anything "better" than waseda's SILS program?

[goofball22]

I decided to make this a separate thread in hoping to attract people that might know the answer to my question, so if i did something that violated the rules, plz do what u must moderators.

After a few days of researching, I cant find a international university program thats better than waseda's university. Im looking for a program that will immerse myself in the japanese language and culture, have a large student body and international student body so i can meet people, and have a diverse amount of liberal arts courses. Waseda seems like the perfect match, but i would like to apply to more than one university. Outside of tokyo would be nice too. I found the following as well:

sophia
temple
tokyo international
kansai gaidai
international christian(although im not christian)

After a few days of researching, looking through these forums, meeting foreign exchange students, i have a general consesus of making your experience the most immersive. Apparently, i need to stay away from english speaking people (i guess the international students?), step out of my comfort zone to make new japanese friends, and live with a host family to really experience the life. Also, i heard that studying around big cities like tokyo and osaka is bad for cost, but recommended because of different dialects in the smaller regions. However, I guess people are friendlier in the smaller regions? Im still kind of researching the areas i particularly want to study in to get the most out of what i want.

I would love to get some advice from anyone here who has studied abroad over there.

Thats my speal. Any info or additional thoughts are definitely welcomed.

i have only 1 semester of university level japanese, and thats it. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nice gaijin]

In SILS, your level of immersion will be determined by your own living situation and choice of social circles; all SILS lecture courses are taught in English. However, I found in my time there that people with a year or two of study prior to arriving made the most progress. Some people tended to fall into social circles of other English-speaking students, and consequentially their Japanese ability suffered.

Regardless of where you choose to go, the returns on your time abroad will depend on the efforts you are willing to put into them.

 

[BobbyS]

There's a school I wanted to attend called Yamasa - it's in Nagoya. I think it was fairly cheap and they offered some really intense courses if you wanted (upwards to 5 hours of Japanese classes per day!). Classes offered in Japanese or English, depending on your level/what you want.

 

[Declan]

Not quite right...

There's a school I wanted to attend called Yamasa - it's in Nagoya. I think it was fairly cheap and they offered some really intense courses if you wanted (upwards to 5 hours of Japanese classes per day!). Classes offered in Japanese or English, depending on your level/what you want.

Thats not quite right.

Yamasa offers up to 6 classes (not hours, each class is 50 minutes duration) per day, but at this stage can't offer more. The reason is that faculty are not allowed to teach more than 15 classes per week, as each class takes at least an hour to prepare for, and then after classes there are reports to write, professional development etc.

Secondly we do not offer programs in English, at all. The only field taught is Japanese language studies, and the methodology is the standard chokusetsuhou. There are translation aids available in English and other languages for beginner level (ie up to JLPT3) students, but that support is not in the form of classes "in English".

 

[kameron]

Waseda's International Japanese Language Program is what I'm currently looking into for my own exchange. It seems to be the best option for me at this point in time. If you want to specifically learn Japanese then check out Nagoya University, they have an excellent program there from what I've heard. Yokohama has an OK program with English courses, really it seems like a waste of time to take part in something like that.

Many universities have good Japanese programs, try looking at different websites. Most universities seem to have english pages these days.

 

[goofball22]

bobbys, thank you for your input

kameron, theres definitely a lot of people recommending wasedas program. I definitely been looking on many websites. Majority of the universities i looked online more or less have a international program. Im just not sure which one i should pick. At the very least, im trying to narrow down to a few universitiesto send applications. Im just not sure where else, which is why i would love to hear personal experiences

THanks for the info everyone

 

[dshack]

The quality of Japanese instruction at Waseda is pretty good, but like previous posters have said, it's really all about how much you put into it. At any of these schools, you can have an immersive experience that will take you to fluency in four years, or you can spend all your time drinking with international students and come out nowhere close to reading a newspaper.

I don't have enough posts to link to third party sites, but check out sodai dot org for some student perspectives on waseda (especially the earliest posts).

 

[Emoni]

I'll make it simple. Waseda's program is good, DAMN good. The opportunities that exist for international students are vast compared to other colleges I've seen. I highly recommend considering SILS strongly.

(Source: I studied at SILS the year before Nice Gaijin. )

 

[Charles Barkley]

Right now I am in the building that used to house SILS--I believe they moved elsewhere on campus.

I am a grad student but take Japanese classes with a number of SILS students and they definitely come from all over the world. Also, Waseda, compared to what I have heard from other schools, is good at providing administrative support in English if need be.

As other posters have said though, I think it would be very easy to go there and not learn much Japanese. The onus would be on you to put in the effort...

 

[MeAndroo]

Another Waseda program grad here, though only for the Spring 03 semester. Did the homestay thing and that probably helped my Japanese better than anything else. I loved making friends with the international students because I was able to get perspectives on things from Europeans, Asians, and even some South Americans, which I don't think ever hurts. It's also helpful to have friends who are as new to the experience as you, because you will notice things differently than the Japanese, and sometimes the only ones who really understand what you're experiencing in the same way are other foreign students.

That said, for immersing yourself in the culture, joining a circle/club is a great way. Our program assigned us a "Waseda buddy," an internationally-oriented Japanese student who had some English ability, to aid in our transition. These folks often became the main resource for those folks who weren't in homestay situations for anything from travel advice to drinking partners.

After having lived in both the heart of Tokyo and now in the countryside, I can say there are friendly people in each area, but the random acts of kindness seem more common out here. I'm an Asian-American with fair Japanese ability, so I don't get the random kindness as much as my more obviously foreign friends, but I still end up with a bag of fruit hanging from my door or a box of instant curry handed to me simply because I'm foreign and friendly. Things like this almost never happened as a study abroad student, though when I was traveling we would often meet people just as generous.

 

[Charles Barkley]

You certainly receive free stuff more frequently in the country.

You also receive icy stares far more frequently.