level is probably not enough for you to follow university courses in Japanese.

There are some sites like this that gather short reviews:
7 Language Schools in Japan - Japanese Courses | Reviews
Of course once you have a few schools in mind you can try googling "their name + reviews" to find more detailed experiences.

I only have experience of studying at GenkiJACS in Tokyo. If you're interested in them you can ask me.

 

[Makino]

Hi, thanks for your reply
My main goal is to get as fluent as possible so as to find entry-level jobs related to filmmaking (grip, assistant-editor, production secretary... I have experience in a lot of jobs) in advertisements or features or documentaries... made by either japanese or foreign crews. I'm finishing my last year of studies, so I'm mainly looking for employment rather than going to a japanese university. I'd like to have a JLPT N2 or N1 so as to more or less officially "prove" to possible employers that I have a very good mastery of the japanese language, but maybe that's not necessary for job-searching, I read people saying it was, others saying it wasn't (same for ads : some say require it, some do not, I don't know what the majority is when one includes all the full-japanese written ads).
But one thing that I do have as a possible goal would be to do research about cinema (I have some ideas about possible subjects for a thesis) as a PhD student but I haven't looked for what the policies in the universities are yet.
My school (ENS Louis Lumiere) used to have a partnership with the University of Arts in Osaka, but it is not available anymore and they've told me they only accept people who are fluent in japanese anyway, so it means I can't do it.

That's also one thing I'm not too sure about : is there something better than a language school for me if going to a japanese university is not my main goal ? The schools I read the most positive reviews about were ISI and Kai and they give student visas, is this type of school worth it in this case ? For ex-ISI students : is it possible not to do the "university preparation program" ?
I also thought about trying to get a working holiday visa and using the year to study at a school like Coto or the GenkiJACS in Tokyo (Fukuoka seems a bit too isolated for networking)... Would it be a better idea in my case ?

GenkiJACS is mainly about language learning rather than university preparation, right ? Could you tell a bit more about your experience ? How intensive was it ? I think I could take something with a high ratio of information per course - there seems to be some moments that are more laid-back which is a definite plus too. Was the school reliable ? How helpful were the teachers ? Do they speak english ? A reviewer says there is a low number of students per class, how many were you ? As for the housing, do you have an option to recommend ? I read that "sharehouses" and "social residences" are a good option when combining privacy and cost.

 

[Makino]

Mmmm... I see on their website the Genki school in Tokyo does not offer a long term course, so I don't think I'll try to go there, but I'm still interested to read more about it.

 

[Mike Cash]

Have you considered the Yamasa Inatitute?

Yamasa Institute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Yamasa Institute

 

[madphysicist]

But one thing that I do have as a possible goal would be to do research about cinema (I have some ideas about possible subjects for a thesis) as a PhD student but I haven't looked for what the policies in the universities are yet.

Generally for a PhD there is no Japanese language requirement if you are fluent in English, however it may cause difficulties in your daily life if you have little Japanese knowledge.
As for jobs, I have heard from a lot of people that while it's not necessary, having N2 or N1 makes it a lot easier to find something. IDK about your field of work.

That's also one thing I'm not too sure about : is there something better than a language school for me if going to a japanese university is not my main goal ?

It depends how you learn I suppose, whether you need the structure of classes every single day, whether you need the frequent interaction with Japanese people etc. Have you considered a working holiday where you take a few classes a week and also have a part-time job to balance the costs? That would give you the opportunity to speak to more Japanese people on a daily basis, and you'd have something else to put on your CV.

If you're concerned more about being cost effective rather than the "being in Japan" experience, you could take some evening class or similar in France and study by yourself at the same time. As I say I managed to learn just by myself and I will take N2 next month, but I have the time to spare and a lot of motivation. Excuse my self-promotion but I just wrote a blog post about my self-study methods if you or some lurkers are interested.
ジョジーナ: 8 tips for learning Japanese free by yourself outside Japan

If your goal is primarily to get a JLPT certificate, be aware that especially in N1/2 you come across things you will not encounter in everyday life, and that passing it has virtually nothing to do with conversational fluency. The JLPT is as much about getting used the type of questions as it is about knowing Japanese. You might want to look for a course that specifically prepares you for it – or if you prepare by yourself, use study materials specific to the test for at least a couple of months before the exam.

 

[madphysicist]

Mmmm... I see on their website the Genki school in Tokyo does not offer a long term course, so I don't think I'll try to go there, but I'm still interested to read more about it.

You can still study there long-term, the Tokyo school just can't get you a student visa. If you are a French citizen you can study there up to a year on a working holiday visa, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I think GenkiJACS Fukuoka/Tokyo are not very different except that at the Tokyo school there are more short-term students, and more students in general. I studied there for 5 weeks in the summer and 2 weeks in the winter.

Advantages

-Courses are aimed towards speakers of European languages, as opposed to other schools where there may be a lot of Chinese and Korean speakers. At lower levels this makes a big difference.

-The reception staff are very helpful and speak English well. If you have a problem during your stay (e.g. I dropped my wallet at one point…) they can help you out.

-The school will arrange accommodation for you if you want. Probably quite a bit pricier than finding a place by yourself. In the summer I stayed in a sharehouse with both Japanese people and various foreigners, that was what made my stay so fun and memorable. I'd recommend that option. In the winter I was in a one-room apartment. I already had friends so it suited me well, but it could be isolating.

-Teachers are very friendly and have a sense of humour. Generally they speak English well, especially the ones assigned to beginner classes.

-Class size was between 2 and 8 people, usually about 4, so you get opportunities to speak and ask questions.

-Friendly and social atmosphere. They arrange a dinner or similar every week for the students (about 2000 yen), occasionally they organise other events or trips.


Disadvantages

-I found that they concentrated on a few grammar points per week but didn't come back and review them except when they happened to come up later. In this sense you have to take some responsibility for using what you've learnt so you don't forget. This approach didn't suit me because I have a very good short-term memory and didn't need to practise one or two verb forms repeatedly for a whole week; I'd rather go quickly and have more reviews.

-They tend to stick quite rigidly to the material in the textbook.

-At lower levels they spent too little time on kanji (well, they were just following the Genki books and they are very slow at teaching kanji…)

-In the summer I had trouble with some other students in my class who were rather disruptive (fortunately they left after a couple of weeks). Most students there are short-term and might not be as serious as you about learning.



Whether it's "intensive" or not depends what you're used to I guess. These are the only formal Japanese lessons I've ever had so it's hard for me to say. At beginner level they cover about 1 chapter of Genki per week, but it is possible to repeat levels if you can't keep up the pace.

 

[JoshH]

I highly recommend you to try Nihongo Center (Japanese Language School in Kyoto ). When it comes to efficiency, their courses are designed to get you into the language really quickly in a practical and fun way. I went from zero knowledge to speaking with Japanese people everywhere in a few months. Really quick style of teaching, love it.

The downside is that the price is around 700.000 Yen for a 1 year course. However that's a pretty normal price for language schools if you ask me.

 

[DBC Japan]

It isn't a bad idea at all. I study at DBC Japan and I work here too. I was a total beginner when I started a few months ago, there are several different levels for beginners right up to the masters.

I was offered a job here since there are no English speakers and I am the only native English student. So I was lucky. lol

 

[bononogram]

If you are looking for an academic setting, with academic Japanese being the goal - certified fluency, writing, etc. - I have heard many great things about IUC - IUC

They have scholarship opportunities as well and attending their courses would definitely look great on PhD applications, CVs, etc if you find yourself within the 'academy.'

 

[johnnyG]

Try this? 留学生別科 | 学部・学科・組織 | 北陸大学

 

[johnnyG]

This place also offers classes, but not sure if they satisfy visa requirements:
Ishikawa Foundation for International Exchange - Ishikawa Prefectural International Exchange Center
(working holiday visa would be fine for this)